Smokin' in the Sizzle

I finished Sizzle on Tuesday night, and I'm very happy with it. I haven't had much luck with garments, but I really feel like I've been turning a new leaf over the past year.

In honour of this latest FO, I thought I'd introduce a new series: Things I Learned from Knitting this Garment.

1. Reading the pattern ahead of time is a good idea: I really got it together this time, even highlighting all the appropriate instructions for my measurements. Good thing too, because if I hadn't, the simultaneous dart shaping, armhole shaping and neck decreases would have driven me to alcohol.
   
2. Decrease does NOT mean cast off. Whenever I used to work armhole or neck shaping, if the pattern said something like "Cast off 5 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows, then 3 stitches at the beginning of next 2 rows, then decrease 1 stitch at each edge on every RS row 5 times", I would promptly cast off 5, then 3, then 1 at the beginning and end of every RS row 5 times. Then while knitting this project it hit me : If she meant cast off, wouldn't she have said cast off? A little light went on in my head, people, and I happily k2tog and ssk'd my way through the armhole and neck shaping (one stitch in from the edge, no less!). Made the finishing MUCH easier (but you all knew that already).
3. I'm tall (5 feet 10 inches, to be precise). You'd think that at 32 years of age, I'd already know this, but hey, I'm a work in progress. Being tall, I generally like my garments to be longer than average. So in the future, not only will I read through the pattern in its entirety, I will also check the detailed dimensions of the finished garment (beyond the bust measurements, which is all I look at now) in order to make the appropriate shaping decisions. Luckily, it worked out this time. I might have made it an inch longer, but I can live with that.

I'm itching to work on the Celtic Tote, but I think I'm going to try and get another project off the needles before I work on that one. I just know if I get into it, it'll lead me to utter ruin (OK, not really, but I'll work on it to the detriment of other, more pressing, projects).

Thanks for all the positive feedback on my new blog banner! I'm very excited about it. It was designed by a wonderful, talented graphic artist I found on Etsy, Malien00. Check out her shop! She's got some really adorable note cards and other stationary, and is available for custom orders. Thanks so much Mel! It's been a real pleasure working with you.

OK, I'll end this post with this week's Secret Pal 12 question of the week (you may have noticed I slacked off on those for a while, I really had no idea what to answer the last few weeks.

A project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I guess the project I'm most proud of right now is Emilie's Good Stripe Dress. It wasn't that complicated technique-wise, but it just turned out sooooo great, and she loves it to bits (and as you know, a 4-year old being pleased with a hand knit item is a feat so rare as to be considered urban legend in some knitting circles).

And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can't get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

The project that springs to mind is my first sweater. I was a Fair Isle from a Létt-Lopi pattern. I'd never worked with more than one colour, I'd never knit in the round, I'd never heard of swatching... But I didn't let any of that phase me, and I just kept knitting. I suppose that, when you factor all that in, it's actually pretty good. But I'd never wear it. No way.

Especially not when I can wear this...

After all, like Wendy Bernard says, sometimes it's all about the sizzle...

Happy Knitting Everyone!