Ballet Top

Pattern: Ballet Top from Loop-d-Loop
Yarn: Blue Sky Organic Cotton in sand, 3 skeins (used less than half of the 3rd)
Gauge: 10 sts = 4 in on US15/10mm needles (owww)

I wore this to work yesterday. After an entire day dealing with the forces of gravity, weight, and general movement, the back scoop of the ballet top had crept like, halfway down my back. This thing stretches like mad, however I'm thinking it's doing it mostly under its own weight. That cotton double stranded is rather heavy. Hopefully a throw in the wash will normalize it, but I'm wondering what a wash will to do this here Blue Sky cotton. It's so soft and really cottony, fibrous cottony like a cotton ball (duh), will a spin in the wash turn it into a mangled fluff? It was pilling before my eyes while I was wearing it.

Onto the technicalities. Knitting with size 15 needles is murder, but then you get a finished piece in a day, wow! So I didn't do this in the round, next time though I will try. It'll go by even more quickly. Let's see, I also only increased after the waist twice instead of 5 times because as you know I fear loose garments like the plague. It still came out slightly bigger than I would prefer but what'reyougonnado.

I also crocheted a flower for this but when I pinned it on, suddenly I was all, "Hi I'm ten, let's play with My Little Pony!" So flower was quickly nixed. That's it. I consider this an easy one-off. Maybe I'll do it again.

Comments [11]
Filed Under: Completed Projects | Loop-d-Loop | Ballet Top

An unscheduled project

There's not enough time, not enough hands! So many pieces that I want to make for me, like this cute kimono sweater, and this funky cardigan and of course the hot Alpine vest. So many pieces that I need to knit for all the babies coming at once. And pieces I want to knit for friends, like another Orangina and Apricot Jacket. And at some point I need to make Duck a sweater of his own. That's just the tip of a very large knitting iceberg.

I told myself I could not knit anything for me until I had at least 2 baby pieces done, but then I started the Loop-d-Loop ballet top just to see what would happen and suddenly I had a front.

This pattern (along with every single on in the book) is knit in the round. For some reason I do not like knitting in the round, maybe because I find it difficult to gauge the size of thie piece as you're working it. It gets all bunched up on the needle.

Also this pattern uses GIGANTIC size 15/10mm needles, of which I happen to have a pair. Straight only. I wasn't about to go spend $12 or whatever on a circular pair when I don't intend to make knitting on size 15 needles a regular thing. So I adapted the pattern to knit flat. I'm doing some stash busting too, using 2 strands held together of Blue Sky organic cotton.

My hands HURT, particularly the first joint of my right index finger. But I'll have this piece finished up in record time: started it last night, will finish back piece today, if all goes according to plan.

After that, I must finish Celia (back piece is done for that) and then it's baby stuff all the time.

Comments [3]
Filed Under: Loop-d-Loop | Ballet Top