Tag Archives: babycocktails

Knitted :: for summer, er, fall (Cape Cod)

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Oh, sweet summer, where did you go? Here in Michigan, it is actually state law to not start school before Labor Day – a sane and civilized approach, in my estimation – but even this relatively late start to the school year cannot forestall the inevitable. Summer break always ends, and in our house this time that meant tears. But I’m thrilled to have a new sweater to ease the pain…

Cape Cod

Cape Cod

In April, I fell hard for a new design from babycocktails. Thea totally has my number and her Cape Cod was no exception. Sweet, simple, and slightly slouchy, with gorgeous lace details – LOVE it. I immediately envisioned it in a slammin’ lime green – The Plucky Knitter’s “Chlorophyll,” and I was lucky enough to score some in destash on Ravelry. YES! I was fast on my way to a great summer sweater.

love that neckline

love that neckline

And then life and other projects intervened, and I didn’t manage to finish until nearly summer’s end. When I got to the end, I ran out of yarn for the bind-off of the last sleeve! I swear I have another skein around here somewhere – I really thought I only used four skeins of this yarn, not five – but I cannot for the life of me locate the yarn. I’m distressed to think I might’ve lost a skein of precious TPK in my crazy summer travels, but it’s either that or I’m losing my mind. Which is a distinct possibility.

Anyway, with my yarn shortage crisis, I had to jerry-rig the sleeve bind-off, which involved tying a series of knots and crossing my fingers (which makes it hard to knit). Messy, but it worked out okay.

messy sleeves and all

messy sleeves and all

I also learned from my last sweater blocking escapades. That time a full blocking stretched the sweater beyond what I had anticipated or wanted. So this time I did a spritz blocking.

Cape Cod, blocking

Cape Cod, blocking


Seemed to work out fine!

I had imagined wearing this sweater during my travels up north this summer, where the weather dips into the 50s even during August.

front lace detail

front lace detail

I had imagined lolling around on cool summer nights in the perfect pullover.

summer nights

summer nights

But alas. Once I finally finished, my travels were over and the cool summer suddenly turned hot and muggy.
Cape Cod

But spring and summer will come again. And what’s more, I’ve realized I can make what I thought of as a spring/summer shade of green work well for autumn with the right styling. Right?

Good-bye, summer. I loved you very much.

Good-bye, summer. I loved you very much.

I ADORE this sweater, y’all. The pattern is perfect, as I’ve come to expect from Thea. The yarn, too, (Plucky Sweater) is total perfection. And the color is everything I’d hoped it would be.

Happy Girl

Happy Girl

This is a fantastic knit and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I so look forward to my next TPK/babycocktails mash-up. Happy end of summer, y’all! It’s almost FOR REAL knitting weather!

raveled

knitted :: Narragansett

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ImageWell, hello there! It’s been awhile, but I’m still here and still knitting – and even finishing a project here and there. Today is my birthday, and in an effort to “start as you mean to go on,” I thought I’d start the year by blogging.

This knit is one that’s been in my queue for two years – another babycocktails winner: Narragansett. When Thea released this pattern in the spring of 2011, I instantly fell in love with it: top-down construction, easy raglan fit, sweet little cabled details, gorgeous neckline. The Plucky Knitter was selling kits for this knit, and I snatched one up in the pattern color, “Narragansett Gray.” (By the way, have you seen that TPK is celebrating her 6th anniversary with an Anniversary Update?) 

I finally cast on for the sweater at the beginning of April. It was a sweet knit, as I expected i would be. 

ImageKnit in The Plucky Knitter Merino Lite, in about 750 yards.

I made a stupid decision with this sweater, though. I cast on for a size 38 when I had intended to do a size 36 (for a little negative ease). When I realized my mistake, I decided to just go ahead and do the bust as a size 36 but leave the neckline in the size 38. I should’ve known better since the neckline is so wide already. More on that in a moment.

ImageEven with a wee bit of negative ease in the bust, the sweater itself fits comfortably without being slouchy. I wore it to work yesterday and was very happy with it. I got lots of compliments on it.

 

ImageMy husband really likes the neckline (I do, too!).

But the truth is, it bloomed in blocking far more than I expected. Everything fit *perfectly* before I blocked. The neckline was wide enough without falling off my shoulders. Then I blocked and it all came out huge! I was so disappointed. I crocheted a single chain around the inside of the neckline, which helped a little, but not nearly enough. A friend recommended that I spritz it and toss it in the dryer for a few minutes. I did that, and it did make a difference. I felt like it needed more, but I was afraid to dry it further for fear of how the dryer seemed to be roughing up the yarn.

Any suggestions? I’m wondering if I can somehow tack down the inside of the neckline in a couple of places. I would be interested in any advice anyone wants to offer!

ImageOther than that – which is my fault, not the pattern’s – I’m thrilled with this knit. Fast, fun, and imminently wearable, in a yarn I love and a color I *adore*.

ImageLove those cabled details!

I loved this babycocktails/thepluckyknitter match-up so much that I’ve already begun another (Cape Cod). It is zipping along and I hope to be showing it to you soon. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of this sweater.

 

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raveled