Progress

In this brief break between Spring semester and Summer school, I have managed to make great progress with my Tank-Along project, the Mama Tank (at right). My mama was visiting me on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, so I got it done enough that she could try it on. Now I am left with adjusting the straps, sewing in the ends and finishing the collar and armholes. As I was knitting this pattern I was surprised at how deep the arm holes were. The pattern called for them to be 9.5 inches deep (19 inches around). Doesn't that seem too big? Well, it was when my mama tried it on. So I need to make the straps shorter. I love this fabric it has a lovely drape. But, I am ready to be finished with this project.

When the knitting on 6s in the round got me down I took a break and worked on some stash reduction with a couple of Sophie purses from Magknits. This pattern knits so fast! I am planning on using all of my partial balls of Naturespun for some of these with a Poppy embellishment. Hopefully this will create a little room in my stash for the 8 skeins of Cascade 220 I ordered from the Webs sale. You still have time to snap some up at $4.69 per skein!

In other knitting news. I finally ordered the yarn for Simply Marilyn (also through Webs), which should be arriving any day now. While mom was visiting she mentioned that she wanted a poncho, so off to the LYS we went. After trying on several shop samples, she decided on Beth Whitesides' Cape Bohemia in Fiesta's La Boheme in Burnished Red. I can't wait to knit with this yarn. I have been helping someone at work with this pattern in this yarn (different colorway) and it is luscious.

Comments

[melissa]

re: armholes

I am currently taking a course on fitting, and my teacher is obsessed with the arm hole depth. She feels that it makes or breaks the fit of a sweater. I initally went to her because every single neckline I knit doesn't fit. They are too wide or they pull down at the center back neck. She pointed out how a short armhole will pull the whole sweater toward the middle (the back neck down and the bottom hem up). I was dubious as first, but now
I am starting to see her side of the debate.

I think very carefully about my arm hole depth and how I will wear the sweater. If the depth is too shallow for a cardigan, there will be bunchies at the arm hole and everything will skew from there.

There is a great tutorial at : fitcentral.blogspot.com

The tutorial covers both measuring your body to figure out exactly what you need, as well as really well presented instructions for figuring out how to shape an armhole from scratch.

Well worth a read.
Melissa