Knits that don't fit

I finished Vanessa. I am not happy.



From the front, not too bad. Looks a little big and gappy.



From the side you see more bagginess. Yuck.



And the back is just a disaster.



Pattern: Vanessa from Rowan RYC Classic Art.
Yarn: RYC Luxury Cotton DK in Damsel - 9 skeins
Needles: Sz 6 Clover Circulars.
Dates: April to June 30 for main body. July for additional ribbing and seaming.
Mods: I knit a larger size for the ribbing. This is what I think caused the huge bagginess. It also came out wayyyyyyyy too short, so I knit and added on 3 more inches of ribbing.
Thoughts: The yarn was delightful. Soft and pretty - very nice to work with. The pattern was fine, even for a Rowan pattern, though it never tells you to make 2 sleeves. I understand that it's implied, but c'mon.


It is way too big in the bust, even though I followed the measurements for the 36" bust for all but the ribbing. The ribbing is not attached in an attractive way, hence the "ribbon" of extra yarn to cover up the seam.

If I didn't know about the bagginess in the back I might wear it. I might still wear it, since I made it, darn it! But as hubbo said, "It's not your best look." Le sigh.

It is hiding in the closet now, for the foreseeable future. Em, if you want to try it on you have to come to Texas! :)

I can't decide if I am up to ripping it. Maybe after the disappointment wears off. Grrrr.

Baby's been a bad, bad girl

I haven't been blogging much in general, and very few posts have had actual knitting content lately (beyond a few FO and notes about starting new projects!), but today is different! Today I bring you my nemesis.



Vanessa is really pissing me off. I found her. I cast on. The ribbing looked way too small. I thought "I don't want the ribbing making me look any more pudgy than I already am." I decided that I would knit the largest ribbing size, and not do any increases for the waist shaping. Mistake #1.

I never measured Vanessa. I never even glanced at the schematic for her. I thought, "Look at the picture. I looks long on the model. I won't need to add length. It'll be nice and long." Mistake #2.

I never held Vanessa up to me. I never tried her on prior to seaming everything and weaving in every end. Mistake #3.

The thing that's really pissing me off? I never have done any of the stupid things before. I'm usually very careful to look at the finished size measurements. I add length to almost everything I knit. I always measure, I always hold up pieces to myself and try it on as I seam.


Now I know the price I pay for being an arrogant knitter. I'll spare you the belly shot of me trying Vanessa on. It may scar you for life. To help solve the problem, I've bought another ball of yarn, and I've knit 3 more inches of ribbing. Now I have to figure out how to graft in ribbing. (I didn't pick up and knit down 'cause then my "v"s would have been facing the wrong way.) I haven't figured out a solution for the lack of waist shaping issue (other than eating an entire panful of brownies every night, which isn't really the look I'm going for today), but I'm thinking about trying to take it in in the seam somehow.

The ribbing is finished. The grafting should begin tomorrow. Don't blame me if I start more new projects instead (this would be in addition to the several I've started recently and haven't shown you yet. More on them later.).

Lesson learned? You are never "better" than your project, and don't trust models. This one probably had a torso measurement of 15".