Back to the Vest

I forgot to mention in my excitement that was my previous post, that I did make another important modification. I know a lot of people who have knitted or who are knitting it, don't want the racer back that the pattern creates, and I didn't either. All I did really, was where the pattern told me to decrease down to 50 sts, I decreased down to 56. It meant that I had a slightly wider neck opening decrease to ensure that the straps stayed the 16 sts wide that the front straps were. So the neck, instead of casting off 10 sts, cast off 12 and then decreased for the straps to 16.

The back ended up like this..


Excuse the slightly weird pose, remember I took these on my own with the self timer!

My yarn arrived for Juliet and 28thirty this morning so I shall be winding into balls and getting going on those today!

I Present To You.......The Vest! (and not a tear in sight!)

OK it's finished. And I love it. Excuuse the non smiley pictures, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather we have today and self timed it in the garden. I am wearing it in 3 different styles just in case you didn't notice that!, and it's not even a bit itchy next to my skin.

I knitted this in Cascade 220 Lime Heather, on 4mm and 3.75 circs.
Modifications:
I lengthened the body rib by 5 cm.
I didn't knit the extra 7 rows before the neck shaping as I wanted the neck slightly lower to flatter bigger boobs more.
I made the straps narrower, decreasing down to 15 sts.
I only did K3 row P3 rows for the neck edging instead of adding another 3 to keep the neck line lower and less bulky.
I only did P2 rows when edging the armholes to keep the straps thinner.

I think that's it. What would I do differently? I may have made the neckline even lower and the straps longer as the underbust line sits naturally just below my boobs instead of on my ribcage. I suppose that would have lowered the neck in itself, really.

I do love it, though, and I will wear it loads!!

The Vest

Sorry for the delay in posting these promised pictures, but the cable guy who came to do the tv yesterday also had to update the modem. The modem is situated under this desk in spaghetti junction. And he was gorgeous, so I didn't want to put him off by sitting in his way. I was content to make him drinks and ask him if he could help with a maths question on my daughter's practice exam paper. I know, you're saying corny, but you gotta flirt where you can in this life, I find!!!

Anyway, here it is. I just need to finish around the neck and sleeves and I'm hoping to be posing in it this afternoon. So come back and see if it fits! OMG I hope it does or there will be pictures of me crying......

Fern's Spring Puppies

My niece Ellie with one..


Although you would never know it is officially Spring here as it is so bloody freeeeeeeezing, my sister's father in law's dog had 11 puppies this week, born on Monday night. We went to visit them today. They are so sweet, we could have taken them home with us there and then! Their eyes aren't even open yet. Fern was so chilled with them, and not at all bothered by us stroking them and cuddling them. I am hoping a friend of mine will have one, it would be nice to see one grow up in my road!

Today will be a 2 post day for me as I am finishing the back of the vest and will be taking photos today if it kills me. Waiting in for the cable man, so what else to do but knit?

Vest Update

Sorry no pictures on this post, but I have finished the front, with a few successful mods and I shall let you know and see them tomorrow. I plan to get on with the back tonight, just wound a ball of yarn for it, and hopefully will be showing you the FO pics this week, all being well, and hoping I haven't just jinxed it!

Now that I have the "garment" bug, I am loving Juliet which Stacey has just knitted. I think it might be the next cast on for me, I am following in the trail of Stacey as we seem to like similar styles. Sorry Stacey if you think I am stalking you!!!!!!

My Malabrigo scarf is coming along slooooowly, but I think that seems to be the nature of lace knitting.

Desperate Housewives comes back onto our tvs tonight, which I am excited about, not sure how it will affect knitting quality of the vest! We shall see.

Easter here was good, all my sisters and their families and my mother in law for lunch on Sunday, and it was lovely to be together. I hope you all had fun too! Weigh in day for me tomorrow, which I expect shall be a gain after all the chocolate I have eaten! Oh well, I DID give it up for Lent, so I had to make up for that somehow!

We went to see Vantage Point this afternoon as Rob is off work, and it was great. I would recommend it, especially as it has GREAT eye candy, in the form of Matthew Fox. YUM YUM....almost as nice a chocolate, but calorie free!!

Pictures tomorrow
(of the vest, not Matthew...calm down now!)

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Easter. I hope you all have a great holiday weekend, filled with knitting and chocolate eggs! I haven't done an awful lot of knitting recently, but I am hoping to get on with the Vest this weekend. If only to make me eat less chocolate as Lent finishes on Sunday. Thank God!

Sport Relief Mile

As you know if you were here at New Year, I made a number of sporting challenge resolutions for myself this year. The first, the Comic Relief Sport Relief run was today. I did it with my sister Caroline, (with the short hair) and my friend Michelle. We have all been training for it, but I was nervous as it was my first ever run in public at a running event! I woke up this morning to howling winds and lashing rains, and half hoped it might be cancelled. But it wasn't!

Here is us before running


OMG, though, it was FREEZING!



Any of you living in a lovely hot place, take pity on me, check out the waterlogged ground...it was DANGEROUS!!!!!!!

And here we are afterwards..


No, I didn't carry that plastic bag round the course!

We are very proud of ourselves, not least because we managed to raise over £300 between us for a very good cause. (no, not shoes!!)

The next thing we are training for is the Race for Life in June, which is women only running to raise money for breast cancer research, which we shall be running in memory of our mum, who would have thought we were completely mad!!!

Now I think I deserve to sit in front of the tv for a few hours and knit my BTSV and watch some trash!!!!!

Mary's Odessa

Here they both are, in all their glory!! Mary and The Hat. Apparently it's really soft for sleeping in, especially when you have no hair. Mary needs another one to match different outfits and so, when she has ordered colour combinations, I shall be knitting more.

Fearless Knitting Proof!

OK, as promised, pictures of my dart success. Here they are...


and here is a proud close up of the left boob..

and the right one....


and here is a picture of the instructions I wrote, from the advice that you all left for me. I thought I would put this on here in case anyone else knitting this has a blonde moment (which you can have no matter what your hair colour!) Actually, I'm not quite sure why I found it so difficult to get, just one of those things I think where you can't see the wood for the trees!


This is my progress so far on the patchwork bag, I am knitting the gusset to go all the way round the bag and also become the handle.


And lastly, an update on the Malabrigo lace


Can't you just feel how fluffy and soft that is from the picture? It's a great knit for keeping in my bag for doing in short bursts when I am in use as a teenager's taxi service!

Mary has sent me some pictures of her wearing the hat I knitted and I hall try to get them on here today or tomorrow. She certainly wears it better than the vase!!

Fearless Knitting

Just a little update, minus photos as I have no batteries for the camera today, on my BTSV. The darts are done!!!!! Thank you for all your advice, it worked and it looks cool. I am about to separate for the back and front and hoping to finish it this week.

My Malabrigo scarf is coming along too and so is the patchwork bag, I am on the gusset (hate that word) of that and hoping I have enough Cascade 220 left over to finish it as it is completely made from scraps.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow when I am battery powered again!

Frustration, Elation and cake

I had a lovely weekend and Mother's Day on Sunday. We went to Yorkshire to see Rob's family and took my sister as she hadn't been in years, in fact since she was born there and moved when she was 2. I didn't take my knitting as I have come to a blonde moment with it. I am up to the bust dart increases on the BTSV and it has been such a quick and satisfying knit so far, but I JUST DON'T GET THIS BIT. I've tried...twice....and unpicked....twice, so now I have posted questions on my difficulty on the Fitted Knitalong and also on Ravelry, in the hope that someone can help me.

I'll just tell you quickly why I'm stuck as one of you guys might be able to help. Please feel free to look away if this means nothing to you (believe me, I know how you feel) OK, it says RLI before the marked stitch and LLI after it on every 3rd row 5 times.Now, does that mean that I have to count the increased stitches in as I go along? Do I RLI and LLI on the same or different stitches???? SEE......GGGGRRRRRRRR, it is driving me mad. (Trying to breathe through it and remain relaxed)

Here's a picture of the progress so far



In my last dark moment with this, I was searching Ravelry for some tips and found a Malabrigo March group. Remembering that I had a small skein of the laceweight, I decided to join and challenge my self, not only to knitting with the one I love to stroke, but lace as well.It is the Twisted Knitter's Leaf Lace Scarf. Virgins in both fields, it is going swimmingly well so far, although that should have jinxed it a bit!!!! The only thing I don't really like about knitting lace is that it's loose. And I am the sort of knitter and human who needs a bit of structure. And it's all a bit flimsy. But I love the yarn enough to persevere with this one.



Someone gave me a fab recipe recently and I baked on Saturday. These Apricot and Almond Slices were what got me through the Increase Depression. Unfortunately they aren't THAT slimming and so weigh in on Thursday might be a shock as I ate three before I cold regain any control. I have upped my exercise, to try and limit the damage, but we shall see! They are absolutely gorgeous, and I think would be nice as well with lemon curd instead of the apricot. If anyone wants the recipe let me know!