07 March 2006

FO: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket...

She's finished and just in time. If I send it out tomorrow after class, my mom will get it in time for her birthday. =)



Pattern: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket by Kate Gilbert (Interweave Knits Winter 2005/2006)
Start/Finish: Feb. 8, 2006 - Mar. 7, 2006
Yarn: Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK - Burgundy (655); approximately 1050yds/960m
Needles: Denise Interchangeables size US6/4mm
Modifications: Added hook and eye closure



Notes:

This felt like a fairly easy/quick knit compared to the Union Square Market pullover. I love the bracelet-length sleeves. Functional but won't get in the way. I think my seaming of the sleeves was a tad wonky at the yoke (had a bit of trouble there) but overall, I'm very happy with how this turned out. I hope my mom will be as happy with it as I am...she's the one who will be wearing it!

I couldn't find a zipper (I can't believe how hard it is to find a zipper in this town) so I resorted to sewing hooks and eyes to some ribbon and sewing that to the inside edge of the jacket openings. Let it be known here and now that I can't sew to save my life. The closure device was whip-stitched in because it was the only way I could sew invisibly (well, invible from the outside, anyway). One thing I didn't take into account when I measured the ribbon was that the edges stretched by about an inch longer after a bit of handling. It worked out in the end but I think for future reference, if I ever knit a jacket with a similar opening again I will sew in some ribbon or tape to help it keep its structure.

Things I learned:
  • Long-tail cast on has its use.
  • How to estimate the length of a tail needed for a long-tail cast on.
  • How cables work...sort of.

    Things I need to work on:
  • Picking up stitches.
  • Seaming at intersections of pieces (e.g. where the sleeves met the back and yoke seam).
  • Sewing.

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