Semi-Complete

I have come along on the tiny tank, it is almost complete, lacking only buttons and button loops. I did experiment a bit with finishing. My initial thought was to try an applied I-cord edging to neck and armholes. First attempt is not pictured, I ripped it finding it too heavy and my tension was uneven, leaving a sloppy impression. The I-cord is a nice look, but not at the armhole area. Next attempt was a crochet edge, half double, I think. It is not pictured, but I was dissatisfied with the appearance of the crochet, too elongated for the edge, detracting from the overall simplicity. I went back to the I-cord neckline with a simple slip stitch to clean up the armholes and feel relatively pleased with the end result. Finishing is an interesting challenge, requiring some patience and experimentation. I did not want to overwhelm the piece, but did not like the uneven edge created by the basket weave stitch pattern. This seems to be a nice compromise.


Overall, I am glad the first piece I designed is so tiny, it came along quickly and. remained manageable. It may be too tiny, but I have very little comprehension of what size the beans will actually be, so I’ll try to get them in the tank(s) ASAP when the time comes. I think initially babies are smaller than anyone realizes, so I will try for a photo or two…I do plan on making another, just to keep things even.

I really have taken to Calmer, I find the feel and resulting fabric lovely. It knits up evenly, shows a nice definition of stitch, seems to have a good bit of play from the synthetic component and is light enough to be worn in my climate. I have to learn to choose yarn for its wearability vs. its luxurity (not a word, I know). Calmer is not a cheap yarn, so I would like any recommendations for substitution. There are so many yarns out there, I usually try new yarn by seeing a project on another blog and using their suggested yarn. I am not the most adventurous when it comes to trying out a yarn, very project driven, am I.

I’ll come back once I finish button work. I plan on using this technique for button loops. I used it once on the Union Square Market Pullover (which resides with my sister in Northern California where she can actually use it. 100% baby alpaca in fingering weight on 3s makes for a really warm sweater. Learned that lesson.) adieu until then, I love reading all the various posts. Really good idea, Julia and Marnie!