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Knitting Friday

I was thinking I would just bore you with my diet every two weeks but if there's anyone out there also on a diet, I just want to give a thumbs-up of encouragement. I'm in my second month and I'm slowly seeing results. That skirt I would like to fit still doesn't but, as I said last Friday, I'm not playing the Picture of Dorian Gray game every time I look in the mirror. There are days I do look in the mirror and see "heavy" but I just go with it and usually change my clothes to black. Yes, that does help. Maybe the whole world is just a magician's trick. 

I really don't have any sure-fire method for dieting. As I said, I started with exercising for a week and no dieting. It was only in the second week I stopped certain foods (like pie, ice cream and potato chips.) I don't beat myself up if I falter (I did have a big bowl of popcorn - no butter or oils - last night) but I do make sure I use the treadmill or walk for 30 minutes a day.

The combination crochet/knit top is done.  Here's the link to the original again:

http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/pdf/SundanceNotYellowTank.pdf

Those of you who crochet will have no trouble with it but I had to fudge the Round 2 yoke increases (see the revised directions for this in last Saturday's (9/8) special Knitting Friday on Saturday.) Also, I had a problem with the join after I started crocheting the bodice in the round. But before I tell you what I did, a picture:

#1 Crochet/Knit Top

On the left is the finished top before any washing. The yoke and part of the body is crocheted but then I picked up 104 stitches at the bottom (I was working with 90+ crochet stitches at the time) and, using US 10, I knitted the bottom in a simple lace of one row: *YO, K2tog and one row: K

The width of the top is about 30 inches across but it stretches for a close but comfortable fit. This top was done in acrylic, well, it was done in a pulled-out afghan which had been unused for years. I don't remember the brand but I do remember it was a "good" acrylic as opposed to those "bad" ones. The yarn felt stiff while crocheting and knitting it and there is really very little ease. (More on this later.)

#2 Side view of joined rounds

As with Round 2 of the yoke, I had trouble with crocheting the rounds once I worked the back length (I just love how this pattern was designed.) Well, the rounds were OK but joining the last round to the next proved tricky for me.

Kristin has you joining with a slip stitch to the Ch-2 of the previous row and then making your new Ch-2 and working a half double crochet (hdc) in each hdc across. I was increasing one stitch every row this way. Now, I know this was my fault because I'm not really as adept with crocheting as I am with knitting. However, with these increases I was also getting a space at the joining so the round didn't look smooth all across.

My fix: I marked the first hdc after the Ch 2 and then when I arrived at it for the next round, I made a slip stitch in the hdc I had marked and not in the Ch 2 as directed. Then I made the ch -2 and a hdc in the same stitch.*

Picture #2 shows this join. You can see it slants slightly to the right (not from the armhole because I started my fix about 2 rounds down) but there are no annoying spaces and the slant disappears when the top is wore.

*One Big Disclaimer: I didn't write down the directions for this method and I don't remember if I made that hdc in the marked hdc (where I also made the joining slip stitch.) or if I skipped that hdc and started my hdc in the next hdc. If you decide to try this method, just count your stitches in the round before and then after this round. As long as you don't add an extra stitch, you're OK. Sorry. (Better directions when I start my next top.)

#3 Wool top L and acrylic top R

Would I make this top again? Definitely. It was easy, portable and great for on-the-go try-ons. Would I keep the crochet and knit combination? Yes. I like the solid and lacy looks and I like experimenting with knitting patterns. Would I make it in acrylic again? Yes and No. Why? Look at picture #3.

You're looking at an unfinished wool top on the left which has the same width as the acrylic one on the right, about 30". However, the left top is going to stretch wildly and have a less tight fit. I understand that the yoke and bodice hdc section should be tighter since the right top was done in DK with the recommended hook and the L top is fingering on US 10 throughout. (Both the bottoms have similar patterns on 104 stitches and use US 10 needles.) I don't think it's the acrylic which makes the R top tighter but rather it's because of my yarn and hook choices. Next, I'm going to take some DK wool or DK cotton and work up the pattern to see what happens. (Note to self: Probably the cotton will work up like the acrylic.)

So, that's the long saga of my top-down crocheted top. I had been looking a very long time for a V-neck top-down top (one yarn end at the start, one yarn end at the bottom) and though I still haven't found that one, this top is close enough. I like the fact that it's low enough in the front for summer wear or vest-over-a-tee-winter wear. 

Next week: I'm down to one top (above) three cotton crochet shawls (never-ending) and one lace wool shawl. I need more projects. See you then.