KnitCrit

Bethie, You Blew Me Away

I was all set to post another pattern critique when my sister threw me a curve.  First, please allow me to supply some background information.

I am the oldest of four; with two sisters and one brother.  How four people who are so totally different were produced by the same parents has always been a total mystery to me.  All four of us have different coloring, even.  I, with my brown hair and brown eyes, am the more obvious offspring, since Mom and Dad both had brown hair and brown eyes.  Next in line was my brother, with blond hair and brown eyes.  My sister, Beth, has very dark brown hair and very dark eyes, with olive toned skin to match.  Then, there’s Annie, with her flaming red hair, and brown eyes, and pale skin (cousins on my father’s side actually have the last name Redhead and yes, they all have red hair).

My mom was very crafty, which is a surprise to a lot of people, because her interests in sewing, knitting and tapestry waned in her later years.  I not only remember her craftiness, but she taught me how to do all of it at a very young age.  Honestly, I cannot think of a time that I did not know how to knit or do needlework, and I sewed clothes for friends, children and myself for many years (recently, I’ve been actually thinking of buying a new sewing machine).

Beth got the knitting bug for awhile and knit some of the most beautiful Fair Isle sweaters I have ever seen!  One, for my son, has been set aside as a true heirloom.  I wish she had kept it up, so that we could knit together now, but she got into open water swimming and that has been her focus in recent years.  How many people do you know who swam around Manhattan Island?

This week, she emailed me a link to her Flickr site and I finally got a chance to open it today.  I cried.  Her photography skills took my breath away.  So, instead of posting my next pattern review, I am introducing others to her amazing photography.  Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earwdigitalphotos/

Pattern Critique #32: Neckdown Summer Cardigan

Pattern Name: Neckdown Summer Cardigan
Designer: Diane Soucy
Pattern Yarn: Not Stated
Images:

    

Pattern Review:

This is a pattern that I bought last spring, the spring of 2007.  I soon thereafter purchased yarn for two of the cardigans, just knowing that I would love it.  What's not to love about a combination of top down and raglan?

Personal Notes:

Normally, for my pattern critiques, by the time I get to this section, I have gone step by step through the pattern.  I am not doing that for this one.  Why?  Because it was almost a year ago that I began this pattern and then it sat.  I could hardly bear to knit it once I got to the neck band and front bands.  That should have been a clue.

I really do not like the way this cardigan ended out and I think it's due to a combination of things.  First, it may be too big.  It kind of looks it, doesn't it?  I thought it might be the stretching of the cotton (Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton), especially because it hibernated in a bag for many months.  But, I washed it and put it in the dryer long enough to re-shape it.  I ironed it after that, but still, it just sags. 

I then let the pattern sit here by my laptop for the last week+, while I conjured up enough motivation to write my post for the pattern critique.  However, tonight, I sat down and started it for the gazillion-th time and just decided "fuck this."  It's not worth it.  I hate it and I loathe the idea of reliving the agony through the review of the pattern.

What's funny is that I might knit it again, but in a wool or wool blend.  A review of the finished projects on Ravelry shows 20+ of these, though most of them appear to have the same fullness, sagging issues.  So, maybe it is the pattern and not me and not the yarn.  Okay, so there are plenty of other top down raglan cardigan patterns out there to try.  Perhaps I will.

Rating:

One ball for the fact that the pattern is written very completely. I just never got to the point of sharing that with you.  Sorry.  But now that this is behind me I can look forward to posting my next pattern critique that it is in the queue.

            

If you have knit this pattern, please rate it and submit as comments. Thank you!