You know those articles of clothing that look just great, until you try them on? Yeah.
About the buttons, I wanted there to be more than just two on either side (maybe that's why the sweater looks so idiotic right now!) but I haven't bought any yet. These were just 3 spare pea coat buttons and one mismatched black button. Heh. You know, a row of three or five buttons that actually matched each other would probably make this sweater much less atrocious, but I wanted to post pictures on the blog before I left for South Carolina.
But see the poofiness? See how somewhere along the way I spontaneously thought that a random slit in the yoke would look interesting and neat? See how wrong I was?
I dunno, I guess it's not too bad from the back:
Eh. I like the retro cut. 40s or 80s, or one of those decades with the broad shoulders and skinny waistlines. That part I do like.
I've decided that this week, because the fugly sock from the previous post has been frogged, I will have an adventure with lace! And work on my prom dress... See ya! (springbreakohsixwhoowhoo)
I've named her Rose of Sharon, because I started and finished John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath while knitting this sweater.
Plus, the minimal shaping on it sorta makes me look preggo. Haha, no, just kidding about that part. I wish I'd done more, though. It fits kind of funny. I'll explain when I post a picture of it on me, but first I have to find a set of chunky ass buttons. Because I have to ruin everything I wear with something gaudy.
To fill the void--er, those needles, I'vebegun a sock:
Just a sock. I'm apprehensive because somehow I find some way to misshape every sock I knit. Such is life.
At the moment my life looks like a bunched-together mess of panels stretched across eight dpn's.
I took it off, though, once. The suspenseful second fitting: (come on, waste yarn. this entire sweater's fate rides on your cooperation.)
The verdict is that this sweater is too small and too scratchy, but none of this will matter as long as I miraculously have enough yarn to finish it. My attitude with most everything lately has resorted to "not great, but FINISHED." This is the result of being shoved into overdrive with school (I have seven classes a day, and five of those teachers believe that their class is the only thing going on in my life), as well as pushing myself to do too many extracurricular things at once ... What can I say? I'm a generalist and I like being involved in a variety of projects. I spent the past three days at a YMCA mock United Nations convention. I feel bad because I'm missing film club and two separate creative writing events, all things in I'd agreed to be involved in. I have a cello audition coming up this Saturday. That night there's also a show I want to see. Sunday is an orchestra concert for which I've missed three practices, so I'll be up there faking for sure. My friend keeps calling me for reassurance on her rash relationship decisions, and talking to her seems like a good excuse to put off the analytical research paper my English teacher assigned on the same day a different analytical essay was due to her. My boyfriend wants to hang out because we only get to see each other on weekends, but I don't even know if I want to spend all of my free time in another person's company... I kind of just want to knit. *sigh* Even if this doesn't sound to you like a lot of things to worry about, I am slightly overwhelmed. I am the kind of person who would sleep twelve hours a night if it was even remotely feasable. But then again, I always agree to do all kinds of things with different groups and then I end up persistently overwhelmed from August to May.
Still puzzled about my prom dress. I don't want the stomach part of it to be just plain old stockinette! I guess if I don't come up with a brilliant lace pattern or design feature soon enough I'll have to leave the plan as it is. But to reiterate, and no, I don't care if my repetition of posting the picture bugs you, I want an idea.
Comments? Criticisms? Remarks? Opinions? Suggestions? Anyone at all?
I'm sick again. My throat hurts and I'm tired, but at least I get to just sit around all day with a mug of peach tea next to me, knitting and reading people from Craftsters' blogs. Y'know... exactly the same stuff I'd be doing if I were not sick, only justified. :)
I'm finished with the back of my sweater now! All I have left are sleeves, a yoke, and two faux button bands. You'll understand the need for faux button bands when you see my original sketch:
So you see, it's like a double-breasted jacket ... only a sweater. And a lot different from the drawing, too. I don't know exactly how it's going to look yet, but there's a starting point. I keep on praying I don't run out of yarn. It took 2 1/4 skeins for the front and the back, and I have 1 3/4 left. I'm crossing my fingers (figuratively, for I can't do that and knit at the same time).
I'm procrastinating on a lot of things right now. Aside from school, (as school is always the same story and I'm always procrastinating on at least two projects and four homework assignments, give or take) I am also procrastinating on practicing cello, learning to drive, and making my prom dress. I told myself that for Lent I was going to try to practice cello every day. Well, I've already cheated two times. I really hope I don't fall behind, because I've got an audition for a great scholarship program in precisely two weeks. I'm playing Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody ... the piece is magnificent and just sings about gypsies. It's so dancy and fun to play. Must. Practice.
On the prom dress, I have an MS Paint sketch of how it's going to look! Behold...
My boyfriend said it looks like an elf dress. What a compliment! The top is in the lattice lace stitch(same stitch as on Rowan's Butterfly, I believe, if you're familiar with either). I've got the bust done and I'm almost ready to start the midsection, except--and this is of utmost importance--I don't want it to be just plain teal. Tell me, how might I spice it up? I thought about beading, but I would have to go out and find beads I liked for it. Maybe some more openwork? I'm quite fond of the feather & fan stitch, but perhaps not for the stomach part of a dress. Any opinions? And, also: what color fabric should I line it with? My best friend says bright green. Opinions on that? I'm really open to anyone's opinion. The design is still in the making, so now is the time for help or constructive criticism. The only thing I'm not changing is the colors. I love them!
I've resurfaced from the research paper and the projects. Kind of. School still prevails as a wasteful nuisance, but I think I will live this time. And they usually let me work on my sweater in at least two classes.
But, dude... look at what I noticed had happened when I actually took the time to look down at what my hands were doing in Algebra:
Know what that hole is? (Oh, and it wasn't so ladderish until I dissected it to figure out what was wrong.) It's where, ten rows before, I picked it up and started knitting in the wrong direction. Rawr! I need to look more. Especially in the morning. So I ripped it out and fixed it, but that sets me back 10 rows. And these are some long-ass, annoying rows. Hrumph. By the way, if you look at this picture you can see what I meant in the previous post about uneven tension. It didn't show up a bit in the first picture, but up-close you can see how atrociously bumpy it is. I think it's because the yarn is so rough. But on the bright side, the sweater looks like it's going to fit me. Maybe a mistake was a good thing, because I never really know if something will fit or not until I take it off the needles. Success! ...Well, I'm about a third there, but 1/3 success! Mwaha.
Oh, and I have decided that I am knitting my prom dress. Prom is 52 days away, and I really think that I can make it. A dress? Kind of big, but not an unrealistic goal. Lace on size 11 needles? This project will be a bolt of lightning.
Tee-hee.. on a dorky punnish note, if you knew what color I was using, you'd agree about the bolt of lightning part. It's pretty obtrusive. I'm excited.
