Finished - Purl Soho Cap Sleeve Lattice Top! YEAH! But no......
As you may or may not remember I started knitting my first jumper while we were on our honeymoon in New York (raunchy I know, curb your envy) - the Purl Soho Cap Sleeve Lattice Top. I bought the yarn, Cascade Pima Cotton, from Purl Soho - the girls there were just lovely and spent a lot of time helping me choose the right yarn. The original pattern was designed for wool, but I thought it a bit pointless to make a short sleeve jumper (sweater, whatever) for the Australian summer out of wool, so I went for a cotton yarn instead (but really I shouldn't have worried - as I sit here typing the crazy Melbourne sky is hammering us with enormous chunks of hail....).
So I finished it a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason wasn't super keen to finish it off by doing the side seams. I think I had some premonition that after 2 months of knitting, it was going to be not the most fabulous of knitted garments......
For a beginner pattern it was very easy - I learned how to make eyelets, and the lattice lace pattern is actually very easy. My stockinette body turned out very well, and most of the lattice is pretty good but I must have stuffed up somewhere on the front as it does go a little wonky at one point. My neckline finish isn't great - and it's way too wide. And despite making the smallest size I think the choice of cotton yarn wasn't great because it is pretty big and drapey.... But, you know, despite it turning out just a bit.... well.... shit..... I am really very happy with my poor droopy top! I'm hugely proud that I have made a whole adult garment that is not a scarf (despite having very little in technical construction) I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this.
You'd think I'd be gutted, and once upon a time I probably would have been - had a tanty and been all miserable at wasting 2 months and $40 worth of yarn, but I am feeling remarkably zen about it because I have a plan B for it.....
I'm already addicted to trawling through Ravelry for beginner sweater/jumper/cardigan patterns, and have about 10 already queued up, and am well into my next project. I was drawn to Andi Sutterland's Riverine Pullover, but because it looked so similar to this top I thought it a bit silly to make it - but I think it's going to be my saviour.
I'm planning to keep my navy stockinette body, and unravel the lattice part, and reknit the lace work using the Riverine pattern - GENIUS I think! The third size of the Riverine has only one more stitch than my Cap Sleeve body - easy enough to add another. The lace pattern appears far less stretchy than the lattice lace, and if I knit it with slightly smaller needles, it should contain the slouchiness a little more - what do the knitters out there think of that plan?
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| The Inspiration - from the Purl Bee |
For a beginner pattern it was very easy - I learned how to make eyelets, and the lattice lace pattern is actually very easy. My stockinette body turned out very well, and most of the lattice is pretty good but I must have stuffed up somewhere on the front as it does go a little wonky at one point. My neckline finish isn't great - and it's way too wide. And despite making the smallest size I think the choice of cotton yarn wasn't great because it is pretty big and drapey.... But, you know, despite it turning out just a bit.... well.... shit..... I am really very happy with my poor droopy top! I'm hugely proud that I have made a whole adult garment that is not a scarf (despite having very little in technical construction) I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this.
You'd think I'd be gutted, and once upon a time I probably would have been - had a tanty and been all miserable at wasting 2 months and $40 worth of yarn, but I am feeling remarkably zen about it because I have a plan B for it.....
I'm already addicted to trawling through Ravelry for beginner sweater/jumper/cardigan patterns, and have about 10 already queued up, and am well into my next project. I was drawn to Andi Sutterland's Riverine Pullover, but because it looked so similar to this top I thought it a bit silly to make it - but I think it's going to be my saviour.
I'm planning to keep my navy stockinette body, and unravel the lattice part, and reknit the lace work using the Riverine pattern - GENIUS I think! The third size of the Riverine has only one more stitch than my Cap Sleeve body - easy enough to add another. The lace pattern appears far less stretchy than the lattice lace, and if I knit it with slightly smaller needles, it should contain the slouchiness a little more - what do the knitters out there think of that plan?
I think that's a great idea! I've only knit a sweater (other than scarves/hats), but you gotta love it after all that work! I think your plan should work, but perhaps there are some slightly more experienced knitters out there. I'm also about to start a tee, just waiting on that pesky yarn to arrive from the UK. Grrrrr... Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jillian! I'm relying on the enthusiasm and naïveté of the inexperienced for this experiment! Hope your yarn arrives soon, look forward to seeing what you make!
DeleteSounds like a plan to me! I haven't had a huge amount of experience in altering/combining patterns, but your reasoning sounds spot on. I'm glad you've found a way to make it work, because it's looking beautiful. I love the colours you've picked :)
ReplyDeleteThanks - your knitting is fab so if you think I'm on the right track then I'm very pleased! :)
DeleteOh man.. I don't knit but I almost started when I first saw the Purl Soho pattern a few years ago! I actually like your version as-is but totally support you making it into something you'd wear more.
ReplyDeleteThanks Morgan! It's such a cute pattern isn't it - I should have been smarter though and stuck with wool! Fingers crossed version 2.0 is more wearable!
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