I really shouldn't be blogging about this top just yet, being nowhere near finished - but I am so excited! There is still so much to be done before it's presentable, but I thought I'd write about my progress so far.
I kept walking past a Debbie Bliss Prima yarn in this gorgeous bright green colour, with a hint of blue! Just my cup of tea. Still, I've got way too much yarn at home, so of course I won't indulge in -yet- another stash-multiplying amount of more yarn! Hm, I lasted all of four visits to the same store, then I just had to buy it after all.
The trouble with holding back until I can't restrain myself from splurging on more yarn is that when I invariably fail (just can't seem to help myself) then it's so much worse. Did I leave it at four balls of this yarn and find a pattern I could use this for?
No, course not. Instead I started off blithely and unconcerned: cast on with the long tail cast-on method, knitted about 4-5 inches, did a bit of a fitted waist every couple of inches until I started to increase for the bust, split into front and back piece, did the shaping for the front and back neckline, and grafted the shoulders together. Unfortunately I ran out of yarn before I reached those shoulders. I knew, deep down, that 200g of yarn just wouldn't cut it, but I didn't want to know. Because it does mean you have to get some more - which involves this splurging out business again.
The store didn't have this colour on the shelf anymore, but a crafts shop in East London had. I did my sums (for once): travelling there by public transport would cost me a little more than if I ordered it online and paid for postage. Saving money! Great. So that was another 100g. Then I ran out again! The shop still didn't have it on the shelf but this time I asked, and lo and behold: some more was retrieved from their stock room. Should have thought of that.
The top was meant to remain sleeveless but have some details at the sides up and around the shoulders. Couldn't decide on what, just garter stitch or something lacey? I kept on going in stockinette stitch before I'd really made my mind up what I wanted to do - it seemed the thing to do.
I grafted the live stitches in Kitchener stitch at the shoulders (note to self: not such a good idea when using inelastic yarn and shoulder decreases: you can see tiny holes) and then wondered what to do next.
A bit of a lace element as a neckband, the top just cried out for it. No problem.
And then I just had to add something equally lacey in place of sleeves - these are sort of wing sleeves, attached at the top but not the bottom so don't go round all the way. They were meant to end in a curved line but the pattern doesn't lend itself to that.
I wanted an edge that's not too straight and tight so I invented a frilly picot edging that I am very happy with. I'll blog about it at some point.
But the really crazy thing about all of this is that I avoided buying the yarn because I wanted to knit in 4 ply and this Prima yarn is more chunky. The thread contains six strands, and I just couldn't help myself: I had to split it into three strands each using my yarn swift and several rolled up bits of newspaper so I could use this in the weight I wanted. I must be completely mad.
Then I topped it - this yarn also comes in a very lovely shade of bright pink (I can never resist a lively shade of fuchsia or magenta!) so I bought that too. And split it.
Then I saw the navy blue on offer online somewhere and bought that too (see what I mean when I said that I go over the top whenever I try to restrain myself? It is just so not a good idea I've decided, ahem) but I haven't split it. I'm thinking it would be nice, just as an experiment, to use it as it comes. Revolutionary!
So there you have it: I've gone completely doolally. Splitting yarn! Honestly, what am I like?
PS: The pink top is coming along rather nicely too! But I think I'll keep that one sleeveless and add perhaps a couple of straps at the top... uses up less yarn...
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