Well, Shanghai is a bust.
I finished the body, and it fit beautifully, but I somehow did not like it on. I like the knitted fabric and I knew the colors weren't my best but thought I could make it work, but somehow, when I put it on it was worse than blah, it was just plain old "yuck".
Not the shape, mind you. If I could just look at the sweater without the added bonus of the complexion of the person wearing it, the sweater was quite nice. And no, I am not going to show it to you. It is destined for ripping.
I kind of fudged the armhole shaping, decreasing more in front and less in back, then increasing a bit back out to the shoulder at the neckline. I also added vertical bust darts and some bust shaping using short rows and the fit was really really nice. Luckily I did make notes. So I can think about this sweater much like I would think of a muslin if I were sewing something. But a knitted muslin takes longer. Bummer.
My first reaction was to ditch the whole thing, but I do still like the yarn. Tonight, while I was working on my new project (which I love by the way) I had another idea, which might actually work quite nicely. It will be a little further down the queue. Shanghai and I need to take a little break from each other's company for a while.
Comments
12 responses to “Call It a Learning Experience”
I applaud your decision. Not because I didn’t like the yarn and the style of the sweater, but I admire that you can abandon the project once you realize it doesn’t work out. I usually finish it and put it in a drawer, thus using up not only time and yarn but storage space.
I applaud your decision. Not because I didn’t like the yarn and the style of the sweater, but I admire that you can abandon the project once you realize it doesn’t work out. I usually finish it and put it in a drawer, thus using up not only time and yarn but storage space.
I applaud your decision. Not because I didn’t like the yarn and the style of the sweater, but I admire that you can abandon the project once you realize it doesn’t work out. I usually finish it and put it in a drawer, thus using up not only time and yarn but storage space.
I applaud your decision. Not because I didn’t like the yarn and the style of the sweater, but I admire that you can abandon the project once you realize it doesn’t work out. I usually finish it and put it in a drawer, thus using up not only time and yarn but storage space.
I find this a problem with sweaters, altho’ I’m very, very pleased with the latest one. At least I’m enough of a process knitter that I carry on optimistically to make sweaters, but it’s frustrating when they don’t flatter — especially since I refuse to wear clothes that I have to talk myself into. But it sounds as if you have a plan for the yarn, and at least you know that the sweater fit was flattering.
I find this a problem with sweaters, altho’ I’m very, very pleased with the latest one. At least I’m enough of a process knitter that I carry on optimistically to make sweaters, but it’s frustrating when they don’t flatter — especially since I refuse to wear clothes that I have to talk myself into. But it sounds as if you have a plan for the yarn, and at least you know that the sweater fit was flattering.
Well, I have gone through periods where I had this problem with lots of sweaters, but I seem to be getting my feel for it now. At first I was ready just to toss the whole thing in the garbage, but time, and unraveling has helped me to come up with other ideas. Sometimes the flow of creativity seems a bit rocky.
And yes, it was so nice to see the details of fit work out, because I was really knitting by the seat of my pants, with no plan and no maths: just try it on and knit some more. Sometimes, it seems, the intuitive approach is the best.
Well, I have gone through periods where I had this problem with lots of sweaters, but I seem to be getting my feel for it now. At first I was ready just to toss the whole thing in the garbage, but time, and unraveling has helped me to come up with other ideas. Sometimes the flow of creativity seems a bit rocky.
And yes, it was so nice to see the details of fit work out, because I was really knitting by the seat of my pants, with no plan and no maths: just try it on and knit some more. Sometimes, it seems, the intuitive approach is the best.
I find this a problem with sweaters, altho’ I’m very, very pleased with the latest one. At least I’m enough of a process knitter that I carry on optimistically to make sweaters, but it’s frustrating when they don’t flatter — especially since I refuse to wear clothes that I have to talk myself into. But it sounds as if you have a plan for the yarn, and at least you know that the sweater fit was flattering.
I find this a problem with sweaters, altho’ I’m very, very pleased with the latest one. At least I’m enough of a process knitter that I carry on optimistically to make sweaters, but it’s frustrating when they don’t flatter — especially since I refuse to wear clothes that I have to talk myself into. But it sounds as if you have a plan for the yarn, and at least you know that the sweater fit was flattering.
Well, I have gone through periods where I had this problem with lots of sweaters, but I seem to be getting my feel for it now. At first I was ready just to toss the whole thing in the garbage, but time, and unraveling has helped me to come up with other ideas. Sometimes the flow of creativity seems a bit rocky.
And yes, it was so nice to see the details of fit work out, because I was really knitting by the seat of my pants, with no plan and no maths: just try it on and knit some more. Sometimes, it seems, the intuitive approach is the best.
Well, I have gone through periods where I had this problem with lots of sweaters, but I seem to be getting my feel for it now. At first I was ready just to toss the whole thing in the garbage, but time, and unraveling has helped me to come up with other ideas. Sometimes the flow of creativity seems a bit rocky.
And yes, it was so nice to see the details of fit work out, because I was really knitting by the seat of my pants, with no plan and no maths: just try it on and knit some more. Sometimes, it seems, the intuitive approach is the best.