Mr.Greenjeans completed!

Started 10/13/07
Completed 12/26/07
Yarn = worsted Malabrigo
Colorway = Emerald Blue
Needles = size 7 and 6 (I knit loose)
changes = knit 50 extra rows (after the decrease rounds) to make long sleeves
Comments = Loved knitting this pattern!

Finished, with a redone band

Edited: It took about 10 more episodes of Y&R to rip and reknit the button bands. I made them twice as wide, binding off on the 25th row, and used the rib and cable pattern instead of plain rib. That's why I'm editing this entry to put up new pictures. I'm leaving most of the other info about my version.

It took me a little more than 3 weeks. I knit it while watching Young and the Restless and the early news--it was my soap opera knit. I knit the small, 35", which measures about 30" in the cables, not counting the bands.

Modifications included longer sleeves (nearly 8" longer) and slightly longer cuffs (33 rows), longer body (by an inch, 1/2" above the cables, 1/2" in the cables) and the wider bands. The extra width in the bands improved the fit not only in the waist, but also in the collar and sleeves caps. Actually, I think the cabling had a lot to do with the collar and sleeves cap fitting better around my neck and shoulders.

I noticed that in the original version, the narrower bands closely followed the shape of the bodice, producing a noticeable "point" where the increases stop and looking funny when the sweater isn't buttoned. The wider cabled bands help even out that curve and make the sweater hang better unbuttoned--

I used Lonesome Stone handyed yarn, alpaca/wool blend; size 6 and 7 needles. I got gauge. More pictures here.

Although I'm happier with the looser fit, I still like the original version too. The deep v-neck is kinda snazzy, (see the photo below).


I wore this sweater several times already, and I really like it. It's warm, comfortable, and flattering.

I'm thinking about knitting it again. It was a fun knit. Thanks for K'ing a Long.

Introduction

I have been meaning to post an intro to the group and show you my progress but got lost in a very long "To Do List." It's that crazy time of year again....way too many holidays.

My name is Kelly and I am addicted to this sweater. I am using Cascade 220 Hand Painted in colorway #9922 - David's Eyes. I have never used Cascade 220 before. In fact when I hear someone mention this yarn I think...."Oh they must be making a felted bag." I happened to see the Hand Painted on Ravelry and fell in love with it at my LYS. It is very easy to work with and feels nice.

You can just barely make out a small bit of cables that have been done. I am loving the technique of cabling without a needle. I am not usually a person that makes the same pattern twice.....BUT.......I could see myself making another one or two of these sweaters.

Great pattern, Great yarn, Great project!!

Kelly C.

Brownjeans done...Greenjeans midway

Finished my brown Greenjeans...took about a week knitting-wise, but then I forgot to order buttons and they shipped slower than walking, it seems so then of course procrastinated on washing/blocking...knew the drying would take 2 days...didn't get to it until the buttons had been here a few days. Oy. But I'm very pleased with it. Fits well. Liked it enough to immediately cast on #2 in the colorway I originally wanted but WEBS didn't have in stock. Decided to bite the bullet and pay full price for Londonberry to find the next day WEBS listed it so ordered from WEBS and frantically contacted first seller to cancel order and thankfully they hadn't processed it yet LOL the yarngods were on my side that day (love WEBS' discount...) The Londonberry photographed much brighter than it is...it's deeper/richer in person...The Alaskan Twilight (brown) is showing obvious skein changes in the photo but it doesn't look like that in normal lighting. Hate flashes sometimes LOL

I will probably make yet another...want one in Fiesta Boomerang but I'll probably make a slight modification as I think I'd like the ribbing/cabling to start higher. In the 3x size, it seems to start much further down than in the smaller sizes, proportionately speaking. It's fine where it is but I think I want one with a more empire feel to it. The Londonberry one will have slightly longer sleeves but not much as I do like 3/4 length sleeves in general (I'm always pushing my sleeves up...comes from a childhood of having way too long arms (those grew first...was a weird lookin kid with a heck of a tennis serve due to ape arms LOL) and nothing ever being quite long enough so always pushing them up.

Mr. Disappointment

As knitters, we are often faced with challenges that we must either creatively overcome or admit that we are powerless to change the inevitable outcome. Such is the case for my Mr. Greenjeans. I've been in desperate denial since finishing and blocking the cardigan, hoping I would wake up and it would all be okay. It's not going to be okay. I wore Mr. Greenjeans all day today, and I came to this conclusion: I really don't like the finished product. For some reason, the stockinette top portion of the sweater blocked out HUGE and is now fit for the hulkiest of line backers. Seriously, I could wear the 1980's biggest shoulder pads under this thing and still not fill it out. I rechecked the gauge on it after I realized it was so big, and it was a big as 3 stitches/inch in some spots and as small as 4 stitches/inch in others (not so good when it was supposed to be 4.5 stitches/inch). Also, the bottom portion just pulls in too much. Back to the line backer reference, it would be totally fine if my hips were about 25" around. And we can't avoid talking about the sleeves - they are enormous! The cuffs just sag around my wrists. I also hate the button placement. Rather than hitting me right under the bustline, it's more in a low-waist level position. I pulled and tugged at the sweater all day today and found that the more I pulled it forward to keep it on my shoulders, the more the back raglan "seam" came forward to the front of my body. I finally stripped it off when I was trying on some jeans at Target, admitted to myself that it was a flop, and proceeded to carry it draped over my arm for what was left of my jaunt through the store. How devastating to admit that all the time and effort I put into this cardigan was a waste! It really is a beautiful cardigan, and I wanted so much to post a picture of me wearing it and smiling, triumphant at my knitting prowess, but I just couldn't do it. Instead I got a badly-lit, badly-posed picture of the official FO on my too-dark-for-photography couch. I think this is more befitting of the cardigan. It looks as rumpled and defeated as I feel. I hate disastrous hand knits!

My ultimate plan for the cardigan is yet to be determined. I will probably frog it and re-use the yarn for something else. I can't stand the thought of such a beautiful shade of Cascade 220 Heather being pushed into a drawer, never to see the light of day again.

(Cross-posted from my blog).

Mr Greenjeans in Red--Finished

Mr Greenjeans in Red--Visible
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I finished this on Sunday, but didn't have a good photo until today--I had to go into blinding sunlight to get the sweater to show up--a consequence of choosing dark yarn, I guess!

I wore the outfit in the picture to work yesterday and got many compliments, including the dreaded, "Wow, that looks store-bought!"

So, for this version of Mr. Greenjeans, I used Cascade 220 hand painted in very dark reds and black. I love the way this yarn doesn't pool much at all (just one little spot on an arm) and how pleasant it was to knit with some high quality worsted-weight wool for a change (I tend to use "interesting" yarns like bamboo, hemp, microfiber, etc., just so "see how they do" and sometimes that is good and sometimes not). It is very warm and cozy, too.

Things I did on this one include:

* Knitting it one size up, because I wanted more ease, for wear with thicker things under it--I think it can serve as a jacket through much of our Texas "winter."
* Lengthening the arms so that my wrists are covered (because I will use this for warmth). Of course, I am petite, so this would not be a full-length sleeve for many people!
* Did just cables on the sleeves. I am not sure why I did this, but it looks nice.
* Decreased more quickly than the instructions asked me to (due to short arms).
* Lengthened the rib and cable section, so it comes down to a more aesthetically pleasing area of my back end.

I didn't need the short rows all the busty women are adding to theirs, since, as you can see, I don't really fill the sweater out.

Blocking really helped. It made the bottom part a bit flatter, so it is just right, and it made the button band/collar edge lie very flat and nice. Blocking did, however, widen the whole thing. I read on Ravelry that this happened with someone else, too. I still think the fit is good for me, so I don't mind at all.

I will continue to read this blog to see what lovely finished sweaters you all come up with, so please post!

Finished, but not quite done

Mr. Greenjeans in Red, blocking
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Just a brief note to say I did finally finish my Mr. Greenjeans in red yesterday. Woo! It is now blocking, which is why it is so dark in the photo--it's wet. I think it is going to be PERFECT if I can find the perfect button! I hope so, because here in Texas we are finally having a cool spell, so I could wear it!

Modifications: I did the sleeve edges in just cables, without the stockinette stitch edge. Why? Not really sure, but I think it makes the cuff a little narrower. The sleeves are full lengthy too. I also made the bottom border a little longer. My sleeve decreases are "interesting" but they work. I am short, so had to go "faster" than the instructions said in order to get to 60 stitches in time.

I will post a photo of the sweater ON me in the next day or two! Again, I am really enjoying the photos and posts, so keep them coming!