Mar 24 2007
Slight Improvement
Ahh… now there we go.
Glee Tee
Pattern: Zephyr Style pattern
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Periwinkle
Needles: Size US 3 and 5 circular needles
Still a little rippling, but I feel that this is minimal compared to what it was! I followed the pattern, and only made one change: not adding the hook-and-eye closures to the neckband. This modification makes the Glee look a lot like one of the other Zephyr patterns, Ms. Marigold, doesn’t it? I loved the way the hook-and-eye closures looked on the model, but for me it was just not practical. If I want a version with them there in the future, I will make a bigger size. The hooks pulled the neckband out of shape. I heard about the hook-and-eye tape, but did not find any at my local craft store, and I did not pursue any other routes.
Overall, I am happy with the final product. Thank you for your kind comments on the last post before I did the neckband “surgery”. The color of the yarn – and the yarn itself – were definitely the highlights of this project. I bought this yarn over a year ago at a Stitch DC sale – got a great deal and fell in love with the color. I initially had my mind on another project for it, but I soon realized how perfect it would be for this one. I used 4.75 of the 5 hanks I bought for the Medium (36″) size.
I am already planning more garments in this wonderful yarn. Heather told me how much she enjoyed working with it, and Eunny and I recently discussed how amazing it is… so lightweight, with a beautiful drape, and an amazing color palette. Wouldn’t this pattern be great as a cardigan too? I was thinking about a 3/4 length sleeve with the band extended to the bottom. Maybe then some hook-and-eye closures?
This was my first top-down pattern, and I really enjoyed it. It seemed to knit up faster for me from the top-down, and I was able to try it on in the process. I made a small cap sleeve instead of a longer short sleeve. This was a big step for me, as I am notoriously self-conscious about my arms. Hopefully I will actually wear it out of the house!
Knitting in the round is so satisfying. Sometimes, the whole seaming process really stresses me out. This garment was so easy because when I finished knitting it, there was little else to do!
Wishing you all a good weekend~ I am off to DC to help Jenna with some packing and moving…
yes, I agree. the fitting part and putting it together is very stressful. I am afraid that I will be disappointed with the result. That has happened before many times for me.
Glee is beautiful and the neckline is much better. I think it would be difficult to have a sweater with hook and eye closures on all but the smallest of women. Although I think even then it wouldn’t be long before the stretching and rippling set in.
Nothing wrong with a good set of arms. We have so many other little things we pick at about ourselves, but if we only knew how much men admire a good strong arm on a woman I think arms would be far less of an issue. Yours are quite nice.
Eek, this is so cute! Hook and eyes always seem wonderful in theory, but I think they’re really hard to make work on knitted fabric (unless it’s backed up with some kind of facing, or it’s thick and sturdy to begin with).
It looks great on you – the cap sleeve is very summery and sweet!
Looks great! I know what you mean about seaming…I’m always so panicked that I will completely ruin the sweater.
Wow! This did turn into quite the fantastic knit!! I love the subtle changes you made to make it flatter you. That is one of the things I love most about knitting my own garments! It’s a shame the hook & eye’s didn’t work out the way you wanted but in the end I think this version is even nicer!!
lolly, you look beautiful in this top! i think the V is much more flattering than the closed-shut version anyway. and i couldn’t agree more about silky wool. it’s such a nice yarn to both knit and wear.
ps – the little bit of rippling that is left — could you spritz it and steam it to tighten it up? or perhaps wet it and pin it into shape?
Lovely! The neckbands and whatnot often throw me, too. This makes me fear for the eventual (I hope) finishing stage of the cardi I am working on.
Silky Wool is a nice yarn and the finished sweater looks fabulous on you. Definitely it needs to be worn out of the house!
Looks great Lolly! I really like how the heathered quality of the yarn makes it look so smooth and professional. Great job!
this is so cute, and looks great on you! i think i like your version better than the original.
Yeah! Another FAB, FAB, FAB knit! Woo hoo for you!
Really cute Lolly! You are crazy fast!
You look very sassy in it Lolly. That color makes your eyes shine.
Amy
Great turnaround! It looks great on you and I am proud of you for going with the short sleeved sweater. It really does look cute. I am learning that sometimes (and maybe…most times) it’s about the process. Experiencing the yarn and the knitting process(es) more than the actual wearability of an item. Sometimes I wonder if it really is just better to knit for others…
Wow! Good on you for sticking with it! It looks lovely, great colour for you! Bravo!
Cute! I like the sleeves, and great color!
I recently got some Silky Wool to swatch for a possible project — glad you liked it so much! I’m looking forward to experimenting with it. So pretty!
Great problem solving, Lolly. And I love that color on you! So pretty.
It looks cute. I can definitely see the resemblance to Ms Marigold. It is good to know about the hook and eye closures issues. I haven’t cast on my Glee yet, but I will definitely take that into consideration when deciding which size to knit. Tahnks.
I think the deep V vest is very hip these days, so you made a great mod. I’m actually considering this pattern all over again.
That looks wonderful! You did a fantastic job and you look great in it!
I’m using the same yarn for a Clapotis and it’s so nice to work with.
Way to persevere! The neck came out lovely and the color looks great on you.
It looks great–I’m glad you could fix the neckline. And the color is gorgeous!
Looks great Lolly! I like it with the mod too
How many hanks did you used? I have a pack of the yarn deep in my stash and I need some ideas.
Isn’t it funny how one woman’s nightmare is another woman’s dream? I HATE knitting in the round! It’s just too much fabric flopping around to be enjoyable for me (and my wrists!) I love the miracle that is mattress stitch and finishing is not a chore for me at all!
The sweater looks so lovely on you Lolly! It’s your *perfect* color and the shape is very nice on you.
I love Silky Wool! I just finished Ruben with it last December and I miss every stitch!
Beautiful knitting – and you are so thin!!!!! Love the colour
glee looks lovely on you! good call on the hook and eye closure. lovely blue color too.
Very nicely done, Lolly. It doesn’t need a closure at all. I’m all for top-down sweaters too!
It looks so great!!
glee looks beautiful on you lolly! well done!! how good does it feel when you finish a project and it comes out so perfect.
Fabulous color on you, and the cap sleeves are great!
I also think the shape of the neckline w/o the closures is super flattering for your, um … bust … area…
Worth the effort!!!
Yes, seeming is a mega drag. Personally I’m done with it! Your Glee looks fantastic!
It looks fantastic! So glad the neckband is behaving better now.
What a great project to finish in time for spring!
It looks amazing on you! I’m very self-conscious about my arms too, but yours look fine with the sweater.
I love knitting in the round for the exact same reasons.
That color looks great on you!
It looks fantastic! The color is perfect for you, and I like your new sleeves better than the pattern.
Foxy! What a great look for you!
Looks down right gorgeous to me!
Did you leave this window open on my computer so I’d come and leave a comment first thing?
The top looks beautiful, just like you. I’m deeply grateful for your help and company today. Our time together is a pleasure I’ll truly miss.
Glee looks grand. I think that the neckline surgery was well worth it. Enjoy!
definitely a noticeable improvement over the first attempt. looks great.
Much better neckline. Looks fabulous, in fact!
You must have tons of patience, which is a good thing because it all paid off in the end. It looks great on you.
ah, it looks even better now. love that colour on you. :0)
Oh what a great improvement, and at least you were able to fix it and not have to rip it all out again. I hate it when you make something and it doesnt go the way you envisioned. I would not worry about your arms either, you maybe just paranoid but I think it looks great on you.
Oh, this is so cute. I like it so much more than the buttoned up version I have seen. Looks so much more flattering I think this way.
It looks so much better!
My husband looked over from his computer right when I was reading this post, and said, “HELLO. How YOU doin?”
So that means it looks really good
Ahh Lolly! You always look so great in your fabulous knits!
It’s very pretty, Lolly!
It looks beautiful on you! Great job!
That’s a great colour on you! And it’s a very flattering top too.
Looks great!! The neckband looks good without the hook & eye – good change. I’m still in the increasing section of mine and I’m loving it!
Ironically, the hook and eye closures were exactly why I wasn’t attracted to the Glee pattern. lol I think it looks great that way.
i swear by top down patterns — i love being able to try them on, and they look great. yours is no exception!
Definitely much better!!! It’s a beautiful colour and it looks fabulous on you!
Glee looks fantastic. Aren’t top-downs fun??? I love watching how they come together! I think hook & eye are pretty but you can’t really move in a knitted garment with hood & eye closures – they pop open so easily.
It looks great!
I think if I make Glee — which this is convincing me to do — I’ll skip the hook+eye as well. Can I ask how many balls of silky wool you used? I have some sillky tweed that I am thinking this pattern might be a good match for…
[btw, G Street Fabrics has the hook+eye tape.
]
That top is fabulous! The color, the texture…yum. And, you should TOTALLY wear it out of the house! It looks great on you!
Looks fabulous! Nice save on the ripply neckband. I think you’re right, it would make a very nice cardigan too.
Love the colour – and thanks for the review on the yarn. I am still learning as I go and am more swayed by colour when I buy so….still getting some less than great yarn.
The color and style look great on you! I have to say that I love not having to worry about seams when a sweater is complete. Just weave in the ends…what’s not to love?
It looks lovely! Silky Wool is one of my absolute favorite yarns.
I think a 3/4-sleeve cardi would look GREAT!
beautiful work, lolly, and it looks so good on you! love that you fixed the neckband… too often when i am close to the finish line i accept ‘bleh’ finishing/bands/etc…. it’s wonderful to see that the extra work pays off in such a great garment!
Looks supercute on your, Lolly! Congrats on another sweater done.
So pretty! Great job!
I quite like your take on Glee. I think the v-neck looks fab as is, very flattering! Cute sweater, Lolly!
Beautiful sweater! It looks GREAT on you!
If I ever make that sweater I’m going to take a leaf from your book and make it without the hook and eye closures!
very nice!!! that color looks great on you!
It looks amazing on you!!! You definitely should wear it out of the house!
It’s on US 3 & US5s? Oh, that’s definitely a must knit pattern. Thanks for sharing.
Looks great! Definitely get it out the house.
I really like silky wool, but don’t like the way it smells. Especially once it’s on me. Maybe I can find a way to get over it….
It looks great on you – I think you made the right decision about the hook & eye closures. I can tell from the pics that you are very happy with the finished project.
it looks AWESOME!!! and i love the proud look on your face – its such a sense of accomplishment, isnt it?
Looks good- and I like the cap sleeves!
Looking good Lolly! I see no hint of what my son calls “lunch lady arms”. And with all your exercising, it’s just gonna get better and better. You can totally wear the cap sleeves!
Looks fabulous! I’m glad the ripping and reknitting helped – definitely worth the extra fiddling.
Awesome work! Congrats
Much much better!! The hook & eye thing doesn’t work for everybody just like the low v-neck (which is everywhere this season!) doesn’t work for everyone.
I’m a big fan of top-down/bottom-up one-piece knitting. Yes, I can mattress stitch for days, but if I don’t have to sew seams? Yaay!
And, I too, love Silky Wool.
I’ve done 2 Not So Shrunken Cardigan with it.
Great work!!
That color looks great on you!
Seaming stresses me out also. Probably because I am not that good at it. Glee came out really nice and looks great on you Lolly! That shade of blue is very flattering on you. Enjoy your new knit!
I love it! I’ve had the yarn in my stash to make this for months (bought in Hawaii, actually
)- you’ve pressed me on! You look fab, girl.
Beautiful sweater!!! you look great!
looks great! i love the color, of course
perfect for you!
I love the color and I think it’s a flattering fit on you. I am also self-conscious about my arms (so I hear what you’re saying there), but you should definitely wear Glee out of the house. It looks nice and will be lovely for the spring and summer.
I love it! Would you mind telling me which size you made? I think we are about the same size and I’d like to get the same fit that you did.
Thanks!
[...] love this yarn – one of my favorites, for sure. I made the Glee Tee with it in 2007, and when I saw this yarn last year at The Mannings, I picked it up immediately. [...]