This entry also posted at the Create Along.
Hey, it's a Lily update.
The second sleeve knit up in a jiffy, even with my lack of free time, and then it came time to join all the pieces into a single unit. While the sleeves were knit flat (more a product of my lack of US #7 DPNs than anything,) everything else is knit in the round. The process is largely like that of the relatively ubiquitous top down raglans (Good ol' Barbara Walker!) only this one is bottom up.
The pieces and I had a bit of a kerfuffle at the time of joining. The body was knit to a slightly different point in the lace repeat than the sleeves and I did not realize this until the second round of attachment. I had to decide whether to rip out the extra rows in the sleeve or attach another ball and knit up the body further. There may have been some language unbecoming a lady. Panda offered to jump on my lap and help, but we both ended up showing much restraint.
I decided on the former option, ripping down, as I can use the tails to seam the sleeves, later.
I don't feel like the rest of the piece should pose any real problems, it's not brain science, after all. I'm keeping the formula fairly simple; decreasing every other round, yet, I have this foreboding feeling that when its all done, I'm going to need to rip back. I'm not sure why. I think some of it stems from the fact that I'm not doing any sort of bind off under the arms. Will it be all bunchy and uncomfortable? I am waiting to try the piece on until I've worked a few more rounds and if I do have to work back, I have a few ideas for remedies, but I'm really hoping I don't need to go that route. Because the body is knit in the round, even a gusset would pose a lot of work. Don't you even think about using the "s" word with me. Some of us learn from our friend's blog posts.
I think I always have this sort of anxiety when I'm knitting my own designs. No matter how much I do this, there's always some portion of the process that seems more dictated by the little knitting fairies and gremlins than by math. Hopefully when I'm all done, I'll love it and wear it with pride, but for now, it's too soon to tell.
It looks incredibly cute! Can't wait to see the finished product!
The lace-detail being on the underside/side-seams is a really cool idea.
Hee, hee. That link is an oldy but a goody. I cannot believe I steeked a poncho! Lily looks great, regardless, and I know you will figure out any issues. Now I just need to catch up. Mishka languishes as I slog through the Man Hood and stealth away with the MDK nightie...
Wow, that's gorgeous. It inspires me to go and finish up my current project so I can go start a new one. Uh oh....getting the knit urge..
So of course I'm curious why you didn't leave the underarm space -- because it messed with the lace?
I think the space is less imperative on smaller sizes -- if you were doing a conventional shaped sleeve, your initial bind off would be about (chest - crossback)/2 on each side (this is assuming you're in the round) Or even less.
Plus, the lace is going to be more flexible/less bulky than stockinette and stretch or contrsct as needed.
If you're thinking of sizing up the pattern though, I think the underarm shaping will begin to make a big difference.