Finished object!

Ok, so I whine a lot--and perhaps only have a few readers only two who bothered to chime in to help me out with my decision, and one of them I browbeat into giving me her opinion (thanks Jenn) in real time. I've made a decision too, but you'll have to wade through my finished object report to find out what it was. As for Jill... I'll have to think of a nice something for her by the next knit night.

I finished the lacey hug me tight shrug. The pattern is from Knit 2 Together. I used Elle Aran gold yarn--2 skeins and 3 skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo silk.. I used size 7 needles for the body and 10.5 for the lace. The body part went together fast, but the lace part just dragged for me. Part of the problem was that the lace pattern made no discernible "pattern" for me. So I charted it, and only worked on it when I could give it more attention than the things around me. Then I ran into big trouble.

It pains me to admit this, because the next series of problems were caused by my own pride. You see, I didn't pay attention to the instructions. The instructions say that you should cast on 19 stitches and follow the lace pattern until the piece reaches 60 inches, then bind off. (then it goes on to tell you to only make one lace piece for the armholes, which is clearly a mistake, which I may actually blame for my own stupidness in what comes next). Did I do this? Well, I did the lace part, but I just kept going, thinking I had to make it long enough to go around the outside of the shrug--forgetting that 2X2 rib will um stretch. In fact ribbing such as that stretches so as to never quite be the same diameter any two times I measured. After approx. 72 inches of lace, I decided to be done. I blocked it, and I sewed it on.

What happened is that I also failed to follow the next direction which clearly said--pin the darn thing together BEFORE sewing.

So 72 inches didn't go all the way around. And then I ran out of yarn.

I tried it on and was immediately overwhelmed with lacey ruffleness. My impression was ewww I'll never wear this. I set it aside thinking then, that perhaps I'd never finish it. Then someone asked about it at knit night and I realized that hey, I should finish this for all my complaining. So I ripped off the lace I had sewed on. I measured out 60 inches, and marked it. Then I pinned (with approx. 30 gazillion pins) it on, easing it in so that I stopped at or near my 60 inch marker. THEN I sewed. I did decide not to mess with the sleeves, which were about 15 inches instead of the required 12.
The result is much better. Who knew that the directions might actually provide some useful advice?
I had my daughters take some pics (with their cameras, so sorry about the quality)--click on the picture to see more pictures.


I've worn it three times already. I love it. So much so I think it earns the rare--I'd knit it again designation. Only next time--I'm so doing it in the Blue sky Alpaca Silk it recommends.

And my decision? Well... size 2 in the rosewood. I'm still thinking might have rather had the 1.5s, and I did have to special order, so 2s it is. I can't wait.