(Not So) Lacy Underthing

Here we have another knitting thing finished shortly before our trip...the (not so) Lacy Underthing.

I've already written that the lower front panel was supposed to have a lace pattern that I complete forgot to do. How does that happen?? I don't know. Let's put it down to distracted knitting.

Other than that I followed the pattern pretty closely except that I switched it from bottom-up to top-down. I used short-row shoulder shaping, and then I messed up on the front cross over. (But you can't tell.)

I could maybe put that down to distracted knitting too, but really it was bad number memory. I knit the left and right sides separately, and then when they were long enough (and wide enough since I was doing the neck increases), I knew I had to overlap 13 of the stitches at the center and knit them together on the next row. I kept reading 13 and thinking 18. Reading 13 and thinking 18 all while I was preparing for this step. And sure enough I overlapped 18 stitches and didn't notice until the knitting had calmed down (there was a lot going on there for a while with the overlap and joining everything in the round) and I recounted everything to see where I was at.

At that point, I tried it on to make sure 5 missing stitches wasn't going to make it too small to wear. (It didn't.) And then I continued on. That's where I forgot the lace. (Distracted.) Of course, if I had done the lace, missing five stitches would have been a bigger deal.

Oh well, it is done. It feels quite lovely. The size is pretty good. I would rather wear it over a shirt than under everything, but it will still keep me warm.

I did a picot hem on the bottom:

This is the easiest "fancy" trim you could ever do. I remember first learning it. I was young and my mom had given me some yarn and a pattern for a baby sweater/dress. At that point, I just followed the directions row by row, not yet knowing where all this would lead. You started at the bottom, knit a few rows, then did a row of knit-two-togethers and yarn-overs. And then you knit a few more rows. This creates a row of holes--like eyelet. When I realized that folding on that line created the scalloped edge of a picot hem, it was a revelation. (Remember that older patterns would not have had the multiple clear pictures that today's do.)

I added a shorter picot edging to the armholes because as far as I could tell the pattern didn't finish them. The stocking stitch was curling way too much for me to be able to leave it. I also added a short 1x1 rib to the center back neck (not pictured). I didn't want a rolled hem there, so I picked up from the cast on edge and knit a few rows of ribbing. At each side, I knit together with the edge of the front so that it would be anchored and I wouldn't have to come back and sew it together later.Project Stats
Started: 3 Feb '13
Finished: 5 Mar '13
Pattern: Cotton Bam Boo Little Shell Top by Tonia Barry
Materials: 582 yards/.7 oz light fingering alpaca ($3)


I will add for the nay-sayers around me--I had plenty of yarn. I used 7/8ths of the ball I had, and that was plenty comfortable for me. That's two recent points for me, if you're keeping track: the bulky cable vest, and this one. Cock-a-doodle-doo! (That's me crowing in case that's not obvious!)

General summary of my impression of the vest: I like it. I like the vertical lines of the narrow slip stitch pattern. I'm not super crazy about the horizontal line right under the bust line, but somehow it seems better with it than without. I am happy with the waist and hip shaping, which is nice considering I was making it up as I went. And the vest works just as well over the pants as tucked in, so a good length and not too bulky. Nice. It's becoming clear that this one is a win!