Scarpetta Progress (Don't Finish Too Soon Please)

I've been making good progress on the Scarpetta. It went with me to Squam and back. After the first sleeve, I made it through the first shoulder, then across the front with the neck shaping. Then the front gets put aside and you work across the back including neck shaping.

Once the back is done to the second shoulder, you start working on the front and back all in one piece again. That's where I am now.

Once the shoulder was joined on the left side, it was a good time to try it on and see if there are any problems going on.

And the verdict is...I think it will fit well, but I have the same concern about it being too short.

I think you can see that it just hits my waist band. It may "grow" during blocking, but knitting usually grows in the direction it was knit, and on this shirt that means side to side, not up and down. But it's not bad enough that I'm going to rip it out.

If blocking doesn't fix it, my plan B is to knit a "fake undershirt hem" or ruffle from underneath the hem. I think I'll do it in the brown multi colour. I'll certainly have plenty of yarn for it. I'm still working on the first two balls, and probably will just barely use any from the second two balls I have (one of each colour).

I'm also considering a matching cowl to make for the shirt. I really like the "detachable collars" or coordinating cowls that I've seen with several designs over the last year or two. (Noticed after I did the Truffle Tunic with its detached turtleneck.)

When I was done all the shaping on the back and realized that all I had left to do was 36 rows of the shoulder and the last sleeve, I started to feel regretful that it was almost done. I know this is a little silly, but it's a bit like wishing you weren't getting to the end of a good book.

So I put it aside and started something new. I was at a fabric store the other day and was browsing their magazine rack while waiting. The latest Interweave Knits (Summer 2013) had some designs I was immediately smitten with. They used cotton and just cried out to be made! Although the cover one was the one that really caught my eye, after looking at what cotton I had available in my stash (from raveled sweaters), I ended up casting on for this one:

I'm not usually crazy about "kerchief" hems, but I really like this piece. And I had just the right cotton for it:

It used to be a Croft and Barrow "sweatshirt" style sweater. I think it will be happier as a lace tunic.

I started with one of the square shapes that are used to make the kerchief hem as a gauge swatch. The stitch gauge was good, but the row gauge was a little short. I also learned that I should not have slipped the first stitch of each row like I normally do. I ripped back the square and started again. I purled the first stitch on each row so the edge stitch is in stocking stitch. I find it a lot easier to seam than garter stitch edges. (Always thinking ahead!)

I added a couple extra repeats to the pattern and got a 15" square, or it will be after a block the crap out of it!

I started the back next. I've done a couple repeats of the lace pattern. I figure when I'm done the back, I'll be half way and I can weigh my yarn and pieces and see whether I'll have enough to finish...