Finished OBJECT....finally!

The Silver Belle Jacket by Debbie Bliss is finito!

Yippee.....I was so worried that this would end up in the UFO heap...but success, I stuck with it and got it done.

I made several modifications to the pattern, that included a longer peplum - 4 extra repeats of the pattern, the yoke in front was made 3/4 of an inch longer and the sleeves were decreased at a slower rate, because I felt they were too wide.

The collar took forever, or at least it felt like it did. I think it helped that a fellow raveler was asking me questions along the way and we sort of finished our Silver Belle's together. I used 4 antiques black glass buttons from my stash, which I really like the look of with the yarn selected. Originally the pattern designated two.

I am really happy with the finished Belle. I can't wait to wear her come fall. The sewing up took almost two full days. It required a lot of careful stitching to match the patterns up from side to side. I realized in the process it is fun to make some projects with cables...I had not done any for awhile.

I think the most helpful thing was finding the excel spreadsheet, that kept the panel patterns organized. I made my own for the sleeves and it made the knitting much easier and checked off each row as it was completed. The project had lots of twists and turns, but, I held it together and it is finished!!!!

Beluga, the puppy helped with the Belle, by being so kind, as to steal the yarn I was using to sew up the Belle. I was intently focused on sewing keeping everything lined up, I did not see her make off with the skein of yarn.

I looked up to get more yarn...and could not find it.... Then it hit me.......BELLLLLLLLLUGA, where are you? Here is how I found her.

I think she is in her adolescence at 5 1/2 months old. She is fairly well house trained at this time...but, she is still having a hard time with the word, "NO". She has been incredibly rebellious all this week. But, she is so very cute, it is hard to get too exasperated with her antics for too long...and besides, she gives very sweet puppy kisses.

My next project is this UFO, I found, started in the Spring of 2004, a Cables and Lace Cardigan

from Vogue Knitting Magazine and I have started to rework it. It took a bit to figure out why I stopped, but after a few frogs....I got down to creating a knitting chart from the written directions...

Yes, me the person who hates to use charts. I think it is the Belle's fault.

I have been working with charts for the better part of this month...and found that it simplified the pattern. It will also help in reversing the pattern for the right front side. It took me several hours, but it has helped it go faster. My goal is at least 24 rows per day. If anyone is interested in the chart, for the small size fronts, please leave a comment with your email address and I will forward you a copy.

The back was already completed. The right side had to be frogged, it got a stain on it, and it would not come out with washing, so I frogged back to the stain and removed it. It is drying out.

I started with the left front fresh, in an attempt to figure out why I stopped this project in the middle of the right front and never finished it. I think the stitch count was wrong for the fronts size small should be 59 stitches instead of the 58 listed.

I am exhausted, it was a very long day...and I still need to finish 6 more rows on my left side, before bedtime.

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday....filled with a few moments for fiberings.....

Smiles to you,

DC

Chasing the Blues away.....

....and the Virtues of a PB&J....otherwise known as the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich....can cure the blues in my humble opinion, unless of course your blues are related to weight gain! When was the last time you had one? If you are like me it has been awhile. Not sure what possessed me, but, I am glad it did!

How do you like yours?

Of key importance is deciding whether you want chunky or smoooooooth? Natural or lots of corn syrup? I prefer natural smooth. My favorite brand is "crazy richard's" which, I always call crazy dave's not sure why...You can pour off some of the fat and reduce those calories.

I like smooth...I think life generally has far too many ruts...and bumps, so I prefer to leave them out of my peanut butter.

Then there is the jelly/jam selection....a crucial component to a good sandwich...

There is the old standby, grape....but let's face it, grape jelly does not taste as good, when you can not buy it in those fantabulous flintstones glasses....am I right? The smurfs never did it for me.....
My favorites are apricot, black raspberry or strawberry. Homemade is best. What are
yours?

Remember to cut the crusts off........it is a little extra effort, but....it has amazing benefits. Eat one side with crust and one without........and you will see what I mean. and of course, Wonder bread makes the best PB&J's.....plus the wrapper is just sooooooooo cheerful!

My mom used to tell me crust made your hair curlier....so if, you want curls eat your PB & J with crust.

When you are done smacking your lips......I guarantee that you will be smiling... and what's a few extra calories, when the endorphins are charged up for a great day...

This weekend, a friend took me up to NYC to see the John Dillinger band, of "Hang on Sloopy" fame. He wrote those lyrics at the age of 16. They were together for the first time in 32 years....and I had a blast. It was at BB Kings place right near Times Square. Good food, good music and lots of smiles. That is Ken Arenson below...and John Dillinger is in the center in the photo to the right.

I had not been in NYC for awhile, and it was very cool to be amongst the hustle and bustle on a friday nite.

Saturday, I went to an Art Gallery benefit in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia...to benefit AIDS care. Saw some interesting art, including a sculpture made entirely out of dildoes...too funny.

Bicycles with toilets attached. There was only one handmade piece of clothing, which was a knitted tank top with fabric inserts.

Sunday, I spent the morning vaccuming up blossoms that covered my deck from the trees.

Spring is going so fast. My lilacs and irises are already blooming and that usually does not happen this early. Here is the view from my blogging window.

On a knitting related note, I began the Silver Belle Jacket by Debbie Bliss from the Vogue 25th Anniversary Mag on April 11th....in violation of only two new projects going at once, 376 stitches for the peplum…yipes!

....and as I am working on row 1, I am thinking this is smelling like a UFO… before the first row of the peplum is done. ;-) I hate chart knitting, for anything but, lace!

After getting through the first row, I started the second, which is when I realized the first row was wrong…because I had read the chart right to left which is the standard way to read a KNITTING CHART!!!

I had to find the magazine and study the photo…to figure out where I went wrong. frogging 376 stitches sucks and took the better part of the morning…but there was no way I was going to cast on those 376 stitches again!

The first important thing to note in this pattern is some bimbo, decided to start the first chart row from left to right….I envision this took an entire board room and think tank to screw this up…Why do people create standards to follow.....and then ignore them?

(Exerpt on reading knitting charts from the book, "knitting for dummies"!!! “You will follow the chart bottom to top and right to left. The second row will then be read from the left to the right. “) It would have been nice to have left us a NOTE….stating in clear english….start these charts left to right!!!!

The next complaint is the charts are too tiny…so I went back to the original pattern and blew up the charts….if anyone wants a copy of these large charts, just email me…and they are yours.

Now that this is straightened out, I am contentedly working across row 2….once the pattern is established it will be easy to remember, but, screwing up the first pattern repeat…is a fast road to the UFO heap!

Found a lot of good info on the silver belle here which included someone’s pattern row table for the peplum(sorry, I forgot where I found this)…to use in each section. This was the biggest help.

So merrily knitting along on the peplum and contemplating as I knit all the modifications others made that I found on ravelry, longer peplums, more buttons, different collars, sleeve edgings…etc. Ravelry is an amazing site, once you get used to navigating its offerings.

4/22/08 - finished the peplum, but, I am going to put it all on stitch holders, in case I want to make it longer. It took almost five skeins. Very happy with the way it looks…..and the yarn I selected is very soft and comforting to knit. It has been a long time since I have done an aran project and I have forgotten how much I enjoy them.

4/24 started the sleeves…I am only increasing stitches every 16 rows instead of 8…and did 2 rows of moss stitch before beginning the sleeve chart. I prepared a sleeve pattern row table like the one I found for the peplum…it helps immensely.

If you want this file, just email me or post to the comments here. The directions leave a lot to be desired even for someone that has been knitting as long as I have. I have to wonder about some of the technical editors around...or editors...

There is an error in the sleeve chart, for the bobble pattern. It says k3 together, and it should

state P3 together.

Here is beluga modeling the sleeve. She is 13 weeks old today and thriving. Her and Koko have become fast friends. It is a lot of work training a puppy, but I am so glad I decided to do this. Koko has come out of her depression and is enjoying mothering this young pup.

Beluga's latest enjoyment is biting the white dandelion globes. It makes me smile everytime,I think about her face when she gets a mouthful of air and seeds.

Wishing you all a wonderful spring day....enjoy!

Smiles to you,

DC