What a Life!

Announcing…the worst knitting disaster ever. At least in my knitting life.

I mean, I’ve accidentally felted things ever so slightly enough for them to no longer to fit. But that was my fault. This wasn’t.

For the record, I used the yarn specified in the pattern. The garment looked fitted in the magazine, so I made adjustments likewise to make it fit my figure. I knit it at a slightly smaller gauge than the pattern specified. And I tried it on before I blocked it. As in, I pinned it together and put it on, like anyone with a sewing background knows how to do.

Before I wet it to block it, it was so snug I could barely get it to meet in the center. I blocked it anyway.

After blocking and seaming, I had one big saggy mess.

As in, my shoulder-to-shoulder measurement is 15″ and I knit the garment exactly to those specifications based on the gauge I expected to get after blocking based on the swatch I knit, washed and dried before I began knitting the garment. Based on how it looks in the picture, I would say that the shoulder-to-shoulder measurement has to be at least 20″ since the sleeves are at least a couple inches off my shoulders. And those gussets at the bottom are supposed to start at my waist, not my high hip. The hem should rest just past my high hip, not just past my low hip.

Oh, it looked pretty on the table.

But the yarn. The yarn had a problem. Namely, it stretches. And stretches. And stretches. Take a closer look – really dig around – and you’ll find reviews where people tell tales of knitting hats with the stuff. Hats that fit perfectly at the beginning of winter and covers not just your eyes but your nose and mouth by the end of winter.

The yarn may be pretty. It may show off stitch patterns fabulously. And I totally love the color.

But it was not meant to be.

And may I just say that the designer should have never used this yarn for this pattern? Yarn that stretches…and stretches….and stretches…should not be used for fitted garments. Straight, boxy garments where growing doesn’t mean that it no longer fits are fine. But highly tailored, fitted garments? Nope. This yarn was not a good choice. Sorry.

What makes it even worse was that I spent at least three times as much money on the yarn for this project than I normally spend on yarn for a sweater. As in, I spent enough on one project to qualify for the 25% discount at Webs. Yup. [It was birthday money, okay? I don’t normally spend money like that.]

My theory was that I would knit fewer projects out of nicer yarn and I would have nicer things. Clearly, spending more money on yarn does not mean you will get better results. Just saying…

For those of you who are not knitters (if you’re still reading), this is what something looks like when it’s been frogged. [Again, frogging comes from rip-it, rip-it as you pull out all the stitches.]

R.I.P. Nantucket Jacket