Tears...

The hourglass sweater has been my first ever sweater along with my first ever pattern from a book. When I first bought LMKG, I didn't know what an errata was. I also had no idea that publishers would release a book that is based on patterns with SO many mistakes.

So, when I decided I would tackle this project, I went to elann.com and bought 12 skeins of their peruvian wool. These came in 109 yard skeins, 9 more yards per skein than cash iroha. Already, I'm 108 yds over what the pattern calls for. I do some research and find out, from various places, that the pattern doesn't call for enough yarn. I freak out a little, because elann was really low on the peruvian wool in brandy orange. I rush to elann.com.. and lo and behold.. None left. And there hasn't been since. So here I am with my completed sweater, with no chance in hell that I'll wear it. Not even in the house. If I move at all the shoulders slip off and come down to my boobs. I'm guessing that I'll need at least 2 more, maybe 3 skeins to get it to cover my bra straps and to even think about the hemming. I've emailed Elann in hopes of a miracle, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Thanks so much for letting me vent. :(

Can I join the party? I brought cashmere.

Hey hourglass gals! What a great knitalong blog. I've loved seeing the pictures of your finished sweaters and really appreciate all the info you've posted about yarn substitutes, pattern adjustments, sizing, etc. What a huge help it is to a latecomer like me!

I've loved this sweater since I first saw it and although I do have some Cash Iroha in my stash, I wasn't inspired to cast on until I frogged an old cream-colored cashmere blend Banana Republic sweater that had been wadded up in the back of my closet for years.



I measured the gauge on the old sweater and it matched that of the hourglass sweater perfectly! After a few hours of frustration and then a few more hours of ripping, I got this out of the sleeves.



This stuff is so soft and wonderful! I can't believe I hadn't thought of cannibalizing this sweater earlier. Even though I haven't ripped out the rest yet, I went ahead and cast on for the first sleeve. I was too impatient to wait until the yarn store opened to get some short circs, so I'm knitting it flat.



More info on my ripping adventure is at my blog here. And I'll be posting updates on my sweater progress here and on my blog here.

~ Progress so Far ~

Ok so I now have the yarn and I also found out that my LYS will not be carrying the yarn anymore so I guess that I should get an extra thing of it while they still do have it and my lot #. But I should be getting started on this very soon. I know that I have been lurking for a while but now it is time to get started and I cannot wait.

I will be making the M do you all think that I will have enough yarn if I got 11?

Buuuh :( (New here)

I sat several hours yesterday and wrote on my blogspot and today it is all gone *sob*
Has it happened to anyone of you?
I bought some lovely wine-red colored wool-yarn yesterday but I don't know if it's enough. I'm L-XL and I have about 800-900 gram, if I remember it right it was 350 meters/100 gram. I haven't bought the book yet, it's sold out here in sweden :(

Is there anyone out there who can e-mail me a copy ?

Seven inches and cruising...

Hi! I just joined this KAL... i started my Hourglass about a week ago. Here it is:



Ummm, yeah... pretty exciting, i know... try to remain calm...

I'm doing it in Manos Pewter, so it won't be as soft as the Cash Iroha versions... but i do love that Manos, in the HEALTHY obsessive way (see my blog for proof).

Happy knitting.

Hello Everyone -

I am just starting down the path of the Hourglass Sweater! Seeing all of your pictures and reading your comments pushed me over the edge into startingdom. I am two skeins in at this point and trying not to get to bored with all the stockinette stitch. The Noro is...interesting...I haven't decided how I feel about it yet.

Well...that is all for now...thought I would make myself known and be a lurker no more. I will post some photos soon! My computer is under the weather at the moment....hopefully it will recover soon!

Salut!

www.sarahwooden.typepad.com - c'est moi...

Really, Really Finished

Here is the post-blocking hourglass sweater! My thoughts on the sweater and the pattern are on my blog at http://www.figandplum.com/archives/000336.html, and there are some more photos of details - sleeve length, raglan line, etc.

Now, the next question: I have 150g of Cash Iroha left. What should I do with it?

Participants and Lurkers...

Hello! Just a quick note to all you Hourglass KAL participants and lurkers out there.

If you are interested in participating and would like to be able to create posts, leave a comment to this post with your name and email address.

My progress so far...

Here is my Hourglass sweater so far. I'm using Elann's Highland Wool, and I really like how it's knitting up. I'm not doing the turn-over edges as written in the pattern-- I've done seed stitch edging so far, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the neckline with the decreases. Any ideas? I don't know how I could get the seedstitch to turn out with the decreases.

finally. photos.

i actually finished last week, around wednesday. but, i have not been home during daylight hours lately and so picture-taking has been not a happening thing.

more pictures on my blog
notes on this project:
1. i love the sleeves!
2. i love the yarn! especially after blocking, this is an ultra soft and silky fabric.
3. if i were to make it again, i would alter the pattern to start the increases and decreases at the beginning of the round, not before the round starts as it does in the corrections to the pattern. just a personal preference.
4. i made the body about 1" shorter than the pattern called for.

Finished!

Whelp, it's all over but the blocking. The h-glass is finished, and I think I'm pretty happy with it. Here's a pre-blocking photo:

I'll post some modeled photos post-blocking, but first I have to say...

I would rather have ten hangnails, ride the F train at rush hour, clean up cat puke, and go to the OB-GYN ALL IN THE SAME DAY than have to do the finishing on this sweater again, in particular, the neckline. I'm a wimp, I know, and am exaggerating a bit, but I must say that stitching down the live stitches on the neckline for some reason was really unpleasant and TEDIOUS, and had me shouting the most offensive swear words all morning. I am so glad it's over now.

Neckline

Jessica asked me to post a photo of my neckline... here it is:


I mentioned in one of the comments below that I switched to a 16" circ when I got close to finishing my neckline - I didn't want it to be too loose. The size it ended up being is pretty comfortable.