Anyway, a while back I treated myself to 'Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics' (Debbie Stoller, 2010, Workman Publishing). The first 'Stitch 'n Bitch' book is just great, especially if you can already knit. The designs are great fun and really easy to follow. Bearing that in mind, I figured that I would find the advanced book just as easy with my years of knitting expertise. Hmm. What's that about pride and falling?
Project one was to be the Sweetheart Sweater (p314). This is made using US size 7 needles, which is the same as UK size 7 because it is where the sizes meet in the middle before going off in different directions. It is a lacework jumper - obviously the biggest worry here is that if you drop a stitch, you don't have a hope in hell of picking it up again! I will admit to you now that I got to the fifth row eight times before deciding that I was clearly doing something very wrong. The main hindrance I have found with these books is that they are American, so abbreviations don't always translate the same. Helpfully, the book does provide an index of abbreviations on page 164. My problem was with the SSSK command but I found a great video on You Tube here to explain it and just slipped an extra stitch. Perfect. As a result, my hearts began to emerge.
Apart from that, the jumper is quite straight forward. The edges create a lovely seam, which looks very professional when all stitched up. The bottom band is made by picking up stitches on a circular needle and then made all at once. This gives a nice, tight band with no visible joins. I will say that I picked up more stitches for the bottom band than was recommended because it seemed too few. I'm glad I did, because the jumper would have been far too tight otherwise. I also made it a bit longer.
It was around about the time that I started making this jumper that I found out I was pregnant. (This is where the never-ending story comes in...) Being pregnant makes you tired like you have never been tired before and, for the first time ever, I just couldn't be bothered to knit. My arms refused. My brain refused. So it took me 13 weeks to finish it and now it's too tight across my belly. Ah well, that's next winter sorted at least.
I'd better get started on the baby knits, now...
