I blew off all my homework last night and I watched Star Trek, took a nap, watched a movie, read a trashy novel, and took a bubble bath. Nice! More importantly, I worked on Bluebell! I’d say I’m now about 3/4 through the first sleeve. The sleeves are worked flat and they’ll be seamed up later, which I’m dreading – but at least it’s a sleeve and not an entire frakking cardigan (reference: Mrs. Darcy; and perhaps I shouldn’t jinx myself by talking too much about sleeves?) Incidentally, this is the first time I’ve ever knit flat on circular needles. It’s what the pattern says to do and I decided to just try it out. It’s not that bad, but I think I still prefer straights. Though, I’m glad I tried it because I have every size of needles in circs, thanks to my fabulous can’t-live-without-it Boye Needlemaster. So now with my new skill I’m never gonna have to buy straights again (or circs!) More money for yarn! Yay!
Anyway, I’ve made it past the first ribbing design above the elbow and I’ve finished up the increases for the bell sleeve – now I’m in the straight stockinette phase until the sleeve measures 15.5″ [BTW, I hate that kind of instruction because I never know exactly how to measure those things – it seems like I can get 3 different measurements depending on how I lay it down!]
I stupidly stopped counting rows after my bell increases when the “knit to x length” instruction started, but about 8(?) rows in I realized I should be keeping track so the other sleeve will match! Duh! So, I counted my rows as best I could* and I’m pretty sure I was 8 rows in. I’m counting now. 🙂
I am still a little worried because I’ve gained weight since I started this project, but I am placing my faith in the miracles of blocking. That’s why I love knitting with wool!!
*I’m sort of challenged in this respect because I can never tell which is the official first row after the little increase bump and I never know exactly how to count the last row up by the needle. I should really pull out the old reference books and review.
Hi!
I came across your blog on a google search for any errata for the Mrs. Darcy sweater. I really want to make this sweater, but am terrified to start (this will be my first sweater).
Do you have any changes to the pattern that you made? Or better yet, any other simple cardigan knitting patterns you could share with me? I would be forever grateful. I only started knitting last october and keep searching for help from every corner of the knitting world!
Thanks so much!
Mrs. Darcy was my first sweater and it wasn’t too hard. The twisted rib around the waist is easy. As with almost any cardigan pattern, you need to know how to do increases and decreases, buttonholes and seaming.
I worked on it with the Mrs. Darcy knitalong on Craftster. You can look over our posts and see what issue/mods/corrections everyone made. I knit mine exactly to the pattern specs without any mods and it turned out great.
If you don’t have your heart set on a cardigan, you might think about trying a simple top-down raglan sweater, like my $5 in Prague. Beginners like these because it is knit in the round so there isn’t any seaming.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask me or you can post on the KAL on Craftster – a lot of the members still keep an eye on it.
Good luck!
(p.s. if you haven’t found this resource already: http://www.knittinghelp.com is amazing. I use it all the time)
The KAL:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=163781.0
Thanks so much!