Forked! - July 2022

I finished 3 things in July.  And what variety!

Pattern: Lunae by Natasja Hornby
Size: One size
Cast on: June 18, 2022
Cast off: July 21, 2022
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Hollyberry, Marble Heather, and Asphalt Heather
Needles: Chiagoo Bamboo US 4 (3.5mm) - 40” length
Project Type: Beyond the Comfort Zone
New skill: Mosaic knitting, using red

I really enjoyed knitting this shawl.  I want to make another one in different yarn, but that will have to wait until next year.  The only modification I made was a simple 6-strand fringe instead of tassels.

I did have a bit of a mishap following some advice I heard on the internet from a UK knitter.  If you live in America, you most likely will not be able to machine block your non-superwash wools… I tried on the delicate cycle, cold water, no spin, and it felted ever so slightly.  It ended up being fine and still rather large, but I won’t be trying that again!

Oh, and I ended up really liking that burgundy red with the greys.  There may be more darker reds in my future :)

Pattern: Ripple Bralette by Jessie Maed Designs
Size: L
Cast on: July 17, 2022
Cast off: July 23, 2022
Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Bitterroot Rainbow
Needles: Chiagoo Metal US 4 (3.5mm) - 24” length
Project Type: Wardrobe Brick

Sooo, I slotted this in after I got a pretty strong hankering to start making some base layers.  It was an easy knit but the gauge lied to me twice.  Once when I started and once halfway through when I thought I was gonna have to squeeze myself into it.  It turned out a little too short and a little too big.  I did modify the pattern to omit the twisted rib stitch, though, so maybe that’s where I went astray?  I’m hoping some elasticized thread run through the hem will help it pull in more.  Will update on Ravelry if it works!

Pattern: Flutter Buttshorts by Jessie Maed Designs
Size: L (by way of 1X)
Cast on: June 4, 2022
Cast off: July 29, 2022
Yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima in Black
Needles: Chiagoo Metals in US 5 (3.75mm) - 32” length
Project Type: Beyond the Comfort Zone
New skill: Shorts

Whew!  I made my deadline with a few days to spare.  I ended up knitting  A LOT this past week, and that made it easier to get these finished.  I made a lot of modifications that I don't necessarily recommend.  First I lost track of the increases and made up some nonsense.  I also knit the XL because of my gauge, and as with the Ripple Bralette somehow ended up with a garment that is too big.  (If you have successfully made a Jessie Maed garment, please explain to me how you choose sizes.  There are so many great patterns, but that's to fails after swatching 😭 ) I also omitted the flutter and knit a 5 inch leg instead.  I also did a folded hem.  That was a good mod, but I would taper the legs next time.  And finally I made a simple crochet chain drawstring instead of an i-cord one because it was at least 100x faster.

The fit on these is... odd.  To be fair, the design is meant to skim the butt cheek crease, so it's possible that the crotch area would have lain flatter, but paging through Ravelry, I saw more than a few folks had the same issue with excess fabric in an unfortunate area 🐫  Having never knit shorts before, I'm not sure what the alteration would be, but I suspect short rows or strategic decreases to lessen the amount of fabric in the inner thigh creases would have helped.  That said, since the yarn is perfection and they are very comfortable, I will likely convert these into sleep shorts 🛌

That's it for July!  Come back at the end of next month for my August FOs :)