Ta-da!!

Updated to use MUCH better pics!

Bettna:

(because nothing works better with a silly pose than a slightly confused small girl… )

Pattern: Bettna from Noro Revisited
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden – colourway 248 from Coldspring Mill
Mods: I knit the bottom back in two pieces to make the stripes the same width across the bottom portion.

Thoughts: I love it. As ever I have a couple of reservations – the sleeves are a little long, and it doesn’t close across the front (but since it doesn’t have any buttons that’s fine – I’ll just blame those hips that turned out to be useless for childbirth). But I still love it. I’m very chuffed with myself that I managed to get the colours more or less symmetrical for the top (I’m not a control freak, honest).

The colours are perfect, and I think I’ll probably wear this a lot. Which leads me to ponder – do I treat it as an under-ten-pounds item (which is what the wool cost me), or do I treat it as an about-one-hundred-pounds-worth item (which is what it would have cost me had I bought it anywhere other than Coldspring Mill)? I think I’ll treat it as a much-loved handknit, but not be too neurotic about it.

Oooh – and a tip for sewing up – Silk Garden can be a bit of pain for collapsing – it was fine when I was knitting it, but when I was sewing it up, the yarn kept drifting apart. Eventually I woke up and chided myself – it was drifting apart because it needed more twist, so I added twist – problem solved. (Call myself a spinner?! I really should have spotted that sooner!)

And a final point to ponder – why is seaming such a grim activity? I’ve come up with the following list:

• The knitting is finished, why do I still have to do stuff?
• I’m a knitter, not a sewer. (No, I’m not a sewer either!)
• Seaming takes much more concentration than knitting.
• Seaming always takes longer.

Which is one of the reasons I love mattress stitch – somehow the seaming is easier when you can get it as neat as this:

ten comments:

It looks so lovely – well done!

Donyale () (link) - 23 September '07 - 14:50

That’s gorgeous! I still have to use any of my Noro stash from Coldspring, but you’re tempting me…

Liz () (link) - 23 September '07 - 14:57

it’s gorgeous! Well done!

Marie () - 23 September '07 - 18:33

That is GORGEOUS! I’m so envious. (Just wish I understood what the dickens you’re talking about, collapsing? drifting? adding twist?, but it’s still FAB!) xx

Louise () (link) - 23 September '07 - 18:44

That is truly gorgeous and the idea for the lower back works really well. I promise that I will try not to steal this! Is it up on Ravlery? I feel another favourite coming on…

rosie () (link) - 24 September '07 - 00:25

Oh yes please, I really do love that!

big ruth - 24 September '07 - 12:46

Absolutely gorgeous!!

Chris () (link) - 24 September '07 - 14:03

Bettna looks great! More inspiration for the 10 skeins of Silk Garden marinating in the stash.

Kat () (link) - 24 September '07 - 18:34

oooh that’s really fab! And I don’t think I could think of anything as about £100-worth of stuff cos I’d be too paranoid to wear it!

Daisy () (link) - 26 September '07 - 09:26

Yay!!! You finally knitted with the bargain Mill end!!!
That is fantastic, Anne…...really suits you!!!
Woohoo…. grins
Love
Sarah xXx

Sarah () (link) - 02 October '07 - 10:22

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