Done: Girly Top

Ravelympics victory is mine!

Did I already mention that?

My wardrobe has expanded by one.

And what a lovely one is it.

I finally cornered Hubby and made him take my picture. I have to admit he was right about the light, it isn't showing the details at all. But you get the general idea.

And he immediately said, "I can see your bra line." I was like, "Well, this is probably the bra I'll be wearing it with and I don't feel like changing, so take the picture!"

I took it to the store yesterday and everyone oohed and aahed over it and said the fit was just perfect. Which is always nice to hear. I had on a different bra yesterday and nobody said it looked bad and you would think a bunch of women would have jumped on that situation. So I might have to reconsider my foundation garments when I wear this in the future.

Project Stats
Pattern: Stella's Blouse by Robin Melanson from the Spring 2004 issue of Interweave Knits.

If you don't have that issue, the pattern is now available independently from the online Interweave store filed under "tops, tanks, and camisoles." Frankly, if you have a Ravelry account follow the link from the project page, that's the only way I found it.

Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glace in color 827, which is a nice powder blue.
The pattern called for eight for my size. I bought nine, but can only find labels for eight, so I guess I threw one away. But I have two entire balls plus 27 grams left over. So I only used seven balls.

Needles: US 3 & 4 (as required).

Size: 34" scaled down to around a 32", which brings us to...

Modifications
I really liked the top but new the smallest size, 34", would be too big for me clocking in at 31".
I was able to track down Robin on Ravelry and ask about downsizing it by ditching 10 stitches, 5 each on the front and back.
She agreed that would give me the right amount of ease and probably still fit properly through the shoulders, etc.

I worked the sleeves as instructed without changes.

I cast on and worked the bottoms of the body through the patterned sections as instructed for the 34" size.

Then I decreased one stitch at each end of the needle on two right side rows, then one on one end on the next right side row.

I worked all the shoulder and neck shaping according to the pattern. Only I didn't have a center stitch to decrease away for the front notch.

Also, the pattern calls for a slip stitch row of crochet around the front notch, but I ended up going around the entire neck opening. I put my hook into the last loop from binding off and just when forward from there. Which meant one less end to weave in.

Finally, the pattern calls for a zipper down the left side, but as I think I mentioned the other day I just seamed it shut and I can get it on and off just fine.

At this point, and in these pictures, the sweater has not been blocked, aside from when I hit it with the iron before I sewed it together. I figure washing it is blocking it.

Photographic Trickery
I'm very pleased with it. I think it looks adorable and I can't wait to wear it. I can't decide if I should go ahead and wear it despite the fact its a short sleeved cotton top and the weather is hovering around 35 degrees F, or wait until the spring.

However, I am a little surprised about how the neckline turned out.

You might remember I was expressing surprise at how open it was when I finished the knitting, but I thought the collar would bring it all in.

But if you look at the original picture it looks like a high collar, almost a Neru collar.

Yeah, not so much on my finished version. And the two projects on Ravelry that are shown on people also don't have a high collar.

I think the size was too big for the model and they shifted it back on her to make it fit better. Because if I grab the shoulders of mine and shift the fabric back I can get it to look like the magazine picture. Also, if you look at where the model's breasts are in relation to the smocking they are much closer than mine.

Anyway, I suppose on the scale of photographic deception this is pretty minor because the sweater is still lovely and fits me really well. But I was a bit surprised is all.

Ok, time to go work on my Tartan Argyle Socks.