Buttercup

I keep forgetting to post this! I love this top. I think this is my favorite knit item ever. The love is a combination of the yarn and the pattern. It's lightweight, it fits, it's just right. It took me 2 weeks, start to finish. Somehow I managed to remain focussed with this project and didn't work on much else while I was knitting it. I don't think I've ever completed a garment on US 4 needles before, so this was quite a victory for me.



Pattern: Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier (Ravelry link only. Sorry for any non-ravelers.)
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy. I bought the yarn before I saw the pattern. I can count on one hand the number of times I've knit something in the yarn called for in a pattern, and this one was a success.
Mods: The neck as written was a lot more open and square. It looked lovely and really suited the shape of the finished garment.


(original neckline as written. pre-blocking)
The neckline was lower and wider than I generally find comfortable and would have been awkward with a tank or camisole underneath. In this picture I'm trying to hold still so it doesn't slide down. I think the fault here was with my gauge on the top (back and forth) section of the top. I should have done the join (lace section) sooner and continued from there.

No matter. After I completed and tried it on I decided to undo my bind off and do some short rows to make the neck slightly more U shaped and to raise the neckline a bit. I put the stitches back on the needle and marked the spot where the shoulder was on each side and where the corner of the neckline would be (where the vertical met the lace). I knit on the front stitches only (i.e. not the shoulder or back of the neck) and worked short rows down the front, working across the front neck each time:

Row 1: Knit to marked stitch (shoulder), wrap & turn.
Row 2: *Knit to marked corner stitch, work double decrease (in this case it was slip 2 as if to knit, knit one, pass slipped stitches over)* 2x (both corners), knit to marked shoulder stitch, wrap & turn.
Row 3: Knit to 6 stitches before previous wrapped stitch, wrap & turn.
Row 4: repeat corner decreases as row 2, knit to 6 stitches before previous wrapped stitch, wrap & turn.

I did about 5 or 6 wrapped stitches on each side, then knit one round plain, picking up wrapped stitches as I went. Then bound off all stitches, blocked and wore with pride.



I'm a little worried about the neck stretching out with wear and drooping. I am thinking about sewing in some grosgrain ribbon or twill tape along the inside of the shoulder and back neck line. I think this would help. Has anyone ever tried this? Is it feasible?

This week I suddenly got the finishing bug and I have another FO to show you! I'll post tomorrow... oooh the suspense.