Anyone got a lighter?

For better or for worse here is my personal contribution to finished Tempting II's. Despite throwing it in the washer and dryer, sticking a hot iron on it, and leaving it out over night for the cat to play scratch post with, it is still wearable! And yes, I used the Calmer.

Granted, it is a tad see through, a bit large, and the neckline is a bit crooked 'cause of my join. I had a pretty buckle all ready to go but it ripped the yarn up something awful when I tried to attach it...beware of sharp edges fellow knitters with buckles! =)

I kind of like it backwards, the neckline looks smoother definately. The only thing is, do the buttons look stupid on the back? Shoould I get rid of them or leave them?


lol! What a face. My photographer was having a good time taking "candid" shots!

I guess Im ok with it. It is not my best work. If I were grading it I would give it a C+. Although for durability it get's an A. I bet I could set a torch to the thing and it would still turn out!
I may try this pattern again sometime, but I would definately do it at a tighter gauge!

Tempted, but dropped

I was going to do the Tempting II in RedHeart's Plush yarn in black. My gauge swatch was deadon. I cast on, it was enormous! So I frogged and tried again, and again, and agian...six times I tried and I couldn't even get close to gauge to save my life! Just too much going on right now that I am not able to think clearly enough to make the necessary changes, so I dropped out of this KAL. I don't need suggestions on what to do, I know how. It's just that with my life as it is going at the moment, the needed changes were taking the fun out of knitting. Knitting is therapy for me, so rather than burn-out on this sweater all together, I decided to stop and just wait until such a time as I can do the changes or afford the proper yarn.........that'll be awhile I am afraid.

Jan

A Quick Question

Hi Gals! I have a quick question for you. Is it just me, or does it appear that our member list on the right has been moved further to the left? Seems to me that it used to be further to the right than it is now. And if it appears to have moved to the left, does anybody know how to edit the template to get it back over to the right?

TIA!

Jeanie

Very late question about Orangina

I missed the Orangina KAL entirely, and I'm thinking about making it now, but I'm not sure it will be flattering. I love the pattern, but I'm always a little leery of anything that obscures my waist.

I've browsed through the KAL, and it looks great on lots of different sizes, but I don't see my shape. I'm a slightly bottom-heavy hourglass: bigish bust, little waist, big hips, size 10 or 12. (With my figure, a lot of fitted designs that call for zero bust ease still end up looking pretty boxy.)

Exhibit A:


So my question is:
- has anybody hourglass and not skinny (although not necessarily plus-sized) knitted this?
- if so, can you point me to some pictures of the FO?
- do you like how it looks on you?
- do you have any recommendations for sizing/ease/pattern tweaking?

Remember the Blue Smock?

Remember the Blue Smock by Gaysknits? She started to write the pattern for it, I'm so excited!! I love the Blue Smock!! The pattern is still in progress (this is the first time she writes her own pattern), it's knitted from the top down, I think I'm going to cast on and knit as she adds more details.

I finished my Tempting II, I'm deciding whether to add a button or a buckle for the neckband. I'll post a picture soon.

Not tempted...

Hi gang!

I'm afraid I wasn't tempted by this particular knitalong (didn't think the end product would look all that hot on me) so I've been working on some alternate sexy knits. Admittedly there is more motivation when you are knitting along with the rest of the group, so I am hoping that the next group pick appeals to me more :)

Here is my finished Tulip, (from My Life in Stitches):
(the Katia Jamaica was such a fun yarn, but so! dang! splitty!)



And here is the fitted tank I made from the dreamy Blue Sky Cotton:




More infos can be on my blog : Mango Lassi(e)

belated orangina

ok... so I'm a little late on this one... but I finally got around to making my orangina and just had to share! more details on my blog. :) and, at the rate I'm going, maybe I'll have a tempting II sometime around christmas.

Tempting II, Take II

I started over on my Tempting II last night due to size issues. I had 11 inches of ribbing done, but I decided I just wasn't going to be happy with the size it was turning out to be. I completed the tubular cast-on, and did one row of ribbing. Details on my blog.

11-day update

I cast on for Tempting II 11 days ago, and I currently have 8" completed! This may end up as some kind of speed record for me. My projects tend to take months, not weeks or days. I'm not working on it during every spare moment, so I give all the credit to the pattern. Anything that makes me feel like a fast knitter is just fine by me. :)

Navy Tempting II

I finally cast on my Tempting II!

I am using TLS Cotton Plus, color Navy Blue ande needles #8US. I am making size 36" and I am about 9 inches our of 15" done and still doing great. I like the texture of the ribbing 1/1 (no skin showing through the stitches when I stretch it) and I am also pretty pleased with my Russian Join! :)

Isabelle aka Tricotine

Care for Tempting II in Cotton Plus ---

I see a lot of you are using TLC's Cotton Plus yarn for tempting and I was wondering if anyone can share some tips on caring for the garment. I've used this yarn for another project and I washed and dried it and was a bit disappointed in the result. (washed out a bit, matted down) I'm sure I was just careless but since I have another project on my needles using the same yarn, I was hoping someone could tell me how they will or have washed their CP garment. Thanks.

Jippiiie! Färdig!

I´m so happy. This is how my Tempting looks like. Hurra!

The Devil Wears Prada!!!

For those of you who have not seen this movie, there is a designer sweater that the main character wears that is the SAME, EXACT DESIGN AS TEMPTING II!!!! It's black, close fitting, and off the shoulder. There's no buckle, but there is a band like on Tempting. The sleeves are also a bit longer - maybe about 3/4 length but not quite. Also, for those of you worried about the neckline, the character in the movie wears a white, collared shirt underneath hers!!!! Now I'm really confused about what to do with the neckline! I really like the look of this design but was worried about the wearability of it. When I saw the cabled version that a fellow SKC member came up with, I thought this was the sure solution for me, but after seeing that movie last night, I'm thinking I might want to try it that way. Either way I'm getting a great sweater, right? Oh, I'm so confused!!!! Am I brave enough to wear it with the shirt under it? I'm not fashion conscious at all, although I have dreams that with my new job this Fall, I will become so since I'll actually have MONEY!!!! Hmmmmm . . . .

A Question

Well, I'm getting a late start at casting on for my Tempting II and I already have a question. I'm substituting the TLC Cotton Plus for the Calmer, and I'm not sure if this "problem" is due to the substitution or not since I've read that the Calmer has a very springy quality which may help "fill out" the stitches better. I'm only about 1.5 inches into the ribbing, but I noticed right away that the stitches seemed "gappy" (big, loose, etc.) on the size 8 needles, so I went down to a size 7. I've knit another half inch or so on the size 7's and I don't see much (if any) of a difference. My question is, did those of you who knit this (both with the Cotton Plus AND the Calmer) notice that the stitches seemed "gappy"? Should I be able to see through my stitches somewhat? Will people be able to see my bra through the stitches if they have little gaps in each stitch as I'm thinking they will? If I wear a white camisole underneath will that show through the stitches too? Should I go down to an even smaller needle and re-adjust my numbers (possibly knit a size larger)? Should I start over using the called for yarn? Help! I'm not a "loose" knitter, so I don't think it's a gauge or tension issue really.... I'm thinking it's just a yarn choice issue for this particular sweater. When I put my hand behind the stitches, I can see my skin through the stitches, and I just don't know if I'm looking/scrutinizing too closely or not... Did anybody else have concerns about the "gapiness" of their stitches only to find upon finishing that the gapiness really didn't matter?

Thanks in advance for your input!

once more, with feeling

I had to rip out my Tempting II last night when I finally admitted to myself that the gauge was way off and that the finished knitting resembled gauze...


But, I did another swatch on size 5's (is seems everyone had to go down to 5's, didn't they?) and here I am (please ignore the socks - I am not a monogamous knitter):


Someone should send a note to knitty or something. Ahwell, onwards :D

Just when I thought I was safe

So I have been plugging away on my Tempting II. I thought I was prepared. I read all the posts for how to do alterations on the neckband, and I felt confidant that I was going to do it right the first time. I was going to learn from other's mistakes.

So I did a K2tog on the last row of the neck, and started plugging away at the band. I thought all was going awesome...and then I decided to try it on.

Granted I was only half way through, but I could already tell the thing was going to be way too loose, even with a darn buckle. And there were holes from the k2tog, pretty large holes at that. Guess I could call it design element.
So I ripped back to the k2tog. And Im ready to go overkill on this puppy. I think I'm going to rip back another row to get rid of the k2tog, and then maybe do a few rows on a smaller needle. Then try the neckband again but decrease every round, instead of every other.
I am thinking this will tighten up the neckband, and get rid of the holes, what do you all think? Does this sound reasonable, or am I off my rocker?

Tempting leftovers?

I live in a city where the downtown lights keep my apartment illuminated at night. I NEED my eye pillow thingies or else I'd never sleep! I am also trying to find tiny projects to use up remainder skeins. Here's a little project that uses 1/2 ounce of the remaining skein of Calmer from Tempting II and a 7-8 inch elastic band. I know the ladies here are creative and like to fatz with patterns, so feel free to use the basic premise as a jumping off point for better, prettier designs. Like switching to st st and doing an intarsia word across the front or adding some cabling or stuffing it with a lavender sachet or whatever. Here's my most primitive form. Please excuse the poor finishing. I don't pay much attention to things I'll never actually "see" when wearing it.

Calmer, 0.5 oz, 7-8 inch elastic band, US 6 needles
Make a 6 x 6 inch square - for me it was CO 38 sts, garter stitch for 6 inches.
Decrease row 1: k2 tog, k15, k2tog, turn (work only these stitches from here on)
Row 2: K
Row 3: k2 tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog
Row 4: k
Repeat rows 3 + 4 until you have 7 stitches
BO
Break yarn, return to second set of 19 stitches and repeat decreases. If you cast on a different amount, just make sure you're working half the stitches at a time during the decreases.
Fold 6 x 6 square in half, sew edges. It should now be 3 x 6 inches with the little under-eye patches hanging below. Sew the elastic band on each side and voila. (I only had an elastic beading cord available...It works better with your usual, thicker elastic.

Behind in KAL and confused about neckline

I keep procratinating with this pattern. I have had my yarn now for weeks but have yet to knit my first stitch! Why? Because when I read the pattern, when I get up to the part where I have to do the neck line ribbing I get totally confused. Everything else is totally clear and perfectly understandable.

Is there anyone out there who would be willing to take me under their wing and be my personal tutor?

I even agonized over what yarn to buy for this top so much that I roped my LYS owner, Margie Morse Pulley into the project. (Yes, THAT Margie, the knitting book author!) So if I don't get started my yarn is just going to sit there and gather dust.

Help!

Crochet the décolletage?

OK, so the body and sleeves are joined. The body I did a bit longer.

How about a crocheted décolletage? Hmm... Any suggestions?

Have a lovely knittingweekend, I know I will! :0)

Greetings from a new member

Hello! I've been knitting on and off since junior high, but just discovered the addictive world of knit blogs and knit-alongs. My Rowan Calmer #474 had just arrived for Tempting II when I stumbled upon this blog in early July, so I just HAD to join! Thank you Jeanie for re-inviting me so many times; I don't know why blogger wasn't working, but after many unsuccessful attempts, here I am making my first post! I'm so glad to join! I've started a sleeve now, and am really looking forward to wearing this.

Cheers,
Tokyo Knitter

a ready-to-wear somewhat cowl

For all who knit SWC, I thought you might enjoy this link. Bluefly now has this sweater for sale in their ready-to-wear line, manuf Hayden, knit out of featherweight cashmere.

Progress and a sale on Calmer

Hooray!! I've just cast on for the sleeves and its looking great - If I can find the cable for the camera I'll post pics of it as a modified boob-tube as it is at the moment. I can't believe how great everyone's finished ones are looking.

I've found this too late for myself but if anyone in the UK is still shopping for their yarn Kangaroo has Rowan Calmer it in their summer sale at 10% off with free UK postage until 31 July: http://www.kangaroo.uk.com

Knitting T-Shirts?

Have you seen cute knitting related t-shirts (other than the SKC shirts) somewhere on the web? If so, let the rest of us know about them in the comment section of this post only (and be sure to include a link).

Thanks!

On vacation

Hi everyone.
I started my tempting II over July 4th holiday. I tried to work on it over my vacation to the beach but didn't make much progress as I was very lazy taking in the surf.
Here's a pic of my progress to date..

Got Blog?

Are you a member of the SKC? Do you have a blog? Would you like more readers (and comments)? I would! So, I thought I'd make it easy and ask all of you sexy knitters who have a blog to post a link to your blog here (in the comment section of this post only). There's a condition though -- if you post a link to your blog here, you must visit at least one of the other blogs listed. It's only fair, right??? And when you visit another sexy knitter's blog, be sure to let them know that you hopped over to their blog by way of the SKC blog-roll!

Have fun!

Tempting II Knit Along Update

Good morning Sexy Knitters! Just wanted to update y'all on a few things regarding the current knit along. First, I'd like to compliment those of you who have posted your finished Tempting II's on the blog -- they look amazing! I'd also like to extend a heart-felt thank you to those of you who are so generous about sharing (and posting) your pattern modifications. Y'all are an awesome group!

Now let's talk "technical" KAL stuff. There will be two drawings at the end of this knit along -- anybody who completed a Tempting II is eligible to enter the drawing. Simply send me an email letting me know that you finished your Tempting II -- please include a pic or a link to a pic of the finished item and title the subject of the email "Tempting II Drawing". We will be giving away two more copies of the book Sexy Little Knits by Ashley Paige and the drawing will be held shortly after the end of the knit along (August 31st).

In mid-August, we'll start taking nominations for the next SKC knit along, so start thinking about which patterns you'd like to nominate. Feel free to post links to other sexy knits prior to the official nomination date, however these will not be considered "official" nominations unless they're reposted as such AFTER we officially start taking nominations. We'll take nominations for a week or two and will then vote in early September. Keep in mind that fall is right around the corner, so you might want to nominate "sexy but warm" patterns ;-)

That's all I can think of for now. Keep up the beautiful work!

Knitting T-Shirts?

Have you seen cute knitting related t-shirts (other than the SKC shirts) somewhere on the web? If so, let the rest of us know about them in the comment section of this post only (and be sure to include a link).

Thanks!

Slow start but I'm getting there!

Hi all! I'm getting off to a slow start but I'm getting it done! I'd forgotten how crazy my stitches look with this yarn but if I recall correctly blocking usually straightens them out. I'm looking forward to finishing this up and getting some other projects out of the way. More details on my blog .

Intro!

Hi, everyone. :D I'm Manda! :) I'm 25, and I live in Dallas, TX. I blog here and here, and sometimes I also podcast! :) This is my first KAL here, and I'm also working on Tempting II. Obviously. :) I started it back in January, but I knitted the first couple inches and put it down never to pick it up again. I saw the SKC was knitting it, and thought I'd knit along!! :)

I don't have much progress to show... and my camera & Flickr are having issues, so I'll post a picture once I can.

I'm knitting mine in Rowan Calmer in Onyx, and she's gorgeous! :) I picked it up for the first time since January yesterday and I got two rounds done.

Thanks for letting me join!
Manda :)

Cabled Tempting "directions".

Sorry ladies, I'm a better designer than I am a pattern writer. I don't even have notes for this one. I'll give you what I remember, from there you are on your own.

I ended the yoke lower down, only 2 inches or so past the joining in of the sleeves. The band is wider, incorporating a 22 stitch cable panel, but is applied in much the same manner as the original. I eliminated the decreases in the main body section because I attached the band at EVERY row. SSK on the right side (end of row), purl 2 tog. through the back loops on the wrong side (beginning of next row). It gives a smoother, no holes join while at the same time accomplishing the equivalent of k2tog all the way around. The ends of the band had to be seamed.

I did not have to invent a curved cable panel, I used a regular one straight from a stitch pattern book. The curve comes from attaching it one band row per stitch on the body side but then reducing the length of the other side by attaching a 3 stitch I-cord at a ratio of one I-cord row to two cable band rows. The look of I-cord on the body side of the cable is accomplished by knitting the second to last stitch together with a purl "bump" on the inside one row below. This pulls the stitches together a bit to give the raised effect of an I-cord where it is actually just two knit stitches.

For now that is as good as the "pattern" gets. If there is enough demand I will perhaps write it out as a real pattern and submit it somewhere like Knitty.com. I really need a few pattern writing lessons though!

Edit: The cable is # 8.27 on page 27 of "The Harmony Guide To Aran Knitting" published by Lyric Books Limited.

It's Here! Hooray!

My yarn for the KAL is finally here and though I will be quite behind, it will be so wonderful to finally get it started. I am a little worried about the neckline....but I am sure I will figure it out and have lots of help if needed. I have some ideas for making the sweater my own. We will see. In the meantime, as there is no rehearsal for the Witch tonight, I should be able to cast on this evening after I swatch. So Whoo hoo! :)

Tempting 3?

Presenting my own, original version of Tempting II. Would that make it Tempting III? I'm very happy with it. Perhaps it could have been a little smaller though. The wavy appearance on the right side is the fabric buckling.....not body rolls!



Instead of the original version's buckled, ribbed band I've done a cabled band. Now I have another design decision to make. Should I leave the cable unadorned.......



......or should I add little pearl-like beads?



I do really like the beads but I'm in LOVE with the washability of this top. Done in TLC Cotton Plus it is completely carefree. I can throw it in the washer AND dryer without worry. If I add beads I might have to hand wash it to protect the finish of the beads. Handwashing in itself is not that big of a deal, but a sweater this heavy and made of cotton will take forever to air dry! Past experience tells me that sweaters like that spend more time in the laundry than they do being worn. I guess I could go ahead and sew the beads on and then just take them off later if the laundry ruins them? Opinions?

nervous?anxious? me? YES!

OK, I just finished the body of the sweater and a sleeve. I just tried them both on (with the yarn and needles through it so it was not completely smooth), and Im none too happy with what I saw.
I really should post a pic, but I don't feel like putting that thing back on. =(
My stitches look "wonkey"! I usually have great tension but this yarn(Calmer) is not the easiest for me.
The sleeves are OK, but Im not sure if I should make them longer or not.(3 1/2 inches)
Im hoping that once things start coming together I will feel better about it, and I am hoping that blocking will help my problem.
Sorry all, just needed to vent. After seeing how nice all the finished ones look, Im feeling even more bummed out about my own.

6" done, 9" to go!

Yep...that's for my Tempting II. I've done 6" of ribbing. Now I only have 9" left. I'm almost halfway! :) I think it's turning out pretty good, if I do say so myself. :) Though I will definitely be adding a lifeline when I get to the collar. I would hate to mess up the collar and rip back to far! This project is perfect for taking places. I took it to a lecture the other day (The zoo hosts lectures throughout the year on various subjects. This last one was on Madagascar and was presented by our Conservation Director, Bill Konstant. Very nice guy, very knowledgeable on Lemurs.)

Anyways...I took it there and spent a very relaxing hour learning about Madagascar (it's wildlife, plant life, people, etc) and knitting away on my Tempting II. :) The ribbing is perfect for this because I don't have to pay a lot of attention to a pattern. I think next I'll take it to a movie (still need to see Pirates of the Carribbean 2!). Here's a couple of pictures of it so far:

Finished Tempting II

Hi everyone- I finished my Tempting II this weekend, and I'm pretty happy with it. As you can see I altered the neckline a bit (ran short on yarn and didn't have a buckle), but otherwise it's pretty true to the pattern. Very easy, satisfying pattern, I'll be happy to knit something else by Jenna Adorno. You can go to my blog to see more. Hope everyone else is enjoying the pattern.

How ya like me now

Last year I made Tempting so I decided to pass on Tempting II. I'm still busy working on sexy knits for the summer though. My latest FO is the Deciduous Cami.















And if that's not sexy enough for you, check out the back.
















I have several more summer knits to make before the weather gets cool. I have added Wendy's latest design, Sizzle to the list. I need more yarn!!!

Hope this Helps

I know a couple people had asked what the gauge was on the ribbing. Since the gauge given in the pattern is for stockinette (which I dutifully checked before beginning), it is confusing lots of us once we begin in the rib, wondering if it is going to fit. Me too! So, I figured I'd fill everyone in on how it's going for me as a comparison guide. Maybe others could post what they've found as they are knitting so others can see and judge for themselves.

Anyway - I am knitting the size 36 using TLC's Cotton Plus. When swatching, I found I needed to use a size 6 needle to get the stockinette gauge of 20 st/28 rows. I could basically tell that the larger needles weren't going to work as I was swatching, because the stitches just looked wonky! I also knit some ribbing at the end of my swatch so that i could see how I liked it. And I found the 6 worked for me. I measured this morning to see what the gauge was working out to be in the rib, and I found about 4 stitches width wise and 6 stitches length wise. So about 20/24 for the 4" measure. I also tried the thing on already to make sure it was going to go neatly over my hips, and it is just fine.

Again, hope that helps! What is everyone else finding?

low back cami pattern

someone awhile ago wanted a low back knit pattern.
I just found this and thought I would def pass it along.
not for me, no way to wear a bra with it, and at my age and after having babies, going without a bra is not an option.

One finished Orangina

I am very late with my Orangina, but then I think I started the last week of the knit along. My Orangina is named Oceania and was made with Bouton d'Or Mango in "Ocean". I worked on size 3 Addi Turbos.

This was a great knit and it fits amazing. If you haven't made one yet, you really should. You can read more about it here.

Just cast on!

I'm a little bit late to the game, but better late than never, right?

Here's the start of my Tempting II. I cast on for it today, after first deciding on and buying the yarn: hot pink TLC Cotton Plus. I've been trying to find a project befitting the bright pink shade of Cotton Plus... I'm pretty sure this is it. :)

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress!

The Energizer Sweater ...

It keeps going ... and going ... Here I am, knitting Temping I at about 11":

and I feel like I'm getting NOWHERE! The first 6" flew by and now I'm getting dizzy! I keep looking at the pictures of the BEAUTIFUL ones that you all have finished - so I'll keep chugging away. (Mmm, maybe that will help. A little "chugging" while I knit?). I'm using the TLC Cotton in Medium Blue and I really do like the look and feel of the yarn. When I get to the sleeves, I think I may try one of the alternate methods listed here. I'm not very strong at sewing the pieces together. I've also got a terrible feeling that it's not going to fit. Do some of you try it on as you're knitting it? How DO you DO it?
Thanks for the inspiration!

OT.....TOTALLY......OT

For those who don't know, my dh has been in hospital since May first due to Brown Recluse (aka fiddle back) Spider bite. He's going to be fine. In fact I talked to him a little bit ago and found out that he gets to come tomorrow evening!!!

Gauge Help!

Is the gauge swatch supposed to be knitted in the k1 p1 rib? I knit my swatches in stockinette and then noticed the note on the pattern about the gauge. I am using TLC Cotton Plus and had to try 3 needle sizes before getting the perfect gauge on a US 5 (!) needle. Any advice would be appreciated.

progress

This is truly the weirdest yarn I've ever knit with.

I've finally cast on!

OK well I finally cast on last night. After many swatches size 10 seems to be working for me! (although there is a slight snag in my needle, but I think it will be OK) When I started my first couple of rounds I was worried that my stitches were too wonky. But things seem to have evened out after a couple of rounds. So to make this sexy here's a photo with my start of Tempting II with a lovely romance novel, both of which are going with me on vacation next week!

Cast on....well, on stage maybe!

OK, So I had planned to get the yarn and cast on but I was CAST! Yes....you may or may not know we are a Theatre Family. We all auditioned for The Wizard of Oz (August 18, 19, 25 & 26, 2006) and we all were cast! Whoo hoo. I am soooo excited. This does put off the cast on for Tempting II for about a week as I will order yarn tomorrow. Oh, I suppose I should tell you my DH got the part of Zeke/The Cowardly Lion and I am the BIG WWW! (Wicked Witch of the West). :) This is going to keep me busy but be such a blast.

I am currently knitting Pointe Shoe covers with sparkly silver at the top for our pointe girls/snowflakes (3 pairs) so that moved the KAL to 2nd on the list. However, I still plan to cast on and make this top--I just love it!

So for now the Batchelor Pad has gone to OZ, but I still will be checking in to see all your amazing progress!

WWW aka Amberlee

No Bueno!

I know I'm WAY behind, but I need some serious help here!!

When I joined up with the Sexy Knitters' Club, I decided to knit Orangina. Glampyre has a kicky little pattern here, all cute, and sexy too. I pretty sure this falls into none of those categories:


Granted, the photo's not that great. I'm finally a TRUE knit blogger, having taken pictures of myself under the key conditions:
1. Late at night...
2. In some stage of either a. undress or b. jammie-dress...
3. Headless...
4. In the bathroom mirror...
5. With either a. flash reflection or b. camera shadow... (extra points for both)
6. Wearing a piece of (partially) knit-wear in some stage of construction.

I'm not too sure where to go with this one. I have some ideas. I could keep going as planned and knit from here down in ribbing. I could keep going in the lace pattern and figure out a way to add in waist shaping; basically creating a new pattern of a lace shell. I could frog and do either of these ideas in a bigger, (more boob-friendly) size. I could frog and find something else to do with the yarn. Oy. Given that I want a top I will actually wear, and, ideally, admit to having made, this turn of events is NO BUENO.

What would you do?

All better!

Well, I healed my sweater's neckline boo-boo! Thanks for the suggestions, ladies! I followed Nala's advice and k2tog across the final row before adding the neckband. It's great now! I really do love it. I didn't use a buckle, rather I found three pretty, iridescent buttons and sewed them down the join.

My sister and I have the nasty habit of accidentally dressing alike and meeting up in public like that. I have a feeling that when I see her in the airport tomorrow, she won't be wearing this sweater! Yay!!!!

Changes

Just a quick post to say that my planned construction revisions for "Tempting II" have been carried out and they worked beautifully. I'm now in the process of going around and around and around doing several inches of ribbing in the "yoke" portion before I start my next revision to the pattern.....

.....I'm making a big alteration to the neckline band. Stay tuned.

Tubular Cast-on

This is my first KAL. I love it. I have read through everyone's post and have taken some advice already. I used Dena's suggestion for the tubular cast-on. It is the first time I have tried it. I turned out great. I am going to use it for all my ribbed edges in the future. Also, Penny's post regarding her swatches was very useful. I am using Elann Esprit and swatched with size 9 needles (per Penny's experience) After washing my 4" square swatch was 21 stiched to 29 rows. I am knitting it up on the size 9 needles. I am knitting the size 40. I am between 36-40 so I hope my difference in guage is going to work in my favor. Everyone's work looks great. Thanks for all your posts they keep me motivated.

I HATE gauge swatches!!

Hi everyone! I was wondering what size needles some of you are using with your calmer. I cannot seem to get my gauge right (which has been a trend lately for me) My yarn finally arrived yesterday and I was so anxious to get started, I've done 3 swatches so far and none are right! AAAGGGHHHHH! I did one on 7, 8, & 9. Any thoughts? I want to get this going, and take it on vacation with me next week!

I had it coming.

Just when I decide to follow the pattern for the first time EVER, I get the flops! The plan: rip out the neckline and do about half of the rows this ended up to be. Wish me luck!

The Old and The New

I have a few things to share with everyone today. The first is the old - my sister got her birthday present while we were on vacation a few weeks ago. She tried it on, and agreed she loved it! Yay!!! And this from the woman who begged me, a few years ago, not to EVER knit her anything she was supposed to wear. Yeah, well, looks like those socks I knit her that very same year worked well towards warming her heart, and now she's come to this:



Look at that smile. She's hooked. I'll knit Tubey for her for Christmas. She's got the rack, I mean "bod" for it! Then she'll never stop smiling!

And next, the new - I've cast on for my Tempting II. I also ordered a clasp last night online. Actually, I found two that I liked, so I ordered each. I'll post an update when they arrive and you all can help me decide which to use! Until then, here's my progress so far - about one full skein's worth of TLC (thanks, SP!) so far:

Tinkering along

Hey everyone!
Just wanted to jump on the band wagon and let you all know how my project is going. A while back I told you I was going to be using the TLC Cotton Plus....and I had all the best intentions...
and then evil, evil, E-bay came along and just "happened" to show me some Rowan Calmer in a beautiful color called Tinkerbell. How could I resist?
So the TLC has gone into the stash (stash? what stash?) for a later project and I am happily humming along with my Calmer.
I have no idea what I am doing with the neckline yet..I will worry about that when I get there.
BTW all the Tempting's are looking so awesome!

Finished Sleeveless Somewhat Cowl

Late, but complete! I still have two balls of yarn, but liked it as-is and couldn't deal with working on it anymore. Fits GREAT! It's so nice, after knitting for 18 months to finally have sweaters that fit well! I modified the pattern for sleevelessness in case I didn't have enough (discontinued) yarn to finish the body or cowl. I put the sleeve stitches on a holder, provisionally cast on for the underarm and continued as written. It's also shorter due to my short torso. I don't have one, so definately no need for waist shaping! Hemmed the sleeves on the machine for speed.

I'm in!

Here's my progress on Tempting II since casting on July 1st. I find the 1x1 ribbing a bit slow going, like others, and my stitches seem loose. I am knitting the size 32 in the Rowan Calmer yarn on size 8 needles. The yarn color is also called calmer. It is a really nice muted turquoise.

Happy knitting.
Lisa

Opinions Please

I've completed the body and now I'm doing the sleeves, 2 at a time on 2 circulars.



I'm contemplating a bit of a change in the way I attach the sleeves to the body. I've written about it on my blog. I'd love your opinions on whether my idea will actually work. Pop on over to Wovenflame and see what you think.

Tempting On Tour

I took my Tempting to Cornwall, 14 hours of train travel and I'm still not up to the armhole!
I'm attemtping to fit my curves by changing needle sizes. 6mm to cast on thn 5.5, 5, and 4.5mm to acheive a waist, then back up to 5.5 for the boobage!
I may go down a size on the neck too as it seems fit is a problem there!

Sue
xxx

Tempting Pink

Here is my progress so far on the Tempting II. I have gotten to nearly 16 inches. I am making it an inch longer than the pattern calls for because I am a bit long waisted. I really like this yarn, Heirloom Breeze. It is springy and very soft.

I still haven't decided what kind of finish I want to use on the neckline. Still toying with a buckle, or button or just a simulated tie.

I have decided to run a lifeline through the top stitches before starting the neck band. I figure that way it won't be so difficult to take out and redo if the first or second or tenth attempt doesn't fit me correctly. I have also decided (as I, too, don't like knitting on dpns) to add an extra stitch to each end of each sleeve and knit them flat on a circular needle until it is time to join them to the body. A small seam along each sleeve doesn't bother me nearly as much as dpns do!

Hello, I've just joined!

Hey peeps, thanks so much for having me :)

I had to resize the KAL button so that it would slip into place on my blog (and also change it a little to make the smaller size work), so I thought I'd share it with you, if anybody needs a Sexy Knitters button 88 x 31 please feel free to use the one below.



Happy knitting xx

Floppy dpns

Me again. Yes, I'm obsessed. :) I just finished the body and am moving on to the sleeves! Although, I'm a little crabby about having to work on the dpns. Not my favorite what with the floppiness and incessant cling-clang sound effects. It will pass quickly, though, so I'm not going to whine TOO much. :) I hope I can wear it within the week!

Btw, nice work so far, ladies! Silvia - spongy is the perfect way to describe this yarn. It certainly does not resemble any other yarn I have used. But me likey.

Tempting II progress

This is the start of my Tempting II, made in Calmer (the color is also called Calmer). The yarn is unlike anything I've ever used before- very spongy and light. At first, I wasn't sure how to knit with it, but I managed to stop trying to pull it, and now my gauge is fine on a size 7 circular needle. I keep thinking my stitches should be tighter, but since the size and gauge are fine, I'm going with what I have. I'm making the size 32, even thought I'm a 34, and with all of the yarn's stretch, it fits without being tight. This seems to be flying on the needles, especially once I switched from Bamboo to aluminum needles. Hope to be finished by next weekend. Hope everyone else is having good luck!

New to SKC

Hi everyone!

I've been a member for a while now, but not posted yet. I just want to introduce myself:

My name is Teresa, I'm 23 and I'm knitting-obsessed! It's been about 2.5 years now, with no end in sight.
I love that this group exists. There are far too many uninformed people who really do think knitting is only for the elderly, dowdy female.

As is cumpulsory for all knitters on the web, I've begun keeping a blog and joining several groups. I love KALs, and can't wait to start on my Tempting II!

Teresa

Oops...meant to say "New SKC Member... "

I'm actually not a new knitter. I should not be posting after 1am...

Peach Tree
www.peachtree.typepad.com

New knitter from Tokyo

Hi. I just joined the club tonight, and then immediately cast on for Tempting II as I already had some Calmer in my stash (love this yarn). However, I'm totally new to this knit-along thing and would appreciate some info on how these things work (ie. Is there a deadline and if so, when is it? Do we have to post regular progress updates - with pix?)

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Peach Tree
www.peachtree.typepad.com

10 Inches

I've completed 10 inches of my Tempting II.



I thought all the ribbing would be tedious and boring to do but I'm finding it is going quicker than I expected. It's a no-brainer type knitting I can do while traveling or visiting and all those otherwise wasted moments are really adding up.

I scrapped my original yarn choice and I'm now using TLC Cotton Plus and it's lovely. I found I prefer this yarn knit up at a tighter gauge (21 stitches over 4 inches) so I adjusted by knitting the next bigger size. According to my calculations it should fit better (my measurements fall between sizes)

I've casted on!!

I casted on my Tempting II project on the 4th. With all the rain Houston's been getting, we weren't doing anything that involved leaving the house so I figured it would be a good time to start my project!

I'm using Rowan Calmer in a turquoise color for the project. My gauge was right on with size 8 needles and I've managed to do several rows of the ribbing. I think it's looking pretty good! I can't wait to wear it!