Whispery Shrug Thingagummy

Sometimes I'm tempted to post only the good stuff. The other stuff gets shoved in a corner and I don't even bother to photograph it. But not today. Today I bring out the bad and the ugly.

For my first foray into the "Ugh, why did I knit this" category, I present to you another shrug.


Pattern: "Whisper Cardigan" by Hannah Fetig
published in Interweave Spring 2009

Yarn: Colourmart Silk Cotton 4 ply
3/4 cone (approximately 825 yards used) in colorway Sand

Needles: US8, US5 and US2

Actually, it's not so bad. In fact, when I was knitting it, I loved it. It's a cool design and I love other people's versions on Ravelry and the interwebs. If you click on the link above, you can see the professional photographs from the magazine. Go on, look. Cute, huh?

But not so cute on me. Here are my issues:

1. The sleeve is a really wonky length for me as it hits right at my elbow. It wants to be a 3/4 length sleeve or maybe it wants to be a short sleeve. It's not sure. It could just simply be that I have weird arm proportions. Shrug (pun fully charged and deployed).

2. In addition, the sleeves flare out quite a bit. This combined with the unflattering length of the sleeves just makes it all a big yuck.

3. It's way too long on the torso. This is totally user error. I wanted something to cover more of my backside so I lengthened the body without taking into consideration that this is a shrug. It's supposed to be short. In order for a longer length to work, I would have had to change the front of the garment as well. In other words, it would have ended up a cardigan. I think in my mind I envisioned something that I could wrap around myself. This ain't it.

Looks better from the back... but in my mind anything that covers my derriere looks better from the back. (Yarn Widower would probably disagree.)

Thankfully none of my concerns are fatal flaws. I can easily pick up stitches on the sleeve and knit an impromptu cuff to lengthen them. And it's no big thing to rip back some of the length.

Like I said, the pattern is a cool knit. It's well written and introduced me to a new sleeve construction. It looks great on other people and hopefully will look great on me after some modifications.

As for the cardigan that looked so great in my head, I think I may take a stab at winging it and knit sans pattern. I think I'm old enough to make my own rules (and maybe write my own pattern).

Baby Ella

Not only do I have a grown-up friend named Ella, but now it turns out that I have a smaller blonde version as well.

Here she is: 7 months or so. Ella Louisiana Philpot Buvel. All cheeks.


The shirt says it all.

But let me direct your attention to her cardigan.


That's right, gentle readers. That's a handknit gift from yours truly. Beautifully styled and modeled by Cheeky Ella.

Pattern: Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss - another freebie courtesy of the interwebs

Yarn: Rowan Bamboo Tape (discontinued) in Antique Rose
3.5 skeins

Needles: US 7 for the ribbing; US8 for the rest

This is a quick and easy project. You start from the back hem and knit it all in one piece all the way to the front hem. After the main body is done, you seam the underarm and sides before knitting on the ribbing. The pattern is well written and rather elegant in construction.

And the end result is adorable. Both the model and the garment. Cute!