FO: Twist

I finished the collar on Twist today and blocked it. What finally got me going is the chance to wear it next week when I go visit my family. Supposed to be 39 Friday night!

I'm pretty happy with it, but I'll detail my frustrations below. :) (The wrinkles in the arms are because the sweater is still wet. Hahaha.)



Pattern: Twist / ChicKnits
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Charcoal, about 6.5 skeins
Size made: 38
Needle: 5 for the ribbings, 7 for the body. Or maybe 6.
Buttons: basic navy 3/8" buttons from JoAnn

Modifications: I like longer sleeves on a sweater, so I added 1/2 inch to these. I'm not sure it was the best choice. Also I left off the fringe and to finish the collar I knit to 5", then did 2 rows of k3, p2 ribbing and bound off in pattern.

Obvious problems: the buttonholes are badly off center, and I am still not sure why. I followed the pattern as written, but somehow it still looks screwed up. When buttoned, the band is a bit wonky because of it. The plackets don't lie flat.

What I would change next time: Believe me when I say this to y'all - do NOT weave in ANY of the ends in a sweater until you are completely done and satisfied with the knitting. Some things don't become obvious till you attach a collar or sew on the buttons. Finish the knitting, THEN weave them in.

Also, I would not use Cotton-Ease again for a sweater. I do like the way the cables pop and it's soft, but it gets this weird kind of fuzz on it that's almost impossible to remove and looks badly worn.

But, for around $35 for all the yarn, it's not too bad for a first sweater. It's machine-washable (though the buttons clanking in the dryer nearly made me run screaming from the house) and dryable.

To sew the buttons in I split the plies on my yarn and sewed the buttons in with two of the plies held together. I shanked the buttons, because I am crazy like that and otherwise tend to lose them. And that is all I have to say about that.