Pattern: Tea Rose Halter
Needles: US 11 / 8mm
Yarn: Patons Cotton DK in royal blue
Mods: Cast on only 74 stitches for the body, decreased to 62 for the ribbing, increased back to 74 when the lace resumed for the bust. Added two crochet chain straps for a tank top configuration, instead of a halter.
Notes: My darlings, I have a problem. And I'm not sure if this is something that is just a given, or if I'm doing something wrong, but every time I try to do ribbing in a cotton yarn, the ribbing bags and pouches. it does not pull things in, like it's supposed to (like ribbing does when knit in wool, for example). This pattern is knitted with DK yarn held quadruple (which is what I did), do you think that was part of the problem?
So... see how the lace pulls in everything, gives a great shape? And see how that ribbing just makes it... wrong? What happened?! This is not the most flattering thing I've ever knit, that's for damn sure.
32 comments:
It just looks like your gauge when ribbing is larger than the gauge when doing the lace pattern. Maybe go down a needle size or two (or three, or four!) when doing the ribbing?
Julie, it is not you it is the ribbing... I am not sure it looks perfect on othe rprojects either.. Love the bandeau top though...
The lace sections are really lovely, but that look on your face in the second picture says it all - nope! The color is beautiful, though, so I hope you find a good way to recycle the yarn.
Since cotton yarn has no elasticity I find ribbing a waste of time. You can either go down a bunch of needles sizes or skip it entirely. Lovely yarn.
Extra yarn is used when transitioning from a knit stitch to a purl stitch, so there will be more width, that coupled with cotton having no 'sproinginess' (I guess elasticity would be the more accurate term!) makes cotton ribbing saggy.
I think I would skip the ribbing all together - just carry on with the lace pattern - it's stretchy enough in it's own right, just work the decreases/increases in to the side. Or use different sized needles for the shaping.
Good look in fixing it or reusing the yarn! :)
It's discouraging, but I agree with the other commenters in that cotton + ribbing don't mix well. The color is lovely on you.
I looked at some of the other projects on Ravelry, and the ones that don't pucker look to me like they have quite a bit of negative ease and had longer ribbing. I know you modified it to make it smaller, but maybe you need to go even smaller or just eliminate the ribbing altogether.
Oh too bad, because the lace part looks so nice! I like what you wore instead though, very pretty and unusual.
Ohh too bad! I love that lace. Going down a couple needle sizes or knitting it in one or two strands instead of all 4 would eliminate the bagginess. Such a bummer!
If you do frog it that yarn will be great to have in your stash for when another fun project comes along. It's really pretty!
What they all said. Why don't you frog back to the ribbing and just leave the ribbing out? Do the whole thing in the lace pattern, which looks lovely on you.
Hmmm... would it work to just knit the ribbing on a smaller needle? Otherwise, I'm not sure what to say. The bandeau top is really lovely, though!
I have always worked with cotton due to Singapore's weather and never had this problem.
You might want to go down an american size when working on the ribbing to pull it in -- cotton doesn't have much elasticity compared to wool.
I'm sure it's not you, it's the cotton!
That particular fibre and I have had our differences.
I find sometimes it's just a bit temperamental.
I'm sad you have to frog, but that blue is too lovely to just be an unworn FO!
The rest of the tank looks lovely, though! Maybe you could frog back and just figure out a way to continue the lace through there, since it seems to be fitting so well everywhere else!
I once had a problem with a too-big ribbed bodice and I solved it by creating a mock smocked effect over the rib with a spare piece of yarn threaded through an embroidery needle - it worked great (basically you are replicating fabric smocking by taking a stitch (I took two) over sections of the rib and pulling firmly, these pulled stitches are alternated down the columns of knit rib). Worth a shot as it really cinches in the rib. If you don't like it, its easy to pull out and you can adjust the size by selecting how much you want to 'smock'. You can see my project on Ravelry on my projects page - the hot pink tank, just search 'smocked'.
Good luck with whatever you do with the yarn, I agree it is too lovely to waste.
oh no! the first pic is really cute but the side view really shows that ribbing bagginess. I like the idea of smocking it like someone else mentioned, or could you take some matching thread and sew wide elastic into that portion of the top to gather it in? Sorry about the pics in this link... but something like this:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/PATTthong.html
Have you washed it yet. Try that. You know how cotton shrinks when you wash it.
Oh, sad! I'll echo the others in saying that the lace part looks lovely, and maybe you could do the whole thing in lace...if you're not too mad at it, that is!
This is a lovely tank - but you are right - the ribbing is not right. I agree with the others that you should rip back and re-knit the ribbing on smaller needles. It would be such a shame to frog it because the rest is so nice and the color is great too.
I can see what you're talking about. Maybe the yarn is too thick in the ribbing. Not sure what to tell ya, but regardless, it looks good on you
I would forgo the ribbing all together. It's too much of a distraction breaking up the beautiful lace pattern. Don't think of it as a fail though, it's much too lovely on you!
it does look lovely on you, except for the ribbing! I agree with those who say it may be possible to forget about the ribbing and simply continue in the lace pattern
I'm with the rest of the gang. Skip the ribbing and just go lace all the way. If you need/want a band under the bust, thread a ribbon through the lace and tie it in a bow in back. very feminine and just a bit sexy, since males tend to wonder what happens when they untie that bow.
Too bad about the ribbing...the pattern really should have called for a smaller needle size. Your mods are great though!
It is definitely lovely, but I agree with you, the ribbing does not render... The yarn is beautiful though, if you can't find a solution for the ribbing, you should frog and knit something else with it! Bummer... How's the TTC knitalong? Must be fun!
eep. bummer. Quadrupled-cotton-yarn doesn't sound like the most flattering thing. Maybe it was a scam somehow? Or maybe the really-high-love-handles look is in! :P
Daisy
I Think it would look much nicer without any ribbing at all. I like it a lot other than the ribbing.
That's so frustrating! The rest of the tank is really, really cute...love the color. Sometimes I have to go down a needle size to get ribbing to pull in, so maybe that would work here. I hope you can salvage this knit! It's honestly adorable!
It's a lovely color, and the lace is pretty! Knitting the ribbing on a smaller size needle or omitting it altogether as suggested in the comments above are great suggestions. Also, I think perhaps the yarn quadrupled is just too bulky. The tank might even look better modified down to single strand of DK weight.
Bummer! That happens to me a lot with bulky knits--I'm drawn to the 'cause I think they'll be quick, but something always goes wrong and it takes way more time. You've gotten good advice here already, so not much to add to the chorus. Good luck!
I didn't see if anyone else suggested this, but in addition to going down a size (or so) on your needles and possibly decreasing the bulkiness of your yarn by a strand or two, have you ever tried a twisted rib? I think it helps to make it lie flatter, anyway...
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