****Warning ****
****This post includes a “horror” picture**** 😉
Do you remember Eveleen?
She was this little beauty from Rowan 40…
I had struggled and mastered the lace, knit the dinky little sleeves and done half of the evil, evil intarsia pattern when I, uncharacteristically, abandoned Eveleen in favour of my Blankie. OK – being fair to myself, I wasn’t well and Eveleen was just too hard to concentrate on.
Hmm….No such excuses now….
This is where I had left Eveleen….
21 rows of the 42 row pattern panel complete.
Just the really hard bit to go!
Picking it up again wasn’t easy. A friend asked me if I’d found new commitment and enthusiasm after a break from her? (Eveleen, not my friend!) My answer was, “No!”
It was hard to pick up my thought processes midway through – Which of the threads was I carrying? What yarn is the palest pink on the chart again? Why did I ever think I could do intarsia?
One of my faults is that I can be bloody minded and not know when to give up. (Remember the Buggering Felted Skirt debacle?) I decided to channel that “fault” into some positive determination and tenacity….Eveleen was not going to beat me!
Every night – 4 rows of brain straining intarsia then put Eveleen away then play with an easy sock. I honestly could not keep up the level of concentration needed for more than 4 rows.
Very quickly, I finished the evil, evil intarsia panel! This is what I had, unpressed and hot off the needles.
You eagle eyed readers might notice the small safety pin just under the left hand rose. That’s a dropped stitch I only saw after 8 rows 🙁 I put it on the pin and secured it later when darning in the ends.
I sure as heck wasn’t going to try and rip Kidsilk Haze AND Intarsia!
So do you want to see that horror picture I warned you about?? Huh? Think you can take it?
….get someone to hold your hand…..
…….here it is…
Fancy darning in that little lot? I did speculate I could just leave them there and increase my chest by two cup sizes 😯
It took me as long to darn in all the end as it did to knit the flowers. I painstakingly tweeked and tidied the stitches as I went.
Guess how many ends….
I was sad enough to count them as I darned…
There were 184 loose ends – not including the normal ones in the main body of Eveleen!
I bet you’re dying to look at the back finished aren’t you?
Putting her together and the picot edging around the neck were, in comparison, simple!
So.
The finished object….
and a back view….
Here’s the evil rose panel, finished, darned and pressed.
and a really close up if you want to play “spot the loose stitches” 😀
I’m really pleased with Eveleen. I found the Intarsia stupidly hard and really didn’t enjoy doing it. I’m really enjoying the sense of achievement for finishing her though.
She has been quite a struggle but well worth it. 🙂
| Completed Knit Report | ||
| Name: | Eveleen | |
| Pattern: | Eveleen from Rowan 40 by Lois Dakin | |
| Yarn: | Rowan 4ply soft and Kidsilk Haze | |
| Pattern Problems: | No “problems” but the Intarsia was tremendously hard | |
| Pattern Modifications: | Short row shaped shoulders. | |
| Washing and Wearing: | Fits a treat – washing 4ply soft is allegedly machine washable but only on a very gently cycle. I will be hand washing! | |
| Knit It Again???: | Yes – but not with the intarsia. No Sir. No thank you! | |
| Difficulty: | Quite hard lace, and impossible Intarsia! | |
| Rating: | 5/5 | |
| Other Postings Relating To This One: | Oh so Slow, Eveleen Eveleen speeds up Eveleen has teeth Eveleen’s progress and sickie girl knitting |
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You had a big struggle but look at the results! That top is beautiful and fit you like a charm. Well done!
How could we not be impressed. you better be wearing it on Sunday.
See the Guilty Knitters were right, this did not keep you busy until Christmas. Even intarsia doesn’t truely slow you down
Janie
Haven’t read post but saw beautiful women in glorious jumper and have to say how utterly fantastic you look in it.
Congratulations you clever lady
love Jane
Wow, spectacular. Sweater of the Year. It’s beautiful all over.
PS, I bet you do some more intarsia soon – the end results are to die for and now you know what you’re doing, things are so much easier & quicker the second time ……
That is lovely,all them ends to sew in,rather you than me.:)
That is *stunning*!!! Well done, it is absolutely gorgeous and I wish I could do one myself but intarsia fills me with dread…especially after seeing the pic of all your ends!! Yikes!!!
It really is lovely. I cannot tell a lie, I did laugh when I saw all of those ends. You have serious perseverance I am not sure I wouldn’t have shelved it when I realised how many ends were involved. Enjoy wearing it.
Oh wow, well done Susan what a fantastic result – and after all that supreme effort dear Eveleen fits – added bonus there!! Please let the Woolly Women see her in real life! Con – grat-u-lations!!
WOW, wow, wow, wow, is all I have to say…… ok, well its just stunning and such a perfect fit. I aspire to your knitting prowess 😀
wow you always do some lovely knits and again, I want to knit this, without the intarsia lol. You are an inspiration 🙂 Its beautiful on you, better than in the book….”dash off to find a copy of the book”
Amazing, and it looks even better than the original. Well done!
The top turned out just beautiful!!!!! Great job 🙂
That’s amazing! I can’t believe it’s hand knit! 🙂
C ‘est magnifique, madame!