Bobo Bringin' Da Fierce

I've knit my first pattern from Knitty! I know, I've been on the boards forever, and it's not as if I don't like the patterns there, it's just that none of them have jumped out and grabbed me by the throat.

This is called "Monica". Now, if I had stumbled across this pattern a year ago, I might not have made this one either. Why? Because it is designed to be knit flat and then seamed up the side. Which is kind of cuckoo. I mean, it's a tube. Literally. No increases, no decreases, nothing. A tube. Which, to my knitting mind, means in the round. No seams. It would be like knitting a sock or a mitten flat and then seaming it. I mean, you can, and some do. But it's an awful lot more work, in my opinion.

But now I'm a seasoned knitter and I know that I can convert patterns to my liking.

So here are my modifications. First, the body is done in Tahki "Tweedy Cotton Classic" in a colorway called "Fruity". It's 100% mercerized cotton, and if you look at it close up, it has one thread each of turquoise, lime, hot pink, red, and orange wrapped in a five-ply. I chose the hot pink for the ruffle to match it, and to make it stand out a bit. The hot pink is also Tahki Cotton Classic.

Like I said, to avoid the seams I cast on the total stitches from the front and back and joined them into a round. The ruffle is done the same way, only with double the stitches. You could really use any stitch count you like, as long as the ruffle has double the stitches of the body to start with. An even number would be helpful too.

I also redid the hem three times before I found something that wouldn't roll. The garter stitching rolled, so I undid it and tried grafting on a seed stitch border but that rolled where the graft was and looked quite wrong, so I cast on with smaller needles and did a basic 1 x 1 rib for an inch or so, and that was the ticket. Then I went to the regular size needles for the stockinette body. I did the same thing on the ruffle.

For the straps, the pattern calls for you to knit the front and back straps and then graft them at the shoulder, but I just knit the straps on the front and stitched them down in the back. I also made them a bit longer than necessary so that should she get taller--and she will--I can unstitch them and lengthen them as necessary.

I have the yarn to make one for Bug too, but with a turquoise ruffle instead. Only that ruffle up there took a whole skein and I made it a bit short. I want to make it a bit longer for Bug, and there's more stitches all around so I'm going to require a second skein. It's in the basket for now. I'll get to it later.

I'm tired today. We had our last choir rehearsal for the year last night. (We take the summer off from practicing and pick up again in the fall.) By rehearsal I mean "party" with drinks and food and such. There was no singing involved, really.

It was fun and I stayed after the party to clean up and Jeanne and I wound up playing some Skip-Bo. She beat me best of three this time. I cleaned her clock last time. Now we're even. I didn't get home until nearly midnight, and today I'm dragging. I should go work on that little silk sweater, but it's color work knit flat (what a PIA!) and it does require concentration on my part. I'll give it a shot, but if I have to tink, I'm switching to something mindless. Like a mitten or two.
Or perhaps I'll just take a nap.