08-22-2014 - the pattern is live today…hoorah!!

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slikchik I can’t get this song out of my head now :)

I’m so excited to be one of the lucky knitters chosen to test this pattern by Melissa Schaschwary (thanks, Melissa!!)

splurged on some Shelter since this is going to be the first addition to my 2014 fall wardrobe and it’s going to get lots of use ;) ~ note : I’ve read lots of comments regarding seaming with Shelter and the yarn being too fragile / breaking … I used it for my seams on this poncho and gave it a good tug every single stitch and it did not fray or break once so if there was an issue, maybe it’s been addressed by the folks at Brooklyn Tweed

project notes :

• used longtail cast on / 32” circular (don’t have 36”)

• from cast on thru end of arrow lace charting - used 27.5g yarn - measures 14.5” wide x 8.5” tall (I got gauge with a blocked ss swatch but already have gauge on lace section before blocking ~ garter st as well as lace knits up at a larger gauge, at least for me anyway, so I’ll probably steam block this gently to get the ss sections to match the width of the lace section so I don’t end up with a larger poncho than pattern states)

• side 1 - put on wires and steam blocked to exact gauge measurements : 14.5” x 27.5” (so far so good!) : this side used 78.5g (approx. 220yds)

• side 2 - was almost done…small snafu with pattern instructions so frogged and starting this side over ~ no biggie…it’s straight ss so shouldn’t take too long to get back to where I was :) ~ steam blocked to exact gauge measurements : 14.5” x 27.“ : this side used 77.5g (approx. 217yds)

• seaming ~ hadn’t done this particular seam before so the link in the pattern was very, very helpful! it did help to divide each side to be seamed into 3 even sections with removable markers to have landmarks to eyeball / work toward and make sure I was staying on track for a 14.5” seam

• border :: side one - picked up 101st along vertical edge (100 + 1), 1 corner stitch, 57 horizontal edge stitches (56 + 1 ) :: side two - picked up 103st along vertical edge (100 + 3), 1 corner stitch, 55 horizontal edge stitches (52 + 3) :: seams and border used 59.0g

• neckline : had to use 24” circular (32” was too large for neck circumference) :: used 2.5g

• lightly steam blocked the edge while on the mannequin so as not to flatten the ribbing ~ also blasted the seams while I was at it to get them to lay flatter

TOTAL YARN USAGE AT GAUGE FOR S/M SIZE = 217.5g / 610yds

FINAL MEASUREMENTS = 23” vertical (neck to corner) / 31” horizontal at widest point measured flat