Skully Sweater..HELP!

[Mojo]

I thought I'd share my Skully sweater sadness.  I finished this project a while back-- it was my first sweater.  Sadly, it didn't fit my husband (the intended wearer) and it didn't fit me.  I shopped it around my family and finally found someone it fit (yes, it's the Cinderella sweater!).  But alas, no happy ending here.  This person just returned it to me because she finds it way too heavy and itchy to wear (actually, she called it a "hairshirt").  I had used the Lamb's Pride called for in the pattern.  So, the moral of this story?  If you hate really heavy, itchy sweaters... choose a different yarn!

[susank]

my skully ended well, although I must admit it's not technically _completed_... I still need to sew in ends.

Here are photos:
http://www.nolke.com/images/index.php?album=susan%2Fskully_skirt%2F&pic=IMG_3244.JPG

http://www.nolke.com/images/index.php?album=susan%2Fskully_skirt%2F&pic=IMG_3245.JPG

http://www.nolke.com/images/index.php?album=susan%2Fskully_skirt%2F&pic=IMG_3246.JPG

http://www.nolke.com/images/index.php?album=susan%2Fskully_skirt%2F&pic=IMG_3248.JPG

The last one shows how I made the sides of the body in a wide rib, so the overall effect is fitted.  I sewed the skirt from a pattern I made, and appliqued the flowers.  Whew, and now the images are up!
--susan.

[maxwell17]

susank,
 you're sweater looks great! i really like the combination of the ribbing and the bell sleeves; it looks like it could have been designed that way. How much ribbing did you do, and what kind of yarn did you use? i've made the to dye for sweater from this book, but the skully never impressed me until now. your's looks so great, if you tell me your modifications i may have to try it

[Miss Morbus]

it looks really good!  i like that you made it more fitted.  and i love your skirt!

[Goddess]

I agree with morbus, I love that it's more fitted than the book's version...how did you modify it?

[susank]

Thanks!  The yarn I used was Schoeller Stahl Cecil.  The tag on the ball said "5-6" so I used size 6 needles.  I didn't find out until the whole thing was knitted up that those were milimeter measurements, meaning size 8-10 needles!  So the fabric of the sweater is very dense and heavy, which is pretty interesting.  It weighs a ton.

For the ribbing, I did 3x3 ribbing on the sides of both the front and the back pieces.  I did an extra pair on each side on the back, so that the stockinette panel in the back was narrower.  I think I ended up doing about 4 pairs of ribs on each side of the front, and 5 on the back.  I just tried to do the math, and see what looked good.

I used the smallest size of the pattern, and I ended up doing the sleeves exactly to the pattern.  Except that I knit them in the round up to the skull motif intarsia (which I tried in the round 3 times, but, um, it's impossible), knit the intarsia flat, and then went back to round.  I hate sewing up more than anything.  

Let me know if there's any other details you're interested in!  I'd love to see pics of other people's Skully customizations.
--susan.

[purlgurlknits]

  Hi there, I'm doing the Skully pattern and I'm just on the bind off portion of the neck. Question for y'all is...when it says to "BO 2 sts at neck edge at beg of every other row until 18... sts remail on each shoulder."  I understand that I am to knit across 26 sts and BO 7 and then continue to knit the remaining 26 as directed. I then purl across (on the wrong side) the 26 again, and another 26 on the other side/shoulder...

My confusion starts when I come back (on the right side) and knit across and try to BO the 2 sts (at the neck edge), it looks funny. The BO sts are laying the wrong direction. It's fine though when I bind of the two sts on the other side/shoulder. Should I BO off the 2 sts when I come back across when I purl back? Do you know what I'm trying to say? Sigh...

Thanks in advance! i purl gurl

[susank]

I struggled with the language of that part, too.  Honestly, I don't think it matters in which direction you bind off, even though it goes in different directions, because that part will essentially be covered up when you pick up stitches to knit the collar.  So go with whatever's easiest for you, and post pics of your finished product!

--susan.

[purlgurlknits]

Susan,

Thanks for the advise...I have finished the front. You can view it so far at http://www.purlgurl.com/blog/archives/000036.html. The neckline looks a bit uneven and lumpy, but I'm counting on having the stitches that are picked up later to cover up the funkiness.
Hope to finish this real soon. I'll definitely be back to post completed pics.

Ta,
i purlgurl
 

[purlgurlknits]

I finally finished my Skully sweater. I kinda got a bit silly with the intarsia pattern and didn't go with a Skull and Cross Bones theme in the end. I've posted more info and pics on my blog at
 
http://www.purlgurl.com/blog/archives/000048.html



I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. It fits nicely. A bit itchy, but I plan on wearing long sleeve shirts underneath it.
Onward Rogue! http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.asp