I stayed up untill 2 am knitting this! Anyways, I will be posting the how-to shortly! Sorry for the crapola photo's, I had to do it via a mirror and my camera batteries were so dead it wouldn't even let me do it thru the live view!
This is named
Lelah after
Woolgathered on here, because I got so inspired by her neckwarmer!!!
http://knittersofdoom.blogspirit.com/images/medium_lelah.jpghttp://knittersofdoom.blogspirit.com/images/medium_lelahweb2.jpghttp://knittersofdoom.blogspirit.com/images/medium_lelahoff.jpgOh and I just used some bias tape I had laying around for the drawstring part! I'm not sure what I am going to use for that yet. It's just so you can get the gist!
LELAH PATTERNGauge: 8.5 st=2", 12 rows=2"
materials:4 skeins Lopi lite (OR 436 yards of your preferred yarn, worsted weight, although you can probably use just about anything as long as you adjust your gauge)
Size 9 circulars (24" length)Size 10 1/2 circulars (24" length)Stich MarkerMatching threadNeedleElastic Band (I used 3/4")
I strongly suggest you measure above your bust tightly, do a swatch and figure out how many st you need for the inches - this way it'll fit you better, I again knitted this too big around the top and had to resort to the one over two bind off method! After you figure out how many stiches you need for the bust, round off to an even # (for the eyelets), divide by 11. You will have to add a few stitches to get a number divisible by 11, but you will take care of that in your decrease round!
But if you are a risk taker and are using cheaper yarn, I've made up 2 size directions. M and L. Keep in mind, mine is a large because I got me some big bazoonga's!
(finished length L is 15", M is 14"--- Finished width on bust
with elastic in on L is 32" above the bust and about 40" on the bottom)
Cast on
154 for Large,
143 for Medium
For L do 8 repeats of rows 1-6, for M do 7.
Fishtail lace pattern1: * P1, K1, YO, K2, sl 1, K2tog, psso, K2, YO, K1, P1*.
2: *P1, K9, P1.*
3: *P1, K2, YO, K1, sl 1, K2tog, psso, K1, YO, K2, P1*.
4: Rep Row 2.
5: *P1, K3, YO, sl 1, K2tog, psso, YO, K3, P1*.
6: Rep Row 2.
Now
knit one round (I
count the st on this row to make sure it's correct)
Switch to size 9 circulars*this part is where you would take your bust measurement and subtract it from the stitches on the needles to figure out how many decreases*
1: Decrease Round: L- decrease 1 every 10th, M decrease 1 every 9th (or if you are using your own measurements, decrease evenly across round)
2: Knit one round
3: *YO,K2TOG*
4: Knit untill the stockinette part will
cover your boob area lengthwise, then
an extra inch (because you will be folding it over the elastic)
5: Bind off using the one over two method if you are following my pattern, bind off normally if you are using your own measurements..
Now you
must BLOCK this piece!
Once blocked, take your elastic, and as if you were measuring yourself, wrap it around right above your boobs, pull on it a little, you want it snug but not so tight it cuts off your circulation or makes your boob fat pop out and over (shudder!). Now cut it.
Turn piece inside out and fold over the elastic, start sewing that puppy down with your matching thread but don't accidentally knit into the elastic. As you get near the end, you might need to pull the piece to gather in the back so you can keep folding over the elastic. To do this just hold the 2 elastic ends and pull sweater material to the back. When you get to about an inch of open sweater left, sew the 2 elastic ends together and finish sewing over the last bit. Voila!
Now you can use a ribbon, i-cord, crochet chain or whatever else you want and thread it through the eyelets! (This enhances the flare effect and contains your knockers quite nicely! If ya got big ones like me, you gotta keep them locked up tight!)
ONE OVER TWO METHOD:K 3 st., *insert left needle into the 1st st knitted (like a regular bind off, only you will be passing your st over 2 instead of one) and lift up and over remaining 2*. K 1 st, repeat *
This creates a gathered edge which wil look puffy untill you
block it. If you do the front half with the 1 over 2, and the back 1/2 regular bind off, you will get a higher front and lower back, which is cool if you need more coverage!
I hope and pray these directions are okay!!!! But I'll answer any questions as quickly as I can if anyone gets stumped or stuck!
Keep in mind I am 5'11" and a FULL C cup if you are doing the L size!
AND I PROMISE! I am going to get one of those software cd's so I can translate my patterns better as well as provide more sizes!!!
