Double check my brain please...(blocking/knitting)

How-to Questions
1

Okay, I’m doing the Eyelet Chemise, but in HandMaiden Sea Silk (a laceweight silk and Tencel blend), not linen, and people warned me it would stretch a lot, which it does. Vertically, the 6" skirt stretched just about 2" worth to 8" when I washed and then hang dried the piece before adding more to get to 9". (Yes, it made me feel like breaking out into hives to do that, too.) I wanted between 9"-10" – closer to the 10" – for the skirt, so I’ve got it at 9" now, I’m assuming that it will stretch out a little more with wear, and I’ll probably hang the piece to dry the first few times to encourage it to grow all it’s going to, after it’s done.

(I did wash the skirt again and re-hang after adding another inch to the thing, and it did shrink up again and then hang out to the 9".)

As most of you know, I’ve been sick, and I’m not trusting my brain with anything important at the moment, so I wonder if someone would double check me:

I’ve finished the fagotted lace ribbing section and am about to embark upon the bodice. The pattern calls for 4.5" to the bottom of the armhole. (10.5" from CO to underarm, originally calling for a 6" skirt.)

[B]So I’m figuring the length will stretch out 1/3rd or so of it’s own length, so if I want a 5" length from the empire waist to the underarm, I should knit about 3.5" worth before shaping the armholes, is that correct, do you think? [/B]

I’d rather it was on the longer side than on the shorter side as I’ve a larger cup size and I’m not planning on doing any short rows unless absolutely necessary, since the tie at the empire waist should gather the thing up enough, but of course I want it to fit at least reasonably well.

Disagrees, alarm bells, dissenting opinions, reassurances, anyone?

ETA picture:

2

Hmmmmm. My concern would be that the bodice stitch pattern would not stretch to the same degree as the lace section. Just the nature of the stitches.

Maybe you could do a swatch using the bodice stitch pattern and see if and how much it stretches?

You’re more careful than I am. I probably would have forged on and ended up with a dress.:teehee:

3

Good points, Ingrid, thanks for that! I think what I’m going to do is knit it to about 4" and then wash the poor thing yet again and hang it out again to see how far the bodice st st will stretch. A woman who has made three sweaters with Sea Silk told me that hers have stretched lengthwise by at least 2-3" in all cases, and I know two of them had a fair amount of st st in them…so we shall see!

I do have a dreadful feeling that I’m going to have to short row over the bust, though… :slight_smile:

4

I have no advice at all to offer but I do want to say what a really really pretty top it is!

5

It IS really pretty, isn’t it?! If you’re on Rav, take a look at all the different takes on it – pretty cute on almost everyone! Most people lengthened it, though – a bit too cropped for most people as you have to have the right mid-section to show off, I think!

Ingrid: I went ahead and did shortrows! In fact, I may have overdone it with the shortrows, but, maybe not. I’m about an inch away from needing to wash the thing down (again) and hanging it to fall out (ouch) again. I know exactly and graphically what you mean about the st st section not looking like it may fall out the same extent as the lace, now that I’ve gotten about 3 inches of it done (plus short rows)…but I do have the word of someone who was very adamant that her st st sweaters did fall out that far, sooo…

6

With all the effort and research you’ve put into this sweater, I hope it fits you perfectly for years to come!

7

Oooh. Since I need to lose about 50 lbs, I hope not! :wink: But thanks for the thought, I know exactly what you mean! xox