Finished Project: My Lelah Top

 

My Lelah Top

Pattern: Lelah Top (My Ravelry Project Page)

Size made: Uh...a small?

Craft: Knit

Materials

Needle used: US 8 and 9 circular (24" I think)

Yarn used: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease

Color: 191 Violet

Bought at: JoAnn's 

Use yarn again? Yep, it was very soft and it isn't all that heavy (even for Arizona summers).  I haven't washed this top yet though.

Project Details and Feedback

Duration of Project: May 4th to May 23rd 2010

Modifications: This pattern is all about modifications.  The goal of the person who made this pattern was to create a pattern that can be specific to each person and look best on them.  I found some problems with the designers math calculations.  Some calculations don't really calculate what she says they do but they happen to be close enough that it seems like it works. So basically her pattern is a guideline.  Though I am a new knitter and this was my very first garment of clothing made, this pattern was put together well enough for the designers intention to work for me. After calculations my numbers were: CO 154 stitches, lace pattern for 12" (8 repeats), then dec 22 sts (k 7, k2tog), 6" of knitting around.

 

Now I didn't' do all of this exactly.  I actually forgot to do a decrease and just went straight from the lace stitch to knitting around. So after a couple rows I did the decrease and the did the "yo, k2tog" row (were the ribbon goes through).  Then I did a few rows of knitting around and I tried it on.   Here is where I noticed it was rather loose on me. So I started doing a few decreases here and there. Then when I felt comfortable I started knitting around.  I was sooo ready to have this done so I could wear it to the market the next morning so I skipped putting any elastic in it.  I ending up weaving a piece of yarn through the top and tightening it at the back inside the shirt.  I this I prefer that to what the elastic would have done. I would not have felt comfortable sewing in the elastic and I think that the elastic would have probably squeezed me weirdly.

Make this pattern again?: Yes.  I like it very much.  I like it the length I did (which was longer than the pattern originally called for).  the thing is I like my length of shirts to be down to the top of my thighs so The measuring of that is off in the pattern.  I will need to do a measurement of the bottom where I want the shirt to fall, a measure of around my hips, a measurement of around my waist and another measurement to where the ribbon will be.  (Why so many measurements?... Well, I am very curvy) Another thing is that though I like the tube top I prefer the comfort that small straps provide. I will be putting straps on this top in a bit but for my next one I most definitely will be doing straps before I call it a finished project.

All in all I love the color of the yarn, the way the yarn feels and the pattern itself.  I think that the lace pattern is beautiful and I love that I didn't need to count for it after I memorized it (which only took a few repeats).

 

Love, 

LeeAnn