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This Skirt Portion Completed

To start the project I made two gauge swatches, both 20 stiches by 20 rows on size 4 and size 3 needles, and washed and dryed them.  Since I will be wearing this as a dress not as a nightie I wanted the gauge to be tighter and the swatch that came closest to the gauge in the pattern was the size 3 needles  I decided to use size 3 needles.  I debated in my head the correct size to knit the garmet as a dress.  In the picture it shows the nightie as being fitted and I wanted something a little looser (I’m always cold so I will need to fit a shirt under it).  I took my measurements and was somewhere between a large and meduim so I decided to make the large.  I am also thinking the yarn will shrink a little bit horizontally too and I’d rather have something a little big than something for my daughter to wear in a couple of years.  I cast on 112 stitches on straight needles and completed 5 inches of the vince lace pattern, then knit  the 5 inches onto to circular needles.  I deamed that first group “The Back” and put some green scrap yarn so I wouldn’t get confused between front and back.  I cast on another 112 stitches and knitted the vine lace pattern for 5 inches, then joined the front with back and now everything’s wonderful because we’re all on circular needles.!  I followed the pattern and did a lot of knitting in the round - 24 inches (I wanted the skirt section to be 20 inches and 20 inches X 20% = 24 inches) of it!!!! until I did the waist decreases per directions.  From the waist I knitted 12 inches (10 inches from waist to underarm X 20% = 12 inches).

I know it’s a lot of knitting  (35 inches!) but when you have an 18 month old it’s easy to pick up and put down knitting in the round.   If I had to do it all day I’d go crazy, but when a little person comes running after you with a sippy cup saying “wader” you get up and get her water.  She doesn’t doesn’t understand that anyone needs to finish a row.

Now it’s time to put in the false seam down the side so it doesn’t look I’m wearing a tube.    I am hoping to find some uninterupted time and some good light to do that.  Knit on!

The Vine Lace Pattern on the bottom

One of my favorite knitting books of all time is “Mason Dixon Knitting.” I saw the “After Dark Nightie” and decided I wanted to make that as my first post-Shayna (my daughter) project.  Never on to take things lightly I decided to make a dress instead of a nightie because who wants to go through all that work and not be able to show it off to the world???  During my pregnancy I met the writers of the Mason Dixon book at Abundant Yarn in Portland,and they had on display a pair of baby jeans that’s Kay Gardiner has published on Knitty.com (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTblu.html  ).  I feel in love with jeans, made two pair and in the process discovered Rowan Denim - you wash it in warm water with your jeans and dry it.  No pampering this yarn!  I decided to make the After Dark Nightie with Rowan denim because with a toddler I need to be able to wash whatever I make and I like the colors/shades.  But here’s the caveat - I need to account for 20% vertical shrinkage.  I got started and ended up ripping out the vine lace pattern several times because I kept messing up for whatever reason.  Any new parent will understand that babies cloud the brain.  I took a week of work to clean and knit and got the vine lace portion finished.  I knitted the pattern on straight needles for 5 inches.  I found it really helpful to use stitch markers every 9 stitches to keep track of where I was in the pattern.  Stitch markers - don’t leave home without them!