Incredible Shrinking Swatch

Yes, I was right to think my green/brown mystery yarn might shrink. But not quite in the way I expected. When the swatch dried I measured it again and it had gone from 23cm wide to 22.25 (reasonable) and from 18.25cm long to a stunted 15.75! I'm not sure whether the culprit is the green woolly strand or the brown loopy one, but either way I'll definitely need to make a few allowances with the measurements as I go.

Previously, I haven't done swatches as I've always been too impatient to get going with the pattern. But I'm beginning to see the light.

Ivy now has one sleeve sewn in and most of the dangling threads finished off. Left to do is positioning of the ties and then it'll be good to go. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.


In other news, I started a version of Elfin Bride/Elfin Goth from the Domiknitrix website. I like the book, although I'm not so keen on most of the patterns. But this one cried out to be made.


Here's where I've got to so far. The pattern starts at the middle of the yoke and continues into the left sleeve. I'll probably stop fairly soon, as there is shaping from the elbow to increase into a bell sleeve and I'm not sure yet how the sleeve will sit. So I think I'll wait until near the end when I know whereabouts in the sleeves my elbows will be. Next step will be to pick up stitches from where I started and work in the opposite direction for the right sleeve.