Fiery Bolero

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cathay (50% cotton, 35% viscose microfibre, 15% silk), color #12011 - 6 balls (110yd [100m] / 50g)
Pattern: Interweave Knits 2005 Summer Issue
Needles: Addi Turbo US size 4 (3.5mm) / 24" (60cm) circular (for stockinette), US size 3 (3.25mm) / 24" (60cm) circular (for ribbing)
Size: Chest circumference 34" (pattern sized for 32 3/4")
Duration: 2007/09/19 - 2007/10/11

線材: Debbie Bliss Cathay (50% 棉, 35% 人造絲, 15% 真絲), 色號#12011 - 6 球 (110yd [100m] / 50g)
圖樣: Interweave Knits 雜誌 2005 夏季刊
針號: 3.5mm/60cm 輪針 (平針) 和 3.25mm/60cm 輪針 (緣邊)
尺寸: 胸圍86cm (原圖樣尺寸為83cm)
製作日期: 2007/09/19 - 2007/10/11

I had wanted to make this top since I first got the magazine. I bought the yarn during a clearance sale in a LYS last August, and didn't get around to it until this summer. Just have so many projects and so little time. Such is the dilemma for us knitters, isn't it? This is actually a very quick and easy knit. Obviously I didn't work on it full time during the three weeks it took for me to finish it. I picked this project to start in the midst of all those lace projects, to sort of give myself a break. Something straight forward and not fussy, something that I don't have to keep counting stitches and rows and looking at charts. I actually knitted the majority of this top on the road while we were driving around in Toronto, just a few rows at a time. Plain old stockinette is the best for in-the-car knitting.

當初一拿到雜誌時就想織這件, 去年八月碰到附近一家毛線店出清存貨折價時把線也買好了, 卻一直等到現在才織好. 實在是想織的東西太多, 時間太少. 我想愛編織的人都有同樣的難題吧? 這件織起來其實又簡單又快, 從頭到尾雖然拖了三個星期, 不過我也沒有全副精神地去做(之間還在玩別的projects). 這一陣子玩蕾絲玩的有點累, 持續地算針數和段數以及看圖表, 腦細胞死了不少, 覺得需要些較簡單淺顯的東西來放鬆一下. 這件小外套有一大部分是在多倫多時織的, 老公開車時, 我就織毛線. 在車上織毛線還是織平針比較輕鬆, 不像蕾絲要一直盯著免得出錯.



Originally I had wanted to make this top in the same shade of orange-y red as shown in the magazine, but when I saw the actual yarn color in a store, I changed my mind. Somehow it just doesn't seem to be the right color for me. I like purple, but I hardly knit with purple. This shade of purple is not appealing to everyone, I know. At first I hesitated on picking them up from the clearance bin. After another half hour of pacing in the store, I just couldn't leave without them. And the color kind of grew on me, I am liking it more and more. It would look striking on ivory, grey, brown, and black, which are the basics in my wardrobe.

本來是想要用雜誌上麻豆穿的那個帶橘的鮮紅色, 去到店裡一看便改變了主意. 顏色是還不錯, 只是覺得不太適合我. 紫色一直是我喜愛的顏色之一, 也不知為什麼很少織紫色的衣服. 這次挑的這個紫並不是很討喜, 可能很多人不會考慮. 可是當初在店裡看到時, 卻捨不得不買, 考慮了許久, 還是把它帶回家了. 不過這顏色我越看越順眼, 用來搭配中性色系如乳白, 灰, 褐, 或黑應該都不錯.



Now some knitting observations:
編織心得:

The pattern is easy and clear, I had no problems following it at all. But do check the corrections posted on Interweave Knits' website. The pattern as published was correct, but they posted a different way of describing how to do the short rows along the back neck ribbing which, I agree, is much easier to follow than the magazine.

這件的pattern很簡單也很詳細, 一路織來沒有遇到什麼問題. 不過想要織這件的朋友們, 記得看一下Interweave Knits雜誌社網站上登的圖樣修正. 雜誌上原圖樣並沒有錯誤, 只是在解說後領引返編織的部分有點不太容易懂. 網站上登的解說就清楚多了, 也不用算那麼多針目.

I deliberately used a larger gauge - 21 sts/4" instead of the suggested 22 sts/4". I wanted a 33 1/2" - 34" chest circumference, the closest size in the pattern is 32 3/4" and the next size up is 35". I decided to knit according to the 32 3/4" pattern, and hoped the larger gauge and blocking would give me a slightly larger garment. I think it turned out pretty well.

這件的密度我故意用的鬆一點, 圖樣是22針目/10公分, 我的密度是21. 圖樣上的尺寸要不就是太小(胸圍83公分), 要不就是太大(胸圍89公分). 想說密度弄鬆一點, 定型時再拉開, 應該會比較剛好. 結果還挺滿意的喔!

I used a little over 5 balls of yarn. For the size I made, the magazine called for 5 balls of yarn. It probably would have been enough if I watched carefully while I knitted and maybe ripped out my test swatches when I ran short, but I didn't. I bought 6 balls anyway, so I figured, why skimp on the few inches that I usually leave when changing to a new ball or the lengthy tail that I saved for seaming?

這件我用了五球多一點點的線. 根據雜誌上說的, 五球應該就夠了, 不過就要省著點用. 這組線我當初買了六球, 絕對不怕不夠, 所以用線時也沒有刻意去省, 線頭都留長長的. 五球用完時其實只剩下一隻袖子的緣邊還沒織, 如果把試密度的織片拆掉來用可能也夠了, 可是我就是懶得拆. 反正線夠嘛, 幹麼那麼麻煩?

Cathay knits up beautifully. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. But it also splits like crazy if you have to unravel. The yarn also splits during seaming, all those threading back and forth. My guess is - don't work it too much, and it will be fine. But I wonder if I will ever be able to rip this out and reuse the yarn for something else?

這組線Cathay織出來的針目清楚漂亮, 算是出乎我意料之外. 但是如果有需要拆掉重織, 或穿針用來縫合時, 這個線就分岔的很厲害. 想要它不分岔呢, 就不能太過操作. 不過這麼一來, 好像也不可能哪天把它拆了換織別的東西哦?

See those terribly splitty yarn ends?
線頭分岔的很厲害