Tubey!

I don't know how I forgot to post this here, but I finished my Tubey back in March!

Cross-posted from my blog:

Tubey #2



The name is inaccurate because, while this is the second Tubey I started, it's the first one I finished.
Stats:
Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8 (sorry, I forget how many skeins)
Size: Small, and I probably should have gone with a medium, but even though it's very clingy, I still love it. I just block it a little wider when I'm going to wear it to work. (UPDATE 9/5/07: small turned out to be a good thing - I've lost a fair bit of weight since I made this, and Tubeys need to be form-fitting.)
Needles: Swallow casein dpns and Denise casein circulars (size 6 or 7)
Gauge: 20 st./4in. The row gauge changed considerably (13%) between the two needle types.

I changed the color combination twice AFTER I started knitting, which involved several froggings of most of the torso section, and a secret-ninja cut-and-graft on the elbows. (I must have knitted 2-2.5 times the surface area of the sweater in the process.)

This is also the first sweater I've made that has my husband's raving approval; in his words: "I'd buy this one for you in a store".

Like a lot of what I've knitted, this sweater is closely associated with certain points in time. I cast on the weekend I decided to quit my job (back in September), knitted most of the shrug section during the particularly stressful last few weeks of my time there, and then finished it in the month-long, at-home vacation I took to recover after I quit.

Lessons learned on this project:
- just because the colors look good in a heap doesn't mean they'll look good in stripes: stack the balls in the stripe order you have in mind to make sure the transitions don't look wierd
- a sweater that looks fitted on someone with a smaller bust-to-waist ratio will look clingy on me, even when we have the same bust measurements
- clingy can still be really flattering
- check your row gauge on BOTH needle types
- Aurora 8 stands up remarkably well to frogging, but doesn't like a lot of friction in the knitted fabric

Ok Here they are!

Both dog and human tubeys were made with Filatura di Crosa's Zara merino using US8 needles. As you can see, Lola is very comfortable in her dog tubey.

Mine tends to bunch up on the sides---it seems like this could be fixed with better blocking. Any tips? This is my first human-sized sweater, and I don't have much blocking experience either.

Done--photos to come soon

I finished my tubey over a month ago..since it's just boring black and doesn't look all that great on me, I decided to make a more colorful one for my dog, which I finished last week (it came out ok, but I feel like it needs some adjustments).
Anyway, I'm hoping that posting this now will motivate me to take photos and post them by this weekend.
So, coming soon........

Tubey in progress

Work in progress. I seem to have got the idea (finally!) of how the 2 circs magic loop method works - and although it's a little bit slow, at least I don't feel like I'm trying to knit with a hedgehog. I am making some changes to the original pattern. The sleeves are being worked in the main 3x1 rib pattern (hope this should take care of the slightly flabby upper arm problem!) to about 3 inches below the elbow. I then plan to taper some of the ribs down to 1 stitch wide on the underarm side of the sleeve (so some decreasing to do), and will then change to 1x1 rib for the final part. I need to find out how to do tubular (sewn) cast-off, and this is an ideal project to try it on. (Fortunately, the Vogue Knitting encyclopaedia I picked up the other day seems to have some good diagrams for this). I also plan to use tubular cast-on (it's in Montse Stanley's book, cast on 1 k-wise, cast on 1 p-wise, repeat for number of stitches needed, and then work 2 rows in k1, yf, slip 1, yb) for the main body, and finish the bottom in 1 or 2 rows of 1x1 rib, and tubular cast off as for the sleeves. On the main body, I am going to use these lovely purple yarns from Texere, knitted in with the main yarn.

Tubey finished!

Finished Tubey last night, after going with the Decrease Cast Off. I LOVE this jumper! It was a quick (can't remember when I started it, but about a month ago & I've done other things too in the meantime) pattern and FUN!

I haven't really got wonky shoulders, we just had trouble getting a pic taken cos the light was all weird. Tubey is also not good for keeping sore throats warm and covered up so she's gone back to sleep for when I'm feeling better.
Vital Statistics:
Pattern: Tubey, by Cassie Rovitti.
Size: XS.
Needles: 4mm (had to go down 2 sizes to get gauge).
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran - 7 balls black (shade 300), 1 ball each of mauve (601) and rust (007) and 1/2 a ball of green (502).
Still undecided about the bra issue with this jumper. Maybe strapless is the way to go? Or braless?!

Please can I have a star now for finishing it?!

Finished Tubey!

Yay! Tubey is off the needles and turned out really cute. Pics to follow (eventually!)

Cast off for Tubey?

Well, as you can see, I've nearly finished the body of Tubey. I LOVE this pattern, especially being able to try it on as I go! It's the first no-sewing up jumper I've made!
Anyway, I was wondering how other people had cast off their Tubeys? Did you just use a normal chain cast off or did you use something special to take into account the ribbing? I looked in my Handknitter's Handbook (Montse Stanley) and thought maybe the Decrease Cast off, which I've used for another ribbing cast off with success. Any thoughts?

My Tubey is done!

I couldn't get a modelled pic because I couldn't manage to take a picture of myself while wearing it. ;) It looks pretty good, though!