The Official Bella Blouse Knit-Along Forum

RicaWil wrote

on Sep 14, 2011 8:23 AM

I didn't do them for the neck inserts.... but if you can wait a day or two I will make them for you.

Erica

Jo AnneL wrote

on Sep 15, 2011 2:40 PM

Hi Shanna.  What a beautiful job you did.  It really looks nice all one color, and I really love the sleeves with the lace border.  How did you do the sleeves and fit the lace border to it?

Jo AnneL

Jo AnneL wrote

on Sep 15, 2011 2:52 PM

I am still working on the front of my Bella and have a question about the written pattern for the front.  I hope someone can help me interpret.  On page 1 of the pattern, 3rd column (instructions for the Front), where the sentence begins with "At the same time," (in bold), when piece measures 12" from CO...", I'm assuming they mean from the leaf border edge and not where I picked up stitches.

I hope this isn't too confusing.  I do appreciate anyone's help with this. 

Thank you,

Jo AnneL

Katenh50 wrote

on Sep 15, 2011 4:47 PM

Erica,

My e mail is katenh50@comcast.net    It would be wonderful if you send it there.  There are so many messages on the Bella site sometimes they get lost.  Thanks again for your wonderful charts!!!

Kathy

oxid8 wrote

on Sep 16, 2011 11:18 AM

Jo AnneL:

Hi Shanna.  What a beautiful job you did.  It really looks nice all one color, and I really love the sleeves with the lace border.  How did you do the sleeves and fit the lace border to it?

Jo AnneL

I did the border first and then calculated the sleeve.  I needed 9 repeats to have the ease I wanted but that made the sleeve longer than I wanted.  I did 10 repeats instead and picked up 68 stitches instead of 61.  It made the sleeve pucker a little at the band but it was a good trade off for a shorter sleeve.  Go to the adding sleeves forum to see how I calculated a sleeve.  It was for the 61 stitches but you should get the idea.  I did not take my armhole in as far as the original pattern so I had to calculate that too.

Shanna

Jo AnneL wrote

on Sep 16, 2011 12:46 PM

Hi Shanna,

Thank you for the information on the sleeves.  I went to the adding sleeves forum and looked through your posts.  I am going to buy the Stitch and *** Superstar book and with the book and your posts, I should be able to work the sleeves. 

Also, I had posted this question, with no response yet, and since you've finished your Bella, you can tell me your interpretation.  Here is the question:

I have a question about the written pattern for the front.  I hope someone can help me interpret. On page 1 of the pattern, 3rd column (instructions for the Front), where the sentence begins with "At the same time," (in bold), when piece measures 12" (for me) from CO...", I'm assuming they mean the CO for the leaf border edge and not where I picked up stitches?

I hope you can help me with this.  What did you do here? 

Thank you,

Jo AnneL

oxid8 wrote

on Sep 17, 2011 8:18 AM

JoAnnneL,

I went from my daughter's measurements but I took a look at the pattern and the schematic shows 12 1/2 inches above the band until the neck shaping.  I think they meant to say the picked up edge not the cast on edge. For you this would mean 12 inches from where you picked up from the band. 

Shanna

Jo AnneL:

Hi Shanna,

Thank you for the information on the sleeves.  I went to the adding sleeves forum and looked through your posts.  I am going to buy the Stitch and *** Superstar book and with the book and your posts, I should be able to work the sleeves. 

Also, I had posted this question, with no response yet, and since you've finished your Bella, you can tell me your interpretation.  Here is the question:

I have a question about the written pattern for the front.  I hope someone can help me interpret. On page 1 of the pattern, 3rd column (instructions for the Front), where the sentence begins with "At the same time," (in bold), when piece measures 12" (for me) from CO...", I'm assuming they mean the CO for the leaf border edge and not where I picked up stitches?

I hope you can help me with this.  What did you do here? 

Thank you,

Jo AnneL

Sewesie wrote

on Sep 17, 2011 11:12 AM

I've finished knitting my Bella Blouse and am just trying to sew in the neck inserts.  I think I must have done something wrong on the BOs at the end, because the insert is sitting rather oddly at the back.   The seam makes the insert too pointed. and so it won't lie flat and sort of pouches.   Has anyone else had a problem?  I noticed that someone had a diagonally slanted seam at the back of the neck.  Is this how it goes?  I feel very dim, because nobody else seems to have had a problem here.  I've double-checked the charts and can't see where I might have gone wrong.

Jo AnneL wrote

on Sep 17, 2011 11:19 AM

Thank you Shanna.  I thought that was what they meant, but wanted to make sure.

Jo AnneL.

oxid8 wrote

on Sep 17, 2011 4:51 PM

see reply below

oxid8 wrote

on Sep 17, 2011 5:00 PM

Sewesie:

I've finished knitting my Bella Blouse and am just trying to sew in the neck inserts.  I think I must have done something wrong on the BOs at the end, because the insert is sitting rather oddly at the back.   The seam makes the insert too pointed. and so it won't lie flat and sort of pouches.   Has anyone else had a problem?  I noticed that someone had a diagonally slanted seam at the back of the neck.  Is this how it goes?  I feel very dim, because nobody else seems to have had a problem here.  I've double-checked the charts and can't see where I might have gone wrong.

I felt like this neck had problems too.  I think what might help you is to start the top edge decrease before the chart says.  After I tried bind offs I decided I would like short rows better but I think I started them before the chart bind offs.  Maybe you could try it on and see how much you would take out at the top to make it look nice.  One other thing helped my seam look better.  If I couldn't finish a full leaf before I bound off or turned for short rows then I just did the stem part.  The seam looked nicer to me anyway.  Hope this helps.

Shanna

vehuddle wrote

on Sep 18, 2011 11:00 AM

Well, as you can see, I did the Bella "Cardigan" instead of the Bella top.  I didn't think I would like the sleeveless top, so I re-designed it to be a cardigan with the lace trim all the way around the outer edges and with a Chinese knot closure (see Knitting Daily link for info on doing this:  http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2008/10/24/handmade-closures-chinese-knot.aspx).   I am also not a big fan of lavender, but this is the most beautiful shade of lavender I have ever seen and I thought it would look better in a cardigan (ok, ok I am a cardigan fanatic!).

I used Austermann Algarve Grande 100% mercerized cotton -color 0322 and this is a wonderful cotton yarn.  Since it is a thin worsted wgt. I used a size 7 for the body and size 5 for lace.  The lace was a little tricky to get around the curved edges on the front, but it is laying flat now that I have wet blocked it.  I made the body pieces and then sewed the trim on.  To get the leaf design to "point up" on both fronts, I worked the trim in 2 pieces:  one that started at the right side seam and came around to the front and up to the neck and the other started at the right side seam, went across the back,  up the front and joined at the back neck (the picture shows is being off-center, but it is actually in the center back).

Now that I have seen all of the wonderful tops the rest of you have done, I may make a top!

klandreneau wrote

on Sep 18, 2011 12:28 PM

vehuddle:

Well, as you can see, I did the Bella "Cardigan" instead of the Bella top.

Very beautiful!!!  What a wonderful job!!

Katherine

JoanA@4 wrote

on Sep 18, 2011 2:10 PM

Beautiful,  I find it very interesting how you girls changed the patten to make your own creations.

maggiewakesup wrote

on Sep 18, 2011 2:28 PM

beautiful cardigan.and the color is luscious..so clever. thanks for sharing.