Official Bella Blouse Knit-Along: KNITTING IN THE ROUND FORUM

robin e wrote

on Aug 1, 2011 12:00 AM

moonquilter:

Hi Susan,

First off, your looks great!  It's hard to see your dec...good job.

What I meant was:  the picture of the "instruction book" that I put in with my pic of the top..it was showing the double dec, doing it every row, and it made a nice smooth line of stitches.  BUT, since I was following "our" directions and doing only dec every inch or so, it made a "bump". I should have tried out the stitch for a few rows following the Bella pattern, and I would have noticed the bumps.   Next top I make I won't do it that way, it shows the dec  too much.  Thanks for helping, I like what I see with yours.

Hi Vickie and Susan.  Yes, it looks great.  I think the 'bumps' in Vickie's arise because the decrease involves 'slipping a stitch over'.  I did my decreases  as Susan did (k2tog, sl m, ssk), both decreases leaning away from the marker.  I had done my first decrease as (ssk, sl m, k2tog) with the decreases leaning toward the marker, and found a little 'pucker'.  I'll try to get a pic posted tomorrow.

robin e wrote

on Aug 1, 2011 12:53 PM

Annie, your 'false seam' looks great.  I am curious, why did you give it a slant only on one side?  Do you think it would not have come out so smooth if the (m1,ssk) was paired on both sides?

Here's a pic of my decreases.  The first one is (ssk, sl m, k2tog).  The rest are (k2tog, sl m, ssk).  Hard to tell from the photo perhaps, but the first decrease has a little pucker.

rockync wrote

on Aug 1, 2011 1:23 PM

robin e:

Annie, your 'false seam' looks great.  I am curious, why did you give it a slant only on one side?  Do you think it would not have come out so smooth if the (m1,ssk) was paired on both sides?

 

Here's a pic of my decreases.  The first one is (ssk, sl m, k2tog).  The rest are (k2tog, sl m, ssk).  Hard to tell from the photo perhaps, but the first decrease has a little pucker.

 

 

I love the color! And I think that minor puckering will flatten out if you hit it with a little steam and flatten it with your hand. As for my seam, the reason there is only one slant is that I just hadn't thought it through until I got pretty far on the knitting! If I do another one, I will definitely work out an M,ssk/ M, K2tog to get a right and left slant to the seam.

I love how subtle your seam is. Can't wait to see it finished.

Annie

robin e wrote

on Aug 1, 2011 4:05 PM

rockync:

I love the color! And I think that minor puckering will flatten out if you hit it with a little steam and flatten it with your hand. As for my seam, the reason there is only one slant is that I just hadn't thought it through until I got pretty far on the knitting! If I do another one, I will definitely work out an M,ssk/ M, K2tog to get a right and left slant to the seam.

I love how subtle your seam is. Can't wait to see it finished.

Annie

Thanks Annie, I will try steaming, and may even get over my (mental) block against blocking!  I am imagining your slanted side as the front and the straight side as the back, and I think this has a style of its own!  r.

JKH44 wrote

on Aug 2, 2011 6:19 PM

I am finally finished with the band and am blocking it as we speak. I have a lot of questions, I have never knit in the round.  I need to pick up 200 stitches and place my marker after 100 stitches on both sides, correct?  Than I just knit all the way around until I reach every 1 1/4 inch. doing my decreases by each of the 2 side markers as a K2tog, marker, ssk is this correct? If I understand this is the only time I do anything different on the sides,  would be when I do my decreases?  so that would equal 4 decrease stitches a round for 7 rounds.  200 sts. - 28 decrease sts.=172 sts. by the time I get to my armhole shaping is that correct?

Thanks for your help, sorry with all the questions I just want to make sure I am  underestand this.

Janet  

SusanD@51 wrote

on Aug 2, 2011 8:32 PM

JKH44:

I am finally finished with the band and am blocking it as we speak. I have a lot of questions, I have never knit in the round.  I need to pick up 200 stitches and place my marker after 100 stitches on both sides, correct?  Than I just knit all the way around until I reach every 1 1/4 inch. doing my decreases by each of the 2 side markers as a K2tog, marker, ssk is this correct? If I understand this is the only time I do anything different on the sides,  would be when I do my decreases?  so that would equal 4 decrease stitches a round for 7 rounds.  200 sts. - 28 decrease sts.=172 sts. by the time I get to my armhole shaping is that correct?

Thanks for your help, sorry with all the questions I just want to make sure I am  underestand this.

Janet  

 

Janet,

Your total band stitches should be 260, each side will be 130 stitches.  It says to pick up 100 stitches place marker and then pick up the other 100 stitches.  Yes you just continue to knit in the round decreasing every 1 1/4 inch as the pattern states until you end up with 86 stitches front and 86 stitches back for a total of 172 if you are making a 34 inch bust.  I started my decreases with an ssk and ended before the first marker with k2 tog, ssk after the side marker and the k2 tog at the end of the round.  Read posts above and look at pictures everyone did something just a bit different.  I did not add a m1 between the ssk and k2 tog because I didn't want an obvious side seam, some made a false seam.  You can create the look you want by trying the method you'd like.  They all work with just a bit different look.  Happy knitting.

Susan

yarngirl52 wrote

on Aug 3, 2011 11:38 AM

Well, finally able to post my pics.

Another picture.

I went back and picked up the correct number of stitches and added 2 for the purl for a false seam.

Debbie

rockync wrote

on Aug 3, 2011 11:58 AM

yarngirl52:

Well, finally able to post my pics.

Another picture.

I went back and picked up the correct number of stitches and added 2 for the purl for a false seam.

 

Debbie

Your top looks like it is shaping up nicely.  We are using similar colors.

JKH44 wrote

on Aug 3, 2011 5:43 PM

Susan,

Thanks for the help, I am going to knit it they you said.  I still don't get the 260 sts. when I read it I come up with 200sts. but I am way too new at knitting that I am going with what you said and pick up 260 sts.  When I get alittle farther I will post a picture hopefully my will turn out,  like all the other beautiful sweaters posted.

Janet

Carmensworld wrote

on Aug 4, 2011 2:33 PM

I am still working on my band, but I am almost finished.  I just decided to knit in the round because I have never made a garment and seaming looks a bit intimidating. I have a "new to blocking" question - do I block the band before I join the ends or after?

bejai wrote

on Aug 8, 2011 8:33 AM

I finally finished the bottom band!!!  I'm so glad to see info for working in the round, I stink at sewing seams. Thanks all of you that have gone ahead of me so I can see the best way to do my decreases.  My body is totally unproportioned so I'm starting with the larges size for the bottom but will have to which to a smaller size for the bust. Boy I can't wait to see some ground covered in this top!

Beehiveof8 wrote

on Aug 8, 2011 9:36 AM

There was a lot of discussion about doing the dec's in such a way to make a false seam.  I am wondering what the best way would be to do the dec's WITHOUT making a seam?  Any thoughts?

~Lisa

bejai wrote

on Aug 8, 2011 9:40 AM

I think I'd like that even more!

bejai wrote

on Aug 8, 2011 10:25 AM

Oh man!!! I almost forgot about blocking the band first I'm so glad I'm at work reading through these trying to avoid making mistakes. I just recently bought my blocking boards and now have a reason to try them!!!

Can someone tell me, since I've never really blocked before,  if I should steam or mist?  My yarn is an acrylic yarn that seems nice and stretchy.  Second question, if I go home and block it tonight say 5pm, it should be done the next morning or definitely same time tomorrow evening right?

TIA

SusanD@51 wrote

on Aug 9, 2011 7:30 AM

JKH44:

Susan,

Thanks for the help, I am going to knit it they you said.  I still don't get the 260 sts. when I read it I come up with 200sts. but I am way too new at knitting that I am going with what you said and pick up 260 sts.  When I get alittle farther I will post a picture hopefully my will turn out,  like all the other beautiful sweaters posted.

Janet

Janet,

There are 260 rows on the band and the directions want you to find the middle of the band which is 130 on each side of the middle.  Pick up 100 stitches on each side of the middle to equal 200 stitches on the circular needle.  If you have already picked up the 260 stitches you need to decrease in the first round 30 stitches on each side, front and back, evenly spaced along each side.  Hope that helps clarify.  Picking up and knitting the 260 stitches will give you a much larger size than gauge.

Susan