WIP Wednesday - Stargazer Kimono Sweater

I really liked this sweater when I first saw the pattern, but I was not feeling the Red Heart 100% acrylic yarn that it called for. Plus the author made her own ribbon yarn for the sash; and while I can admire her clout - just couldn't be bothered to make my own yarn for this, especially when I found a suitable bamboo tape yarn to substitute. (Sirdar Just Bamboo, in Lotus white - I bought an extra ball so I could lengthen the sash slightly, to 3".)



I'm planning on avoiding as much of the seaming as possible, as it's my least favorite knitting related activity. I knit as much of the sleeve as I could in the round, and I'll pick up along the split edge for the bodice; first the "sash" in white bamboo (seed st,) then the ribbed lower body in the main color again. If I can manage it so I only have ends to weave in to finish, I'll be a happy camper!!!

This is Sirdar Snuggly DK in 398 Soft Mint, on size 6 needles. Surprisingly, I only went up one needle size to get the pattern's reccomended gauge; so I was pleased. Normally it's 2, and sometimes it's 3 or more!



I sorta have a beef with this yarn though… so far, each ball has a very strange defect. Between 1/8th and 1/5th of the way into winding center pull balls (from the outside,) the strand was cut. It just ended, but it was a clean break - not like the yarn had been pulled apart. I was so baffled for the first and second balls, that I could barely believe my strand wasn't knotted to the adjoining end, or had obviously split from it. Now, I'm keeping track of it, and will have another update once I wind the rest of it. Ugh. I may write Sirdar about it, splicing in all of those extra ends (if I end up needing to, cross my fingers I don't!) is going to be a bitch.