Drat the double center decrease

I decided to make the Ariel Tee Shirt from the June 2010 Knit & Style. I wasn't going to buy this magazine...God knows I have enough patterns to drool over in the other billion magazines and books that I have. However, this particular pattern tempted me because it is a bottom up, seamless, tee shirt with lace details. Plus I had a 40% off coupon from the local craft store...How could I resist?

I am using the Rowan Purelife in Brazilwood that I bought from my FLYS last year. I had originally bought this yarn for the lace poncho from Knitting Pure and Simple. I soon realized that I HATE knitting on size 15 needles. It's like knitting with tree trunks...no thank you!!!

The pattern calls for a gauge of 20 sts per 4 inches...a light worsted. Hmmmm, could I really use the Purelife, which is a DK weight? I figured I could try. I went back to my FLYS with high hopes that she still had at least 2 more skeins of the color. I called her earlier that day and it didn't sound like she did...but what can I say, I am an optimist. I thank God that I did go in and check, because way in the back of the bin, hidden from view were 2 full skeins of the exact color that I needed. I was even more happy when she told me that this particular color was discontinued. I felt the heavens opening, and the sun shining on me at that very moment. I knew that somewhere, someone was telling me to make this pattern, and it was all meant to be......okay, not really. But how lucky did I feel? Very lucky indeed.

So I reworked the stitch numbers...again. Why do I do this to myself? Probably because I have too much yarn and I need to knit it all up. Anyway, I am hoping and praying that I will have just enough to finish the lace tee shirt (that, incidentally, I have decided is one cool pattern). I am learning another method to seamless apparel - bottom up in the round to the armpits, knitting the sleeves separately, and then attaching the sleeves to the body for the yoke. Happy day.

First problem I ran into was the lace detail. I know how to read charts; in fact, I prefer them to the pattern written out. Maybe I should have looked over the pattern before I started knitting. Hah-I assumed too much. First frog.

Second problem I ran into was I didn't make the double decrease correctly. Instead of slipping 2 stitches knitwise, I slipped them purlwise. What a difference it makes:


This is what the stitch looks like with the 2 stitches slipped purlwise.













This is what the double center decrease is supposed to look like. You will notice as you continue knitting that this decrease is virtually invisible, while the previous (wrong) decrease looks like a left slanting decrease. You don't want that...










I didn't pay attention to this tiny detail until I was 20 rows into the darn pattern! The decrease is supposed to look like a normal knit stitch. Don't make the same mistake I did. Look at your knitting before you continue and make sure it looks right. Otherwise, you will have funny looking leaves in your lace. Second frog.

Now I am knitting the pattern for the 3rd time and so far so good. I was watching LOST last night...and I made a little mistake, but not big enough to make me want to frog it AGAIN. At least the lace looks like leaves this time :)