Coachella (from Knitty) is finished and made it’s debut last night at dinner (Cactus Pear).  I love this top but I have a few “issues”.  One thing that was not an issue was the sizing.  The yarn substitution and size I chose worked out well.  However, when I tried it on the neck was very high.  No problem…that’s what blocking is for right?  I’ll just stretch that baby right out and then it will drape gracefully just like the pattern picture.  Well.  Yes…it did drape.  See for yourself (below).  Does anyone else see a problem here?  Now it’s just a *little* too low.   Of course, Jim didn’t mind.    It seemed to get worse as the wearing went on.  By the time we got home, I could wear it as an off the shoulder top (sorry the picture is blurry…Jim may have be a little tipsy).  Notice the difference in width between the blocking picture and the one after I had taken it off.  I’m hoping another soak and a stringent stretching lengthwise will correct the width.

Ok, on to the modifications.  Yarn:  100% Bamboo Twize in 326 (twellow), 2.5 skeins.  I really like the fabric this yarn creates.  It’s a little heavy though which might be contributing to the low drape factor.  Gauge: 4 spi and 6 rpi.  I took out two rows before the short rows and two rows around the waist and worked one repeat of the short row shaping.  I decreased two more stitches for the waist shaping (108 sts remain).  I skipped the increases and just worked even until the end adding a twin leaf lace (Knitter’s Bible, page 123) worked over 18+1 sts which worked out perfectly (I did have to increase one stitch for the lace…109 total).  Measurements before blocking:  12 inches wide and 19 inches long.  After wearing:  17 inches wide by 19 long (how is that possible???)

I’ll definitely make this again.  I love the construction and the small amount of yarn used.  I also like the possibility of doing different patterns on the bottom.  I think it would be a fabulous and hot dressy top in the right yarn.

Edited 6/28 to add: I soaked it again and stretched the crap out of it lengthwise.  I can’t explain why the short row chest is still in the right place after that, but it is!  Plus the neck now hangs properly…drapey but not in the bordering on obscene way it was before.  It did still stretch a little through the evening but not nearly to the extent it did with the first wear.  I was still decent by the time I got home.  I won’t bore you with more pics since it basically looks the same just not as low.