I Just Keep Knitting Along

I'm slowly working my way through the pattern. The front and back are done, and the sleeves are almost finished (they would be all finished, but I messed up the decreases for the cap and had to frog back). Soon I'll sew them together and then start the skirt. This isn't the assembly order from the pattern, but I've found that sleeves go in easier if they're sewn in and then one long seam in sewn up from sleeve cuff to the body edge.

My Tilted Duster is moving along quite nicely. I've finished both fronts and back:



Lets not forget the Sleeves:



I've even seamed the shoulders and sides. I don't have a picture to share, so you will have to take my word for it! The next stage is picking up stitches for the collar and skirt - and since I LOVE doing this, I hope to have a finished sweater soon.


Lisa from knittingupastorm.blogspot.com

FO- Tilted Duster

It's finally done. Wow. Took me long enough, but it just kept getting pushed further down in the pile of WIPs. Folks, this sweater is a WINNER. I'm lovin' it.

Pattern: Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan
Source: Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: 5 skeins of Berocco Ultra Alpaca in Purple
Needles: Size 9 Addi Turbos
Started: September 2007
Finished: November 17, 2007
Modifications: The word on the street is the sleeves run small so I increased an extra 2 stitches at either end and only kept with the same amount of decreases.

Ah Fall is finally here and I have comfy alpaca sweater to chase the chill.

More details http://www.stitchinwitch.blogspot.com

finished.

Hey everyone! This is the first knitalong I've participated in and the Tilted Duster is my very first sweater! Firsts all around.

I've blogged the details, so I'll just leave you with the photos!

Hello everyone

I have been busy I havent even been able to come to see this site and see everyones progress. I was wanting to know if there was anyone who would like to take over this site for me so that we can make sure that everyone that wants to get on does. If you would like to take over control of the blog just email me....first come first serve. :-)

There be progress around here....

It's been awhile I know. I finally have a little progress to show. A friend of mine had been wanted to have a baby for at least 2 years now and I'm excited to see that she is finally pregnant. I have been so consumed with knitting baby things recently that all other projects have been in temporary hibernation. Now that the weather has gotten cooler I'm determined to finish this.
I'm working with Berocco Ultra Alpaca that I had in stash. It's really soft and very close to the Peruvia color that's used in the magazine.

A close-up of the increases. I hope to finish the skirt this week. I'm becoming more inspired seeing what everyone else has done with their duster.

I finally finished!!!

And it doesn't fit me. sigh.

Luckily, it DOES fit my little sister, so she will be getting it. All in all though I am totally glad I knit it. Here are some pictures, and full details are on my blog!!

I am on ravelry now :-) My name there is knitnpurlgurl :-) Come visit me

Introduction

Hello, my name is Gabriela and I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is my first KAL.
Tilted Duster is my first Norah Gaughan's project. I like very much the construction of this pattern; it's so original!
I casted on two weeks ago; I'm knitting the skirt now. This is my last Winter project, because in Southamerica is Spring now, altough the weather is cold and rainy yet.
The yarn is similar to Malabrigo's Merino; it's from a local store, Yanabey. I'm using 7 mm needles:

And Voila!

I finished my sweater at about 1 a.m. I was determined to finish it, so I stayed up a little late. And it was well worth it!

Don't mind the bad pic of me. I wasn't mad. I just wasn't smiling the moment Shawn snapped the shot.

I'm not satisfied with my button choice. So, I'm going to change them. They need to be bigger.

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia in Grano
Needles: US 9's for gauge
Size: I did the 45" bust, since I was going down a needle size and because I wanted a little extra bust room. (Worked out well for me.)
Mods: None, but for change in needle size.

I have to admit that while knitting the 16" of 2 x 2 ribbing for the skirt, I was ready to stab myself with a knitting needle. It just seemed to take forever to get one row done. But I persevered, (without puncture wounds). I love the pattern, I love the architecture of the pattern, (thanks to Norah!), I love the yarn. Most of all, I love the sweater. Yay!

Finished Duster

I finally finished my Tilted Duster. I first did the collar as written and didn’t like it so I ripped it out and left out the buttonholes. Then I made a loop and sewed on one button. I usually wear sweaters open and it will look better this way. I can also fold down the collar and it looks good that way too.
I used Berroco Peruvia in Marron that I bought at Webs on my summer vacation. It is soft and warm and I can’t wait for the weather to get cool enough to wear it.

She is finished!

This is probably one of my favorite projects ever. It was easy, but not too simple, and with the malabrigo, knitting it was a dream!



Notes about this project:
If you knit it in malabrigo (or a similiar kettle dyed or hand dyed yarn) do some looking before you start. In hindsight I wish I had purposely chosen which two balls to use for my sleeves. One sleeve has a lot more of the lighter pink in it than the other. But rather than rip, I decided to "embrace" the kettle dyed qualities.

I was afraid I was going to run out of yarn, so I knit the fronts, the back, the sleeves, and then the collar. That way if I ran short I could just shorten the skirt. Turns out I was fine. I used way less than 6 balls of the red mahogany malabrigo on size 10 needles for the 40" size. It came out a bit bigger than 40" because my gauge was off, but I had planned for that.

Regardless of the yarn issue, I think knitting the skirt last was a good idea. The skirt is long and tough to get through, but it's nice to know that you're done at that point.

As you can see my duster is hanging out in the yarnstore (near the malabrigo and the IK) until it gets cool enough to wear it here. All in all, I must say, I *adore* this sweater!

Ooops! I forgot something. I had saved my original swatch so I tested out steam iron blocking it. It worked fine and didn't hurt the precious yarn so that's how I got the curl out of the stockinette portions of the skirt.

Body done!

I'm very pleased with this - I especially like the collar folded over! It's not curling too much at the bottom, and it hasn't even been blocked yet, so I don't think that'll be a problem. I've got one sleeve done, and I'm starting the 2nd today, hopefully blocking it this evening.

Lyn

Lookie who has three pieces done! Me, that is who! These three should be dry now, so I can seam them and start on the skirt. Hmm...maybe I should start on the sleeves? Just to get them out of the way, but I am way too excited not to get knee deep into the picking up of the stitches. This is one of my favourite things to do.



Yep, I know - I went pin crazy..Hee hee.

Lisa @ knittingupastorm.blogspot.com

Finally posting

Hi all,

I started on 9/23, then promptly got bronchitis - lots of knitting time, but not up to photography!

I've left the skirt on the Options cable, while I'm working on the collar. I can't decide how long I want the skirt to be, so I thought I'd finish the rest, and see how it looked. Has anyone knit or seen a shorter version?

I'm using Classic Elite Skye Tweed - not soft like the Peruvia, but I like the way it looks, and I'm stash-busting!

Lyn

Done...just about

Well, I actually "finished" this over a week ago, but I still have a couple of things to do before I can really claim it is finished. I need to find some nice buttons and I think I am going to undo the seams and take it into a store to have it finished (the seams) for me. My friend uses L'Atelier in Santa Monica for her finishing and she swears by them. She says that her projects have come out looking 100% better when they were finished by the pros in that shop. So, since I really do like the way this turned out, I think I might invest in that and see how much of a difference it really makes.

I really liked the way this sweater turned out, though. I re-knit the top portion after changing yarns (from Elann Sierra Aran to Malabrigo) and it worked out a lot better. I would make another one, for sure. It was a fun and simple pattern. I think I have inspired a couple of friends to try it out, too. I am going to go search for some buttons and have it put together properly, then I will post a pic. All the other progress pics look great. I really like to see all the different versions.

Progress! Sort of. . .

Despite swatching, once I started the back of the 36" size, it was coming out huge. So I ripped it out and started again on smaller needles, bingo! Maybe I'm just more conscientious of my gauge when I'm swatching :) Anyhow, this is the result of a very boring two hour lecture on databases:





The lighting is poor but I'm much more satisfied this time around! Especially since I used one of the bind off tips mentioned somewhere below; slipping the last stitch to minimize the "stairs" effect. :)

Brushing off...

I have some pictures for viewing this evening.

First is my duster,

I am using Malabrigo in the Damask colorway and loving it. Its really soft and butter and smooth.

Here is my friend Rincaro posing with her Tilted Duster also in Malabrigo.

Happy Knitting to all!

Sizing Trouble?

I am having the hardest time, and debating ripping almost the whole thing out. Advice?
I am making the 44" size for (what I have to now admit) my disproportionately larger chest of 45". What I have found: The pieces across the bust fit okay, and the sleeves are tight, but also okay. The skirt is only half-complete but looking fine. (I would post photos but they are just too embarrassing!)

• The back is huge, and the armscyes are huge. So much so that upon setting the sleeves, the arm holes almost pleat a little to keep up.
• The neck is monstrous, and doesn't lay prettily like the photo, but creeps halfway up my head and hides the fact that, yes, indeed I DO have a neck!

I think my problem is this: I think I needed to do a smaller size to fit my body, and somehow increase through the chest (someone here...or was it in Ravelry? Has already asked about bust shortrows? But I think with the diagonal shaping it may be impossible?)

What do you think about:

• Ripping out the neck to only about 2 inches?
• Creating side seams to take up the massive amount of extra fabric under the arms?
• Creating darts in the lower back?
• Ripping out everything but the sleeves and skirt, re-knitting to a smaller size, somehow making the bigger sleeves and skirt fit onto the new smaller body, and not being disappointed when the new size stretches oddly over the chest?

And finally a question for everyone who loves the fit of theirs: Does it fit your body but have negative ease across your chest?

Thanks for being a part of this KAL. It is insanely helpful to have other people knitting the same pattern!

Tilted Duster In Progress

Hello all - my name is Lisa and I blog mostly at knittingupastorm.blogspot.com!

I've recently started the Tilted Duster using Brooks Farm Solana and loving it. I am making the 44" size. Although my bust size is 37", I want it to be bigger so the front panels meet and not look like there is a huge gap. I prefer it this way. Plus, my arms resemble popeye's arms, so I want a bit more wiggle room there. Here is an in progress shot of the back:

Look forward to seeing everyones in progess information and FOs.

Introducing me! Oh and by the way....

Hi! I've been watching the KAL, but not posting. Bad me. I'm nearly done and I must say this is one of my favorite projects that I've ever done. Stats on mine: Size 10 needles with Malabrigo Red Mahogany, less than six skeins for the 40" bust size. My gauge is such that this is coming out a bit bigger than a 40", which is just what I need! I did the sleeves and collar *before* I did the skirt and I highly recommend this method. The skirt gets a bit mind numbing and it's nice to know that when the skirt is done, you're done except for finishing! Here's a pretty accurate picture of mine color-wise:



And here's my obligatory question: How are y'all binding off? I'm at that point on the skirt and my 62 stitch panels are curling like woah! I'm gonna attempt the k2p2 bindoff in that section next, but this is so lovely I don't wanna screw it up!

Completed Duster for the books!

Hello Everyone!

I'm terrible for not posting here while I was working on it, but I just wanted to add a few photos of my now completed duster! I started in mid August and finished it on September 14th...you can read more about my experiences with "TD" on my blog post here.

Happy Knitting!

Anna of Anna's Yarn Mansion

An Australian Tilted Duster

Hi everyone,

I have discovered this knitalong by accident and have been invited to post (thanks Courtney for your help). I am doing this along with the Ready Set Knit knitalong, although have charged on ahead and have now done the two fronts and the back, and one sleeve. I have chosen to do mine in the same colour purple Peruvia as the model on the mag, and am pleased to say the colour is different than it looks, but a much better purple. I struck a couple of issues with the back shoulder shaping, but more to do with a brain malfunction on my part I think. All is now on track.

Im also of the opinion that its a little snug, especially in the sleeves. I wont want to be wearing much bulky stuff underneath, but I didnt want it to be big. I have made the 36" and I am a 37" bust. Blocking may help a little, but we will see how it goes. Was everyone else happy with their size and how did their blocking go????

Introduction

Hi, everyone! My name is Shelby (ShelbyD on Ravelry), and I found this KAL last night as I was working on the back piece of my Tilted Duster. I've only made one other adult-size sweater, but this pattern is adorable and I had suitable yarn in my stash.

I am using navy blue Cascade 200 wool on size 10 needles. In reading comments here and elsewhere, I plan to use short rows and a three-needle bindoff for the shoulders, and possibly make the sleeves a bit looser.

Happy knitting!

Invites

If you are waiting for an invite, please check your spam folder, I have like 6 people who requested to be on and I have sent three invites now. I will delete them next week if there is no answer, so if you have been waiting to get on check your spam folder. :-) Hope everyone has a good weekend.

My First KAL

Hello, I'm Anna, AnnaW on Ravelry. I'm the mother of a toddler, working on my dissertation in Pittsburgh, PA. I knit as a method of relxation and procrastination.

The Peruvia arrived last week from Jimmy Beans Wool, but I made myself finish a stack of WIPs that I'd been working on all summer. I cast on last night. The Peruvia is beautiful, with beautiful stitch definition for wool. My only concern is about the size. My bust is 37.5. I'm making the 40.5 size, and I hope it won't be too big.

Ready To Cast On!

...but I'm not letting myself yet :( I am trying to push through and finish a cardigan I started for my daughter in May (before she outgrows it!), and I know if I cast on with this yarn, even just for a gauge swatch, I won't stop until my Tilted Duster is finished!

I received my yarn yesterday, I chose the color Acquamarina in Berroco Peruvia. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago, but it was on backorder. I'm glad I didn't go with a different color, because I love this one!

By the way, I'm Penny and you can read more on my blog! My Ravelry ID is PennyLane.

So it begins!

I'm so excited I found this KAL! Like other people have said, reading the back posts has been really helpful. I'm a New Englander playing house in Pittsburgh, PA and secretly pining for the Atlantic, not that the hills aren't a nice change of scenery!

I swatched on Friday and started the back on Saturday. This is my second sweater so I'm feeling pretty good about this one. I'm using the suggested Berroci in the Purpura because I fell in love with it when the magazine landed on my doorstep.

It's going to be a little slow going at first (grad school does not seem to be conducive to long knitting sessions) but so far so good! I'll try and have some pictures up soon!

opinions needed!

SO, I finished mine a few days back (see down a bit), and I just love it. BUT despite the buttons it shifts open ever so slightly so the collar doesn't line up exactly. Since I'll never wear it unbuttoned, I am seriously debating sewing it shut along that line. It wouldn't be detectable. What do you think?

Drab, but Done

Well not completely "done". But I can happily say that I did finish the back and fronts.

I had to modify the shoulders a bit. I really hate stair stepping bind offs. They are a total PIA to seam. I tried seaming it and it looked absolutely horrible. Horrible and lumpy!

So I modified them and did a three needle bind off and now the shoulders look quite lovely.

I'm a bit further along than the picture shows. A few rows into the skirt. It's looking very nice. I still need to do the sleeves, but I wanted to work on the ribbing for a little bit.

The Peruvia is very nice to work with too! I was a bit surprised because when my yarn arrived, while it was soft, it was quite fuzzy. I thought it might be too scratchy to work with, but it's working out very nicely. I'd definitely use this yarn again.

Finished !

Yesterday in the afternoon I managed to sew on the buttons. And I could wear it in the evening !
My first Interweave Knits pattern !
It fits, sleeves are a bit long, but I don't mind, too short would be worse.
As I had to find a substitute to Berrocco Peruvia I eventually decided to knit from stash. Gedifra Fashion Trend Surprise with its colour streaks adds a little zing to the pattern and knits up well. I needed about 625 g =1225 yds.


This pattern was fun to knit, but sometimes a bit tricky. I am not the only one who misunderstood the back design, I had to frog and knit until 8 inch of height.
My alterations:
I bound off the stockinette skirt inserts k2 p2. They tend to roll up much less. After damp blocking they are fine.
I chose two smaller buttons for the inside and attached them on the inside of the right collar side and close them with crocheted eyelets on the left edge.

I plan to knit another TD for one of my daughters or someone else for christmas:-)

Dusting off

I am working steady on my Duster. I seamed up the front and backs last night. IT was so much fun that I didn't pay attention and did each one wrong, so it took me a LONG time of Frogging the seams and redoing them. I did manage to pick up for the skirt and stopped there. I know my limitations!

Pictures to come as soon as my new camera arrives this week.

OH and I am using the most lovely of Malabrigo yarns too. Yum yum

All done!

I finished my duster!!! I haven't gotten a chance to go out and buy buttons, but otherwise all done. My son took two picutres (which is why I look like I am defying gravity!). I'll post better ones tonight on my blog. I used 2 skeins and a tiny bit of Eco Wool in a pretty chocolate brown (I knit the small). It knit up very fast and I made no alterations.

Test Run Tilted Duster

I started the Tilted Duster a couple of days ago. I've finished the back and cast on both fronts (L & R) together, so I can knit them both at the same time. I'm hoping that this way, they'll both be the same size. Due to total lack of funds at this time, I'm knitting from stash because I didn't want to wait. I want this sweater now, rather than later. Unfortunately, the only yarn that I had enough of was Canadiana. It's acrylic, and doesn't have the softness of wool, but I figured that this sweater could be a "test run" and if it turns out well and looks good on, I could upgrade the yarn for the next version.

Getting there...

I have been furiously knitting. I was hoping to have this done by now, but I caught a nasty cold (as did everyone else in my household, dogs excluded) and I am running behind schedule. Since ripping out my first attempt at this pattern, I think that I am liking the new version much better. It will be a bit bulkier, since I was using Elann's Sierra Aran and now I am using Malabrigo Worsted, but I just love the Malabrigo so much. It is so lofty and soft. I hope we get some cool weather this year. I sit outside at a lot of soccer games (my eldest daughter plays high school and club soccer) and it can get really cold out there. This sweater should be great for those chilly Fall/Winter games.

I finished the fronts, back and skirt. I am not working on the collar. I have a 1/4 of one sleeve done. I just got bored and had to get to the skirt. Only one maybe snafu.....I may, may, may...hoping not....run out of yarn. I think I will be ok and I can order another skein, but it probably won't be the exact dye lot. Still keeping my fingers crossed that won't be necessary. That is sort of why I am trying to rush this last part. I want to know ASAP if I am going to have a yarn crisis or not. If all goes well, I should be done early this week. I am really liking this knit. It is really simple and straightforward. I thought it would be a lot more complicated. Happily, that is not the case. This is a good knit for a beginner/intermediate. I would definitely recommend this one to someone that want to take the plunge into garment knitting.

just a short notice:both sleeves are finished. now I am actually working on the skirt, perhaps finish it today in the evening in front of the TV. it's a big piece of fabric. I am looking forward to knit the collar and hope the sleeves are not so tight.
Thank you for posting dropped stitches' pattern review and her photos of her finished TD!

Back armhole shaping.

Hi, I'm knothead03, and I am really excited about this pattern. This is also my first knitalong. I have started the tilted duster and I like it alot so far. One thing, though, I did the armhole shaping on the back wrong the first time, and I have reknit it. What I can't figure out is that the left side of the shaping is longer than the right side. I followed the directions exactly, and dont know what's wrong. Any suggestions?

Tilted Duster Podcast

I heard recently that the next Webs Store Podcast "Ready, Set, Knit!" will feature Norah Gaughan. I think they are doing a knit-along of the Tilted Duster, which they will cast-on this weekend.

I have finished the top of the sweater, the collar, and two unattached sleeves, and am currently getting sick of the skirt. Hopefully I will have time to finish this weekend!

Enjoy!
Kel

pictures/blog about finished tilted duster

Just wanted to let you know that one of the knitting blogs I read, The Brown Sheep, has just posted really fantastic pictures of a finished TD. She also gave a really detailed critque from the sleeves to the yarn.

http://droppedstitches.blogspot.com/

Happy Viewing!

Working the sleeves

Hi there!

I started my duster last Saturday, and I've got the top done and now I'm working the skirt. However, I was wondering....has anybody tried picking up stitches around the armhole and working the sleeves down from the body in the round? I absolutely hate sleeves that are too long (I usually make 3/4 sleeves because I don't like them around my wrists) and I usually have a hard time gauging how long to make them when I start at the bottom. I have Barbara Walker's book Knitting from the Top and I think I'll check that and see if I can figure a way to work those sleeves. Does it sound doable?

Michelle

A Duster with Sleeves

Here's an updated and somewhat-more-purple-than-in-real-life shot of my duster.

I only have two more repeats of THE 8 rows to go (woot woot!) I think there's a small chance (fingers crossed) that I'll have this bad boy blocking this weekend.

Some of you have asked how setting the sleeves before seaming up the side seams and picking up the stitches for the skirt worked out. I think it worked out fine. The whole piece is a little larger and heavier than if I had decided to hold off on the seaming. It's not great for say knitting and walking (although I do manage with the top half of the sweater in a tote bag that I carry on my shoulder while I knit away on the skirt on the commute home from work) but overall it was the best decision for me. The first few rows of the skirt were a bit of a pain since I would have to pick up the whole sweater and turn it at the end of each row, now that I've made some progress on it, the extra bulk doesn't hinder my knitting at all.

Another thing that I did with my duster was alternate right and left-leaning M1s to have a more polished increase line (M1 left when you start the stockinette "slice" and M1 right at the end of said "slice"). There's a very good instructional video here on how to execute the M1 right vs. M1 left if you want to refresh your memory.

Hopefully I'll have some FO pictures for you all early next week! Thanks to everyone who has been posting updates on their dusters, it's really helping me stay motivated.

Amanda

block first

Hello,
So glad I found this KAL. Reading previous post really helped when my front and back didn't match up.

Should I block the fronts and the back first before I sew it all together or should I wait until everything is all finished?
Thanks for your help.

seaming technique?

I SUCK at seaming and I don't want to screw this up since this was a laborious project for me. So, what seaming technique have you used on your tilted duster

Splitting Yarn

Somehow every time I work on the Tilted Duster my left wrist hurts. Maybe I am just pulling the yarn too tightly. I finished and sewed the fronts and back and because I am a very impatient person I went ahead started the skirt. I couldn't see any reason for making the sleeves next, except to just get them done. Sewing was hard because if you tug on the Berroco yarn it just pulls apart. Did anyone else have that problem? I am already dreading sewing the sleeves. Maybe I should use some other yarn for sewing. I love the way it looks so far but I already made one mistake in a tilted section. There was a huge hole on a M1. Knitting back with over 200 stitches wasn’t going to work so I tried to drop it down and fix it that way. The hole is gone but it is certainly not perfect

Second sleeve

I've made quick progress finishing the sides, back and one sleeve in just two nights of work. I started the second sleeve and hope to finish it tonight after the kdis go to sleep. I am torn as to whether to sew the sleeves in before doing the skirt or waiting until the end. This is my evening only project, so I won't be transporting it anywhere. Anyone have any reasons to do it one way versus the other. Just want to be sure I'm not fogetting something! I figure if I can get the whole top assembled, I can try it on for size and fix any issues before starting the skirt. Thanks all!!

Hope I finish this thing!

I am just beginning the duster. I'm using the Granada colorway from Berroco and ordered it from Webs. The package was here when I got home from work. I will swatch tomight and I want to wash it on "handwash" to see if it felts or holds up without shrinking. I have a history of UFOs when I get bored with a pattern (usually about the sleeves) so I have to stay focused!
Plus I work in a LYS and I get very distracted there!

Felted Duster

A cautionary tale: Wool is NOT my friend.

After completing my duster knitted from Berroco Peruvia that fit perfectly, I put it in the washing machine with the setting at cold water, handwash delicate cycle thinking it would firm up my stitches and remove the "wooly" smell. I was horrified to find that one side felted beyond repair -- although I used cold water, I think the gentle agitation added to the unwanted felting process. The whole thing is wasted and now I'll painfully cut off my fancy buttons and save for another day.

You may know this already, but PLEASE learn from my mistake and only hand wash your wool duster.

And So We Begin

My Berroco Peruvia arrived two days ago. It's not quite as light as the picture had showed, but all the same I like it. It's kind of an oatmeal color and it's very soft:

I started my gauge swatch last night. I didn't get gauge on the 10's, so I went down to a 9 and it's looking pretty good. I cast on and did a few rows late last night and this is what I have so far:

The yarn definitely has good stitch definition.

Teal Duster

Aloha everybody! Thanks for having a knit-along! I bought yarn on Saturday and started Monday afternoon, and with the help of a few movies, am knitting right along.

The wool is Galway Highland Heather in a nice teal color (Courtney: Are you using the same wool in grey? Did you get gauge with #10s?)

I am yet another curvy knitter concerned about the empire waist and the diamond over the tummy, so post those photos when you have them! Y'all think it might look like maternity-wear?
Aloha! Kel

Le Slog

Hello lovely Tilted Duster folk. I just signed up for this KAL. Here is a slightly outdated photo of my Toronto-based Duster.

To knit the 36" size, I'm using the recommended Berroco yarn in the Granada colourway since it was relatively inexpensive and readily available. I'm really enjoying knitting with this yarn. I love the colour, it is a perfect interpretation of a pomegranate (*yum*).

So far I've made it through the body, both sleeves, and two repeats of the skirt. Cleverly/foolishly enough (the jury's still out), I decided to set the sleeves before starting the skirt since I find it much easier to do so before the side seams have been sewn (it is making the whole skirt knitting thing a little unwieldy though).

I'm beginning to feel as though I may be suffering from a case of the slogs as I work my way through the skirt. I expect that it's mostly a symptom of the cooler weather that we've been having as of late and by extension my growing anticipation to wear the finished product!

I'll try and post an updated photo this weekend.

Happy knitting,
Amanda

It's a Great Fit

Hey, kaleidoscopic. Looks like we share the same taste in yarn and color choices. I too, opted for the suggested Berroco in Marron. We had a debate at my LYS on what this color is exactly. I've been on a brown kick lately and thought this different shade of brown would be a good transition to other colors but everyone just tells me "it's brown." Such is life. I didn't do a gauge but the fit is perfect. I knitted a few extra rows on the collar for a turtleneck fit and a few extra to make the sleeves a bit longer. I plan to post a modeled picture after I wash and block it. Knit On - KnitnRide

Boggle the mind

well, I put up a post weeks ago about having ordered my yarn and saying that I tend to knit socks on 0 when 2 is called for... so I went out and got size 8 and 9 needles and started with the 8, well, I am up to 9 so I guess you can never tell what gauge will be on what needles until you figure it out!

So I started. My first sweater and all instructions look like a foreign language to me so I am getting that first four inches done of the back THEN I will do one sentence at a time and figure it out. When I try to read too much I get that panicky feeling.

I am on my way!

My first KAL

This is my first KAL and it's been very useful to have read all the previous posts about matching the front and back armholes. I'm doing the duster in Araucania Nature Wool, in a light to medium gray and have just completed about an inch of the skirt. My gauge was exactly correct - so I counted rows for the fronts rather than measure. I don't normally do this - but for this garment it seemed to be more accurate - everything fit perfectly when I sewed up the sides and shoulders. I'm finding that I need to be very careful about finishing details - while mattress stitch worked for the sides it looked horrible at the shoulders, so I used the crochet method at the shoulders. I will try to post a picture at the end of this stage (the skirt). Erika

New Member

I've just joined and am so happy to be a member of this KAL. I bought this yarn, Berroco Peruvia, at Webs when I was on vacation. Because I read a few of your posts I started with the front because I figured I could get the back to match better. I cast on last night and did 4 inches. All the decreases are on the armhole edge, right? I have another question too. I am afraid the diagonal will be too high, on top of my bust. Do you think I could add a few inches to the sides to make the top part longer?
Hope you can help.
Thanks.

Yarn's bought!

Hi everyone - I've finally bought the yarn for my 'Tilted Duster' - it's a James C. Brett Denim Aran yarn in a very similar colour to the magazine one, as you can see. I've had to buy something mainly acrylic as I'm one of those unlucky ones who is allergic to wool. I'm hoping that the 20% wool content will be OK, as I'm intending to use it over other clothes. I've just got a 'few' WIPs which I must finish (well, I'll be finishing some of them) and then I can get started knitting this lovely jacket.. Reading all your posts is really helping me to decide what size to knit etc. I'll let you know when I cast on!

Getting Started - Need Advice

Hi Ladies!

I just finished the project that was in line before this one and now I'm ready to get going. I have one concern though -- seems like maybe the model in the magazine is small chested. I saw a photo online of a woman wearing her newly knit sweater. I freaked out. It just didn't look good at all and now I'm starting to question exactly what size I should knit.

Anyone had similar thoughts? How much ease are you all figuring into your garment? It would have been helpful ease guidelines were included in the pattern. I'm hankering to get moving on this, but don't want to spend a lot of time knitting something that isn't going to look good.

I would love to hear your opinions!

Thanks!
Christy

Starting over...

Well, I ripped out my first attempt at the Tilted Duster. It just didn't seem right and the arm holes looked WWWWAAAAYYYY too big for the sleeves. There was just no way they were going to fit. I decided to change yarns, too. I was previously knitting with Elann's Peruvian Sierra Aran, which I love, but I thought I would go with something a bit more substantial and I changed to Malabrigo worsted. The color is Pearl Ten. It's a dusty purple/grey. A very unusual color, but I really like it. I bought this yarn at Stitches West in February and have been waiting for the right pattern. I think Tilted Duster is it. Malabrigo is so soft. I just love the stuff. I am trying to be really good and knit more slowly than my last try. I want to follow the pattern to the letter, because I cannot stand the thought of ripping out again. Hopefully, it will all work out this time. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Seaming question

So I've finished the shoulder and side seams, and they went well, but it looks like the two techniques I used on them won't look very good when sewing in the sleeves. Does anyone have a recommendation of how I should sew them in? This is definitely a weak point of mine (it's why I rarely make sweaters).

Blocking!

Well, at the expense of packing for college, I was able to knit my second sleeve yesterday and block it, the other sleeve, the fronts, and the back overnight! Here's what they looked like after I took out the pins (please excuse the poor photos; they're night shots in an already poorly-lit room).



Neither photo really shows the true colors of the yarn; it's a bright burgundy. The yarn is called Pittsburgh by a Dutch (I think! at least the label's mostly in Dutch, with a little French) company. Hopefully I have enough, since I picked it up a few years ago at a yarn shop in Pittsburgh that was closing, and I've never seen the yarn anywhere else (including online). If anyone else has heard of it, please let me know. It's a really nice 40% wool/60% acrylic mix, and it came in gorgeous colors.

My goal is to do all the seaming tonight and get a bit of the skirt done before I go to bed. This pattern really is addictive; I've put off doing so much (still only half packed despite leaving for college tomorrow morning) because I just want to get "one more section" done!

All of your dusters are looking great; I can't wait to see them all finished! :D

Hello Hello

I am patiently waiting for my yarn to arrive and then will have to go on my quest for knitting needles.. I tend to need two sizes less than called for so I think I will sit myself at the yarn shop and swatch, haha. This is my first sweater project so excited and nervous and planning on a lot of ripping back so I don't get disappointed the first time I have to! I am watching the posts here to learn and wow! you all are fast knitters!! LOL and already I see a common problem creeping up with the armholes so I will know to pay close attention.

Sharon
aka Secret Spindle

Hmmmm should I redo?

So I have the back and the fronts done and in a boredome induced fit from knitting the sleeves, I decided to sew the back to the fronts. I knitted them correctly, with the part under the armholes at exactly 4 inches. The problem is, on the front, doing all the decreases and everything make the part that matches up to it about 4.5 - 5 inches. I fudged it pretty good when I sewed it together, but I mean, it is almost an inch of fabric, so I at least can tell that it isn't quite right.

So should I rip the back and redo it with a longer starting section? Or should I first try to pick up the skirt stitches and see what happens?

I am still working on the sleeves, but I am getting ready to start my decreases for the cap. I hope to start the skirt soon, it has been a slow knitting week. :-(

A start

Hello, everyone! This is the first KAL I've ever joined; I'm excited to see how different and beautiful our dusters will all look! I started mine two days ago, and so far I have both the fronts, back, and one sleeve completed. Today I plan on finishing the second sleeve and blocking everything, so I can sew it up and begin knitting the skirt on Friday.

One word of advice to those who haven't started: pay attention to the directions for the back! Most of the time they say "measure x inches from CO edge," but they do once say "measure x inches from the beginning of the armhole." I missed that before and ended up with a back that was way too small! It seems others have also made the same mistake, so be careful! :D

Not a happy knitter.....

I was so excited to start this project. I was really on a roll...the back, the two front pieces and the sleeves all done. Well, when I went to put the fronts and back together, I realized that the armholes are just gigantic and there was no way this was going to work out. I followed the instructions, but no go. I tried to think of different ways to make it work without ripping out any of my knitting, but there is just no way. So.....I am definitely going to have to rip out the two fronts and probably the back, too. Very frustrating, but I would rather do this right. I am trying to figure out if I screwed up or if the pattern is a little off. I was making the largest size, but I think I may go down a size. Did anyone else have this problem? There was just no way those sleeves were going to fit into the enormous armholes. So.....on to ripping and re-knitting.

Cast on finally - yarn change

Yipee, I finished another knit and so I dared to cast on The Tilted Duster!
After rummaging through my stash in the basement I decided on taking another yarn. Not rose- daughter is not so enthusiastic about a large knit wip, not brown yet, but a dark green melange with some stripes of petrol here and there.
Gedifra Fashion Trend Surprise col 4480, 90m/50g Needles 6mm
It will go with jeans and everything petrol and green in my wardrobe, perfect!



Yesterday in the evening with "The Commitments" on TV, I managed to knit most of the back, after frogging once because size 44 /94 stitches came out way too big!
Size 40 1/2 is better.



Shoulder shaping planned for today...........

It's my turn

To be excited to cast on for the Duster. But first a swatch of some lovely Malabrigo in a wonderful Dusty Rose Color! Weeeeeeeeeee Pics to come soon and Good luck to all!

Kimber out

rip rip

I love this jacket and I thought was a somewhat of an experienced knitter, but I'm not! I must havehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif messed up the front piece panels because as you can see here..they are too big.

Nina
one of two sicilian chicks

Ready to start

Hi my name is Denise and I love this duster. I already have my yarn. It's a beautiful red alpaca blend, my favorite color. I can't wait to start it but I'm trying to finish my v-neck sweater first which is coming down the home stretch. I only have about seven inches left on the body and then I have to do the sleeves and collar. Now that I wrote it out it seems like a lot left doesn't it, but I hope to have it done in the next two weeks.

Hi

Hi - I'm Lynda aka The Holistic Knitter. I live in a small slate mining town in North Wales, in the UK. I am eagerly awaiting my copy of the Fall Interweave Knits, which should be with me any day now. I fell in love with this duster when I saw it on the web, and can't wait to start buying yarn and getting knitting. I look forward to seeing how everyone progresses. You can check out my other WIPs here.

Soon to cast on

Well, I am very excited to be knitting this duster for myself! I bought 3 Cascade Eco in a pretty chocolate brown (color 8085). I've used Eco before for the Hand in Hand vest in the last IK and was very pleased with the feel when it was finished. I am planning to start as soon as I finish my current project (a self-designed cardigan). Drop on over and visit me! I am really looking forward to seeing how all the dusters turn out!!

Rachel

Today's Progress

So I didnt knit too much today, only about 4 1/2 hours, but I started the sleeves. I got the ribbing done yesterday and I am 3/4 way done almost with the sleeves. :-) The 3rd picture down is where I stopped. I will work on them some more tonight and then again tomorrow when I meet with my friends to knit. Right now I need to go and set up an Etsy store for my friend so I will talk to you later. :-)