Bibs & Frills

My progress on my jacket has been creepy-crawling along (honestly it’s been like, two creeps forward, one crawl back), so here’s a couple items that I’ve already worn a lot. First is my third No Frills sweater, and it’s the furthest No Frills from the designer’s intention I’ve made so far. I had yarn left over from my aborted shawl project, and the fact that it wasn’t totally suitable for this pattern wasn’t going to prevent me from misapplying it one more time!

This is hardly an original observation, but as someone who comes from sewing, being able to reuse every inch of already-used yarn is just wild. In a nice way! This took 6 balls of Cascade 2020 Superwash in Midnight Heather (originally from WEBS) and it’s not just *not* the two strands held together that Petite Knits asks for, it’s also ever-so-slightly heavier than the combo of those two strands.  Also, I’ve read that a project made from Superwash yarn can grow. So: bigger yarn, finished item tends to grow. And then for some reason I decided to size up from an M to an L?

Listen, I kind of know why I did this. It’s because I think big sweaters look expensive and luxurious. Afterwards, I realized that big sweaters which fit appropriately and are made of high-end fibers and use tiny stitches look expensive and luxurious. My big sweater mostly looks big.

It did knit up unbelievably quickly, though. I cast on on 11/20/2022, and completed it on 1/7/2023, which with my skills, is like a-cheetah-chasing-Seabiscuit fast. And it went smoothly – unusually smoothly, in fact. Partly it’s because I’d followed the pattern twice already but also it was just plain luck.

I decided to use 2×2 ribbing on the collar, cuffs, and hem, confident that it would work because these areas have even numbers of stitches. But afterwards I realized “even” wasn’t enough, they all had to be divisible by 4, because I was actually repeating a 4-stitch unit!! And the reason I noticed afterwards and not during is that THEY ALL WERE DIVISIBLE BY 4!! I gasp!

2×2 rib was the wrong choice, by the way, because now my already tends-to-grow big-yarn sized-up sweater would also be looser at those critical points. I guess I just thought a big yarn called for big details.

I also bound off in the round, ignoring the pattern, because I like the braided look of that edge. It’s easier and theoretically less polished but I find it pretty! I don’t really know the virtues of an invisible bind-off beyond invisibility, so I might have traded away something unknown. I also followed this video to neaten the last stitch.

Confession time: I still haven’t blocked this thing. I’ve just been wearing it around all sloppy. It’s already so big, even though I stopped knitting the sleeves and body a little early, and I’m worried about making it bigger! But one of the points of Superwash is that I occasionally want to wash it (I wore it while carrying around a newborn. It could use a bath). I am troubled. Can I block it smaller instead of bigger, or would Superwash yarn laugh madly at the attempt?

Or…I know this is a thing…what are your best practices for going back into a finished knit garment and ripping out and shortening? I think shorter sleeves would balance the wide body, but I’m frankly scared. Can you run a lifeline through the sleeve before snipping anything? Is there a ritual candle I should light and special words to mutter? Because, clunkiness aside, I wear the heck out of this sweater. It’s warm and there are NO issues fitting layers underneath!

Today’s layer, in point: my favorite Burnside Bibs.

If you want to see how this fabric used to look before fading go check out the sample photos, because I straight-up copied one and I have no regrets. This is Essex cotton/linen in Jungle, and I might remake this pair, no changes, which is not my usual move but in this case tempting. I could also try over-dying to bring back some of the vibrance, but given that I sewed the original pair in 2017 it’s showing its age in a couple places.

But not as many as I might fear. The strap connection points, which see the most stress, are fraying, and the outermost belt loops, which experience constant friction, are eroding too. And because I wear this often in many contexts it’s a bit shmutzy in places.

Generally, though, it’s as wearable today as it was 7 years ago (yep, did that math and then said “yikes” aloud).  

I can’t guarantee I’ll like the style forever, but the Bibs design is pretty future-proof in terms of body size changes. While pregnant I discovered a surprising number of garments in my closet that rely on the wearer stepping through a nest of straps and then cinching something and you know what, they all fit comfortably the entire time. I love a good sturdy zipped garment too, but it’s a great technique! It might be worth repeating! Identically! In fresh Jungle fabric!! No notes!!!

Even if this loose-fitting sweater + overall combo apparently makes me a FLAME TRAP.

But hey! At least a halfway self-extinguishing one!

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Pattern: No Frills sweater

Pattern cost: NA

Size: L

Supplies: 6 balls of Cascade 2020 Superwash in Midnight Heather (1320 yards), $56.75, WEBS

Total time: Cast on 11/20/2022; cast off 1/7/2023

Total cost: $56.75

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Pattern: Sew House Seven Burnside Bibs

Pattern cost: NA

Size: 14, dartless version

Supplies: 4 yards Essex linen/cotton in Jungle, fabric.com, $26.58; thread, Michael’s, $1.79

Total time: 7.75 hours

Total cost: $28.47