Caramel Denin Fair Isle

Knitting Olympic Challenge!! (click to read Stephanie's Rules if you don't already know)

Pattern: Caramel Denim Fair Isle designed by Fiona Ellis from Interweave Knits Fall 2001
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style DK and Encore DK
Started February 10 at 8:00 pm during the Opening Ceremonies and finished February 15, 2006 at 2:00 pm! WAHOO! I did it! (It didn't hurt that I got a bad cold during this time and had to stay home sick. Really. It's true. I felt awful. Well, not so bad that I couldn't knit)

Comments: Where to begin? The recommended yarn wasn't available so I substituted something with the same gauge in similar colors. The pattern is written for child sizing so I chose the size 6 to get a finished chest measurement of 35 inches (it actually finished 38 before seaming). I was supposed to get gauge on US needle sizes 6 and 4 (it is DK after all) and ended up using size 2 and 3 Addi Turbos. (I nearly cried every time I knit a gauge swatch and went down another needle size, but in the end, it's the same number of stitches regardless of what size needles). I added an inch to the body length and changed the sleeve length and shaping. When I finished all the pieces, I sweated on how to weave in all those @#$*& ends, so I "cheated". I used my sewing machine, and with really short, tight stitches, sewed in the middle of the edge row along the fair isle and striped sections. I then cut off (!!!) all those ends and zig zagged over the whole mess. It looks like it was done with a serger. Kind of like steeks! All that matters is that it worked and the yarn police never came knocking. Mind you, if I had had the time, I wouldn't have done this. I'm very pleased with this sweater and my only regret, if you could even call it that, is that it isn't 100% wool.