A Slice Of Color

All that is left to accomplish is to sew down the casing, insert elastic and voila!  I shall be stepping out in style.

The bias stripes of the skirt become flirty with the pop of the short row color wedges. I've been working on this skirt for quite a while, and now that the end is near, it has all been worth it.

Should you be inclined to cast on:

Interweave Knits Summer 2011 magazine  Swirl Skirt pattern by AnneLena Mattison

My version is made from Twisted Sisters Oasis in the Mink color (from my stash) and Plymouth Yarn Vita color 120 (purchased special for this skirt).  I really think that I like the Vita.  It is 85% recycled cotton with 15% recycled cashmere.  This sure feels nice while working it and never did dry my skin the way some cotton does.  

I have now knit three skirts.  Each is very different.  Each has been a test of patience - but no more so than seaming a sweater after the same amount of knitting.  Maybe that is the real difference and why I enjoy making skirts.  The first two that I made were top down and constructed in rounds which means no seams to make.  This one did require grafting but that was not too difficult.

So, the skirt saga ends with a swirl and a slice of color.  I like that.

The Sweet Sigh of AAHHH!

One hundred fifty-six stitches on each needle to start, heaps of patience, lots of breathing and caffeine,  about eighty-five inches of yarn and it all turned out equal!

There was a lot of joy here this morning when the last of the matching one hundred fifty-six stitches was grafted together.  Let me tell you straight out.  That's a whole heap of kitchener stitching.  A whole heap.  I am exhausted.  

But getting to the end and seeing those final stitches match up with no left over "oops" was a thrill.  I didn't even have to fake anything.  Does this mean that I have skill?

The skirt is nearing completion.  Click on this photo to enlarge the unblocked grafted seam.  There is a needle jammed in the stitches so that you can follow the seam.    Once blocked, I am certain that this will truly be an invisible join and the skirt stripes will be visually unbroken.  

Can I hear a Hallelujah!

In addition to the joy of a well grafted seam, I am pleased that I remembered to weave in ends as I knit this beauty.  Just look at these tails.  A simple snip and the underside will be a work of art without all that extra fiddly needle work.

Enough celebrating for now.  There are still one hundred eighty bazillion stitches to pick up around the waist and a casing to knit.