knitting neels

I finished this up a few days ago but it took a few more days for it to dry out from blocking.

Pattern: Girl Friday from Knitty. I made the 37″ size. Normally I would make the 35″ or 36″ size so I had my reservations about this size, but I like the amount of ease. It suits the style of the garment.

Yarn: Garn Studio Alaska from the Constant Knitter. I really like this yarn! I’d never knit with it before. It’s just a nice, good-quality, 100% wool that has good yardage for the price. It blocks out really well, as you’d expect from a pure wool yarn.

Needles: 5mm for the whole thing.

Modifications: Not a huge lot really, I accidentally made the sleeves nearly 20 inches long so they’re very snug! The first time I made this, I decided to take out a pile of stitches either side of the side seams to make it more close fitting. It was a complete disaster and I ended up having to reknit the body entirely. Thankfully, it’s a pretty quick knit so it didn’t take me that long to do again.

I blocked out the band and the collar pretty severely. The 1×1 rib pulled the front up a lot but the blocking did a good job.

My only reservation about the pattern is the kimono shaping for the shoulders. They suit the girl in the pattern but on me, I look a bit like a rugby player. I’m hoping it will sort of conform to my shape the more I wear it. Overall, though, it was a quick knit (especially if you don’t have to knit the body twice) and the pattern was clear and easy to follow. This is a definite keeper for my wardrobe! It’ll go with lots of different things (including pyjamas. Very important).