Pagode Finale

I thought I'd never see this post.

Pattern: Pagode by Hanne Falkenberg

Yarn: Hanne Falkenberg No. 2 Shetland
Needles: Size 3
Colorway: Khaki/Straw/Ivory/Blue green/Flax/Rust
Cost: $130 from Knitswap email list
Cast on: April 2007
Cast off: April 28, 2010
Progress posts: Enabled, cast on, first rip, why oh why did I knit two identical fronts, ripped again, Finale!

This was a spur of the moment purchase through an email list. It was half price and I was bored at work. But I truly love the yarn and the unique design. It's all done in garter stitch on size 3 needles. The fronts (plus half the sleeves till where the colors end in the picture) are done in two pieces, and back is one piece, sleeves are picked up from the edges after shoulders are seamed.

The project took three years to finish, partially because it's all garter stitch and becomes quite boring after awhile. But because of the simple garter stitches, I mostly kept it in the car, as something I worked on during long car trips. Because of the simple stitches and unique construction and pattern writing, one small slip in reading cost me quite a bit of trouble. There were three major rips, first I switched colors (ivory and wheat) in the first front, then I forgot the pocket on the second front; then once the second front was finished, it looked exactly the same as the first. I didn't have enough yarn to knit two more identical fronts (why would I want to do that anyway?), and couldn't just flip it over and use the back side. I had to rip out an entire finished front -- 386 stitches on the cast on edge.

But really, look at the finished product, it's all worth it.

Pagode in Frog Pond

I switched the ivory with wheat, so there is a nice contrast with blue and ivory, but the yellow and wheat pretty much blend with each other.

Last night an hour was put in to rip out almost a quarter of a sweater knitted on size 3 needles, and hundreds of stitches were picked up.

I'm going to get my money's worth out of this kit.

Progress on Pagode

With over 300 stitches per row, it's quite a slow going. But I'm glad to see the pattern emerging. This is half a front and one sleeve. Fun to knit and lovely yarn.

My previous posting is here.

Pagode Cast on

I'm new on this blog and new to Hanne Falkenberg sweaters. I bought a Pagode kit last year (there are some write ups on my blog here and here) and finally had a chance to cast it on this past weekend. So far I really enjoy the yarn. I'm making the smallest size, so as to avoid counting more than 386 stitches.