Finally the Sunrise Circle Jacket makes it entrance

After 3 weeks ago sewing the Sunrise Circle Jacket together I have finally put the buttons on. I wore it today to SNB and got so many great comments, everyone loved it, as I do. It was an easy knit, although I must admit that during the Sunrise Circle Jacket Knitalong and reading so many comments about the sleeves being way to long, I was a bit scared about sewing it up and trying it on, but there was no need to worry, as the size 37in that I knitted, fitted me perfectly, sleeves and all. I knitted it with Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed 8 ply in colour Emerald, it is a beautiful yarn to knit with.

The knitting is done...

The sunrise is knitted, but now I need to block and finish it. Like many others I'm still not sure what to do about the closures and I may even end up lining it. Does anyone have experience in lining knit garments? I've lined sewn jackets, skirts etc. but am not sure whether it is such a good idea with a knit. Anyway...blocking is tomorrow.

There is progress.

I went camping in Sequoia National Park last week and have progress. I am concerned about sleeve length though. I am knitting up the large (41") since I have a 39" bust. I measured about 17.5" from wrist to armpit but think the shoulder portion of the sleeve will add way to much length. Should I shorten the sleeve and continue with the shoulder portion?
-Ansley

Another Sunrise in the making...

Hello, I'm Bettina and I live in Spain. I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

My yarn for the sunrise circle jacket arrived a couple of weeks ago and I started right away. I'm using Alpaca Sport, 100% Alpaca, color 2030. I ordered it from Wollkontor in Berlin.

I have finished the back, left front and have now started on the right front and with the raglan decreases on the right sleeve.

The picture is a progress shot from the back, so far there are no other shots. Unfortunately, the colour does not come out very well.

Once the pieces are blocked, I'm planning on making a pattern of them and then I'll line the jacket. That should give the hem around the front something to hang on to. Unfortunately, while the Alpaca gets gauge perfectly, both stitch and row, it is very light and not dense enough to please me. Therefore the lining.

In regards to the buttons, I am hoping a local glassblower will custom make me five toggles (four plus one spare) to match the colour. I'll have to talk to him and take him a swatch.

Congratulations to all of you, I keep reading everyones posts and your work is beautiful.

T'il next time, Bettina

My progress

Hi,

I'm another late joiner and looks like I'm on the same part of the pattern as Connie!



I'm enjoying the pattern and the yarn (Rowan Yorshire Tweed in maze). However I am quite a slow knitter - life always gets in the way - so it might be a while before I have another action shot to show you.

Late joiner

Hi, I've been working on the jacket on and off this summer. I am using a discontinued yarn from Patternworks........its a microfiber,wool, cashmere blend and I can't remember the name right this sec. Anyway, I got stitch gauge but not row gauge so I'm adjusting as I go. I'm glad to read the tips on sizing, but I read the part about doing the front first too late! Oh well, if its too big I'm going to give it away. Here is my WIP.......Connie

Beginnings

I have begun my Sunrise, but the heat wave in Los Angeles has made me put it aside. This will be my first sweater. I am using Cascade 220 tweed in color #7610. I am truly excited about the project.
-Ansley

Finally, my finished Sunrise

Sunrise Circle Jacket fin 02
Originally uploaded by Paisley Womble.

I'm not quite as brave as Donni, I didn't take to the jacket with hot water and agitation to shrink it, but I did take to the sleeves with the scissors. Once I'd unpicked the seam I picked up all the stitches with a circular needle before I snipped. Doing both sleeves only took me an evening and wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated. My sleeves look a bit wider than most people's as I put some extra width in my sleeves to begin with (I don't like my sleeves so close fitting) and compensated with extra raglan decreases. I ended up going with these turquoisey toggle-shaped buttons. I'm not 100% sold on the colour, but I can always change them later if I find something nicer.

In hindsight, I would have knit the next size down (but continuing with the extra sleeve width) as the jacket leaves plenty of (almost too much) room for layering underneath. However I've been getting a fair bit of wear from it since I finished it a couple of weeks ago so it won't end up as a knitted white elephant.

Here it is

I believe I am the most unphotogenic person in the world. I literally freeze when I see a camera, and while I look utterly disgusted in the bottom pic, I am actually very happy with how the sunrise finally turned out, after much prodding.

Anyway, I used Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, in Highland. This is the size 37, with many blocking modifications, and I sewed up the front. I think it may need a little more tweaking - maybe I'll resew the front again.

I used just under 8 balls, which was way under the yarn spec. It's a beautiful yarn, my favourite ever. And thanks to my delightful BF, I now have a closeup of the yarn to show you - not as bright as in daylight, but you can now see some of the flecky tweedy loveliness of it!

Blocking and sewing are my friends!

I finished this jacket nearly two weeks ago, and was keen to wear it for my birthday. It was finished in time, but the fit was disappointingly off. I knitted the 37", when I have a 38" bust, and once I'd blocked the pieces (which didn't need much coaxing in the end), and sewed it all up, it was TINY! I mean, the pieces blocked to the measurements exactly, and I'd stretched the fronts a little wider, so I expected this to fit well. But it looked like a kiddie jumper (sweater) and I could not get the toggles in any position where there wasn't serious gaping involved. Not good. I figured the jacket must have been designed for a miniscule person with a 37" bust. I'm about a size 12 Australian (8 or 10 US?), by no means large, but it was shockingly tiny on me.

So, what to do? I'd already blocked the pieces and the finished object, but no improvement. I then thought if I dunked it in water fully (the first time I'd only sprayed it) and stretched the $%^#&@ out of it by blocking it again, it might improve further. I was not confident, but guess what, now it fits (yippeeeee!), and it seems to be about a whole size bigger! I stretched the bust another 2 inches across, and the arms another inch too (they were so tight before)...

And to fix the gapey toggle issue? I sewed up the entire front of the jacket along the curve, left the loops on, and re-sewed the toggles into place. Voila - a fake fronted cardigan, but at least there's no gaping now!

So - if anyone is having similar problems, don't cry and burn your sunrise (as I nearly did), just block and sew! It CAN work!