The Reunion Catkin (w/ correction)

 

I am happy to say I have finished my Catkin by Carina Spencer.   I made it out of Madelinetosh Merino Light in the Oxblood and Rosewood colors.  I was trying to come up with a cute name for my Catkin using the color names, but with ox & blood nothing sounded right: Oxrose, Bloodrose, Oxwood, Bloodwood.  It is too pretty to have an unpleasant name.  It is my Reunion Catkin since I made it to wear to the football game back home during my 30 year reunion.  Go Tigers!  Our school colors are/were maroon & gold, as you can see.  This yarn is a single ply and a dream to knit with.  Since it is very round, the stitches pop.  I did find that where I had to rework an area, the yarn wanted to untwist itself a little, but I don't think it hurt the finished project.  I won't call myself a yarn snob yet, but I am beginning to really appreciate all the wonderful choices out there.



Madelinetosh Merino Light



I am still trying to figure out what I did to cause the short row effect right at the beginning/neck area.  Maybe I increased every other row and should have been every row for awhile.  I thought it would block out, but it didn't.



Once I get some blocking wires, I will try it again.  The length was 42" and should be 50", so it can block out some more with the wires helping me.  I found some cute hexigon shaped metal buttons at Hancock Fabrics, used a coupon and was pleased it cost only $3.50 for 2 cards or 8 buttons.  I didn't get a close-up of them for you, I forgot.  You can still see the yarn ends from where the buttons were sewn on.  lol
 

Finally on knit rows!



This has been a challenge for me.  I read from a chart, actually it has Chart 1 for the tan area, then Chart 2A, Chart 2B and Chart 2C for the color work section.  There was some ripping back, dropping and correcting stitches.  I am pleased to say that I took the time to get it right.  Now if I can only find out what I did wrong that made that funny bump...

UPDATE: I found out what I must have done wrong on my Reunion Catkin.  After reblocking, (thanks MrsAbi) I had way too much in the center back.  I folded it back on itself, pinned it and tried it on; and yes, the increases were wrong.  I increased every other row on both sides instead of every row.  The best way I could figure to make the corrections was to create a provisional cast-on where the tan color began.  Working the maroon back to the beginning would allow the cute slip stitch on each edge.  It isn't as neat since it works better with the increase as designed, rather than the decreases.  So far so good.  I know my tan was the correct # of stitches and I am working backwards decreasing both ends on every row.  I'm not sure if I will be able to do the final 4 stitches to look like the 4K edging, but that is at the basee of the neck & no one will really see it.  I have learned alot about fixing errors on this project.  I will call that a good thing

Reworking the Catkin, lol



Find a challenge and knit it.