Last Sunday, I finished my Molly Ringwald.

I think it’s pretty cute.

Pattern: Molly Ringwald by Michele Rose Orne, from Knitscene fall 2006 (on Ravelry)
Size: 43″
Yarn: Bernat Satin, 100% acrylic, 10-ply worsted weight, color 04232 Sage, 3.3 skeins or approximately 546 yards
Needles: Knit Picks Options, size 6 (4.00mm), Brittany birch crochet hook, size E (3.5 mm)
Modifications: added 1 inch length to body, used kf&b increases instead of m1, reversed strap stitch pattern for mirror symmetry, added crochet rounds at armscyes

Started: March 3, 2008
Finished: April 20, 2008

This was a lovely pattern, and I learned a lot in the process. It is full of elegant little design touches, like the way the ruffles are formed or the transition from the bust to the sleeves.

Because it is relatively simple, I knew finishing would be important. I was very careful with my seaming, and while I was tempted to avoid learning how to crochet for the neckline, it is now one of my favorite details. I like the clean, sharp edge so much that I crocheted around the armscyes as well. This is definitely a good skill to add to my knitter’s toolkit, as I’m sure I’ll use it again.

I really admired the way the sleeves were constructed, and that is another trick I plan to remember: the front neckline stitches are reduced down to 4 stitches on each side, and these are knit into a ribbed strap which extends over the shoulders and attaches to the back. Once the body is sewn together, you pick up stitches from this edge and knit outwards to form a pretty little shoulder. I imagine it would not be at all difficult to extend this to a cap or short sleeve. Way cute.

There were a few times when the 3×1 ribbing became maddening, but mostly I zoned out and got into the Zen of it. It was a good companion project for reading, or in this case, listening to the audiobook of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll for the Knitting 19th Century Novels group.

I’d been wanting to knit this top for a while, but when I envisioned it as Alice’s pinafore, I couldn’t resist bumping it up to have something cute for spring.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am completely entranced with this particular shade of soft bluish sage green, and I’m sure this won’t be the last project I knit in this color. The yarn was lovely to work with, and it’s soft and comfortable to wear. This was my first time using Satin, and it was just perfect for this project.

I do think I could have gone down a size. I’ve come across quite a few people online who’ve said there is a lot of ease built into the pattern, but I thought I’d rather have something slightly loose than too tight.

I would definitely recommend this pattern. It’s a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I think the effort I put into the finishing details really paid off, and overall I think this is a sweet top. I will probably not wear it with puff-sleeved embroidered shirts all the time, but I think it will still carry some of that charm with simpler styles too.

Now for my next sweater, something without ribbing!

Previous Entries on this Project:
– The C-Word
– Knitsomnia