Positively Mahvelous, Dahling

Project Specs--

Pattern: Gigi, from the Summer '08 Knitty
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Wool in color 4108 (Vine Green), not quite 5 skeins
Needles: Size 2 and 4, as called for in the pattern
Modifications: none intentionally. If you'll notice, there are five buttons on mine. If you have proper row gauge on the ribbing, you'll be able to fit six.
Note: The sizes are weird. I wear a 34" sweater and knitted the extra small on this. Measure the top of your hips (above the bone, not quite to your waist) to figure out which size to make.

I love this sweater. It is the sort of thing I would never plan to make myself (or anybody else for that matter). Had I not been in a yarn buying mood when I saw it, or had I stopped to consider it for any length of time, it wouldn't have gotten made. Gigi is a total product sweater: I simply adore how the yarn feels and the shape, and I know I'll get a lot of use out of it once school starts (Monday).



Like an old-time movie queen, however, there is more to this little sweater than meets the eye. Putting it nicely, I'd call it a skill-builder. In a less complimentary mood, I'd call it a total pain. In the course of knitting and finishing, you
1. Shape sides
2. Shape neck, at same time as sides
3. Make fancy two-row buttonholes
4. Cast on big clumps of stitches (do not use backwards loop method!)
5. Shape shoulders with short rows
6. Make casings
7. Sew side seams that in all likelihood will come out wonky under the arms because of the excessive amount of increases down there (thanks to the drape of the sleeves, nobody will notice unless you walk around with your arms stretched out to the sides)
8. Sew more seams
9. Make a twisted cord
10. Sew on 5 buttons (or 6, if you got row gauge)
11. Knit neck edging
12. Sew neck edging to back edge
13. Graft back neck edging stitches to front edging stitches held aside for the purpose

An extra step that you may feel compelled to add is throwing the heap of unfinished sweater on your bed because you cannot stand fiddly finishing procedures, sewing in particular.

But then you put it on and feel positively mahvelous, like you should be posed in a house on Sunset Boulevard, wearing outrageously high heels and holding a martini in one red-taloned hand, which sort of makes up for spending two whole days sewing.