Bernat Panama - Traveling Vine Top (2)

Now that UFO week is over, it's time to get back to my Traveling Vine Top. I still like the basic idea from my swatch - lace at lower edge, stockinette stitch above with a reverse stockinette stitch round/row thrown in from time to time.

During the week, I thought about my fit problems - too small at the lower edge, too big at the bust - and added another consideration. Would three repeats (vertically) of the traveling edge pattern be better than two repeats? If I'd been happy with the fit, I probably wouldn't have considered this. However, to make the lower edge bigger, I'm going to be starting over anyway, so everything's on the table.

My first thought was to add another pattern repeat (horizontally). That would take care of the lower edge, but how would I get rid of those extra stitches - and more - as I knit up?

Well, as I was making a dump run last Saturday, inspiration struck. I could start with an 11-stitch repeat of the pattern, then decrease to a 10-stitch repeat and then decrease to a 9-stitch repeat. Also, I could start with larger needles and work my way down. Now, this seems like something that could work!

I used size 11 needles to cast on, then immediately switched to size 9. After working the first half of the pattern stitch, I switched to size 8 for the second half.

In the second (vertical) repeat of the pattern stitch, I decreased to a 10-stitch repeat over the first half, then switched to size 7 needles for the second half.

The third (vertical) repeat is similar to the second. This time decreasing to a 9-stitch repeat over the first half and then to size 6 needles for the second half.

Now it was time to change to my above-the-lace pattern of stockinette stitch with an occasional reverse stockinette stitch. I switched to size 5 needles, started with a reverse stockinette stitch round (visible in the above photo) and worked one more set of decreases over this round. (I extended the left leaning decreases into this round, by working p2tog above each of the ssk points in the traveling vine pattern.)

Here's a shot of the three repeats of the lace pattern.

I worked several rounds of plain stockinette stitch and then did a fit check. Much better this time. The lower edge is big enough to float over my high hip (rather than cling) and the upper edge is small enough that it hugs my rib cage (above the waist, but below the bust). In fact, I decided I should increase a few stitches for the bust and upper body. So, after the first round of reverse stockinette stitch above the lace, I worked 2-inches in stockinette stitch. Then, another reverse stockinette stitch round. Then more stockinette stitch, increasing 4 stitches on the first round and then 4 more stitches on the third round.

Yeah, it looks like this is going to work!