Thursday, December 4, 2008

Atia (again)

So, like, eons ago, when I was a frequent poster on Craftster, and Ravelry hadn't even been born yet, I designed this sweater for a knitting challenge devised around a garter stitch lace pattern. At the time, I was smitten with HBO's fantastic series "Rome," and most particularly with the brutal and clever Atia, mother of Augustus Caesar. Honestly, the sweater did not come out exactly as I had envisioned. Because it was my first time designing, I miscalculated the length of the armscyes, and made sleeves that were waaay too narrow in diameter. Lazily, I decided to bill the sweater as an off-the-shoulder number, and call it a day.

It didn't look bad, exactly, but it wasn't something I ever, ever wore. After wearing it to take the photo to post on Craftster, Atia sat lonely on a shelf in my closet. (I didn't win the challenge, but I came damn close!)

After starting on Giotto, I began to feel the familiar itch of wanting to start something else, something quick that I could finish fast. I needed the completion high. However, I was reluctant to start a whole new project, so I turned my eye to correcting a past wrong.

Atia came off the shelf, and I spent an afternoon laboriously picking out the seams and unraveling the sleeves and body, down to the beginning of the armscyes. I decided to make it sleeveless this time, since I had a limited quantity of yarn to work with. Below is the result--



--which I like a great deal more. It's probably not something I would design again today, but it's infinitely more wearable now, and I still like the way that the rib in the center front splits to frame the garter stitch lace panel. On a vainer note, I was shocked and pleased to see how much skinnier I am now than when the old Atia picture was taken. I'm wearing the same jeans in both photos, funnily enough, and today they are loose as a goose. Go me!

3 comments:

M. Shioda said...

the Atia revised is great. I think it would win the challenge this time!!

Amanda said...

Super cute! I love it! And YAY for loose jeans!!! (After T'giving festivities, no exercise since I was sick,and Kooza, mine are tight again - BOO!)

Ann MT said...

ooh! pretty!

ps. way to rock those loose jeans!