Tidal Wave!

Guess what I finally finished?
Tidal Wave is done! I'm happy with how it came out--not too big as I had feared. I spent two hours over the weekend shortening the sleeves by four rows, and I am so glad I did. No monkey sleeves for me!

Pattern Notes:

"Tidal Wave" designed by Kim Hargreaves and found in the Rowan Plaid Collection. Knit in Rowan Plaid yarn, color #158 (Nuzzle) on U.S. Size 11 needles.

I had no problems following the pattern. The only thing I changed was to make the turtleneck about half the length called for in the pattern, because I hate really bulky turtlenecks. It doesn't quite have the design punch of the original, but it'll be much more comfortable for me to wear.

Like most Rowan yarns, the Plaid is really soft and nice, and I love the unique marled look. However, I found the pattern gauge to be a little looser than I would like. The yarn also didn't hold up to recycling that well. I knit the turtleneck from a new ball of yarn and the fabric has a lot more "squish" to it than the rest of the sweater, which is kind of flat looking. It is also a VERY warm sweater, due to the alpaca content. Good thing it has lots of ventilation!

In other knitting news, I'm now about halfway up the front of Cherie, and patiently waiting for the last ball of yarn to arrive...*twiddles thumbs*...I guess if I get too bored I can swatch for my Rebecca wrap cardi.

I can't believe I am only about 3 weeks away from my trip to Europe! Woo hoo!