Finished Object – Noro Butterfly

I figured I would end the FO parade with a bang or maybe a flutter with the debut of the long awaited (or maybe not) Noro Butterfly sweater. I loved this sweater since I saw one of my knit group members sporting it. I knew I had to have it but due to yarn cost I postponed until the time was right (i.e. the yarn was on sale). This sweater knit up extremely fast and I have been finished for almost a month before today’s final reveal (eek!) Anyhoo on to the details…

Yarn: Noro Kureyon
Inspiration: Noro Butterfly
Needles: Size 8
Yardage: 13 balls
Modifications: Reduced the sleeve length to 17.5″ instead of 20.75″
Enjoyment Factor: 9
Knit Time: 5/24/07 – 7/1/07

The Good:

• Can’t beat sale yarn! Got the yarn for a steal so it made the knitting that much more enjoyable
• I kept saying that this knit itself and it really did! This is one of the fastest and most addictive sweaters I have knit. Too bad it is 80+ degrees outside. But I just couldn’t stop!
• This thing is warm but not heavy. It floats like a butterfly and the colors sting like a bee. Ok the colors are not that much of a zinger but the Muhammed Ali reference had to be through in there somewhere.
• I was worried about fit, because the sweater, if knit in the wrong size looked like it would swallow you whole, but my size proved be the right size after all. Sleeves were another story….
• Kureyon, although not soft in nature, does soften up with a good wash in Soak or other woolwash. Plus I don’t mind a little scratchiness and for me this is not really scratchy at all.
• Damn, my finishing skills are improving immensely. I used to be afraid of the finishing on sweaters but now its not so bad, even looks kinda good in the end.

The Bad:

• I had some collar issues. Also, despite my pinning and steaming, it still tends to roll a little bit unless I wear it with a little bit of a high collar in the back. I don’t think that will ever go away.

• Matching those stripes. I was not obsessive about it, but it was a concern so I at least made an effort at getting them to match. I did pretty good all around. The sleeves were a little off, but nothing that you would immediately notice. In the end I was left with some of the uglier color bits, which if spit spliced together, equals about 3/4 of a ball of Kureyon. Hmmm….guys like ugly colors right 🙂

The Ugly:

• What the hell type of monkey arms does the models at Noro have that they would suggest a 20.75″ sleeve on this!! I reduced the length to 17.5″, that is a 3.25″ reduction, and it still came out on the long side. Long is what I wanted, but Noro was going for octopus extensions with those measurements.
• Trying not to follow the painful odyssey of other Butterfly knitters, I seamed the fronts and backs and then safety pinning the sleeve in to try it on. Good thing, because I ended up having to reknit the sleeve cap on the second one to match my new 17.5″ measurements. All in all I got some really cuddly and beautiful sleeves out of the deal but I repeat, what was Noro thinking!