Hello, darling. She is complete, and she is fabulous! I am referring to the Heartbeat Top, designed by Knittles Creations. I knew I really liked the look of this top when I was browsing Ravelry, looking for a pattern to use up the incredibly deep stash yarn. The yarn is Crystal Palace Mikado Ribbon. The yarn belonged to my beloved Sheila. Michelle gave it to me after she died. I have hoarded this yarn for almost 20 years, looking for the perfect project. The fabric it makes is an ode to Indian Summer, with all of the lovely fall colors. I am not a fan of knitting lace, but this was a relatively easy pattern to follow. I added one pattern repeat to give extra length. I am not a fan of cropped tops. If I had really dedicated myself to it, I think I could have finished it in a week or two. That wasn’t the case, though, so it took about a month. Once the body was complete, I decided that I knew better than the designer and knit the straps about 4 inches longer than the pattern called for. This was a mistake. I also decided that I didn’t need to try the thing on before I kitchenered the straps together and wove in the ends. This was also a mistake, and I instantly regretted my life choices. I tried it on, and it was waaaaay too long. So, of course, I got to undo everything that I had just done and rip back to the 2.5 inches that the pattern called for. Lo and behold, the thing fits perfectly. Funny how that works (dumbass)… And I tried it on before I re-kitchenered the straps. Groundbreaking! Now that the top is washed, blocked, and seamed, I am really considering lining it. My first idea was to wear something under it, but I will never find a cami that follows the lines of the top, and I don’t want to take anything away from it. I went to Joann’s and had the Mother help me pick out a lining fabric. I am not looking forward to drafting the lining shape and hand-sewing the thing. But I think this is the best option to make the top the most wearable. I even bought a brown skirt to go with it! As I mentioned, I don’t like knitting lace. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy wearing lace. I can really see knitting this top again in a neutral color yarn (possibly, Berroco Glace, the oldest yarn in my stash). So, I give this top a solid 8 out of 10 stars. We may be seeing more of them in the future.
Mrs. Collins Makes Stuff 