Mods: made gauge calculations to get to all lengths suggested d/t extreme change in dimensions during blocking; used crochet provisional cast-on in case I run into issues with curling, as with mbirming’s Autumn Coat; during finishing, unravelled provisional cast-ons at sleeves and coat hem to knit 5 rows of stockinette, which were then bound off and tacked down; picked up and knit 30 sts at edge pocket edge, dec. 2 sts/row for 5 rows, bound off and tacked down

Errata: st count given following XL armhole shaping is incorrect on both the Back and the Left/Right Front, when decreasing brought me to st count for L, I followed those directions instead; the “Dec 1 st each side every
other row 8 (9, 11, 12) times” could have been clearer, it means make 2 dec every other row 8 (9, 11, 12) times

Of note: if I were to make this again, I’d make the pockets so they begin and end away from the Cross Stitch for the left and right pockets

Back: had to M1 following pleat to keep stitch count aligned to stitch pattern; @ armhole, b.o. 4 sts for rows 1&2, 3 sts for rows 3&4, 2 sts for rows 5&6, & 1 st/row for the next 6 rows; @ shoulder/neck, b.o. as per X-Large directions for 2 rows, then ended up working the b.o. this way: 4, 6, 5, 5, 3 per side; carry the unused yarn to last st worked in b.o. for all odd rows to ensure that it’s available as working yarn for next odd row; worked b.o. for right shoulder first, then neck, then left shoulder to minimize ends

Pockets: worked for 13 repeats to allow for small amount of depth to pocket, which is worked for 12 repeats; for Front Right Pocket, offset houndstooth pattern by 1 st to create proper alignment b/w pocket lining and coat

Front Left/Right Panel: worked pockets vertically by working to row 44 and working only the last 42 sts on the needle for 12 pattern repeats, working the top sts of the pocket behind the final row of the pocket repeat (p2tog), leaving approx 3 yds. of yarn as tail; resumed working the remaining sts, picking up sts on the pocket lining as I went; “sealed” that section w/ tail from working pocket; worked neck b.o. as 4,4,5,5,5

Sleeves: c.o. 55 sts, inc. 2 sts/ 6 rows until I get to 91 sts, then work straight; work 31 houndstooth pattern repeats before beginning shoulder cap by working 5 st b.o. on either side of sleeve, then following pattern b.o./dec.; 16-1/2” before sleeve cap (blocked); 10” at wrist (blocked); 19” from sleeve cap to wrist

Collar: sew up shoulder seams, then sew in sleeves. If desired, sew up sleeve seams and side seams. With wrong side facing you, pick up and knit an equal number of stitches to those bound off from the left neck, across the back, to the right neck. Knit one row to create purl row on Right Side of work. Work in houndstooth pattern; at same time, every fourth row, (p1, m1p, p until 1 st on left needle, m1p, p1)x4. Work 3 more rows, then knit across 4th row (rather than purling). Cont. working in houndstooth; at same time, every fourth row (p2tog, p until 2 sts on left needle, p2tog)x5. This creates a double-sided collar. Cut yarn, leaving 6’ tail. Leaving sts on needle, whipstitch tail through bound off neck edge and live stitch, pulling off live stitch just worked, making sure front and back sides of collar align to one another; repeat until all live stitches have been sewn down; 3-st i-cord applied to “open” edge of right collar to hold the collar upright with the aid of a strategically placed button

Oct 2/13: gauge swatch knitted and blocked today with US 7 needles. given that the height was spot-on, whereas it was a bit wide post-blocking (and a bit narrow pre-blocking), I’m only sizing down to a US 6. Any gauge issues at that needle size ought to be able to be blocked out. I’m really very happy with how the colours look when paired together.

Oct 3/13: after comparing photos of my gauge swatch to other projects, I’ve decided to go down to US 5 to tighten up the gauge. Again, I don’t think this’ll be an issue, given how loose my width was.

Oct 6/13: just worked the pleat for the back. Update: the stitch count given for my size didn’t align to the stitch pattern, so I added a LI during the purl row following the one in which I made the pleat.

Oct 8/13: after some confusion on my part (having started working the shoulder & neck b.o. before having completed the armhole), I fixed my errors and continued. I have completed the armhole and noticed errata in the stitch counts. I have 85 (I should have 84, but added a stitch to the back on Oct 6), when the pattern states I ought to have 78. More perplexing: Neither of those numbers corresponds to gauge-translated dimensions listed in the pattern. I’m probably going to stick with the larger stitch count because I’m broad shouldered, and adjust accordingly during the shoulder shaping.

Oct 9/13: I’ve started working the neck/shoulder b.o., having started with the b.o. for the X-Large size for 2 rows, then switching to the Large size b.o. because my stitch count aligns from that point on. I’m hoping to be able to find blocking wires locally (it’s tomorrow’s “homework”), because I think this fabric will benefit greatly from more controlled blocking.

Oct 10/13: both Romni and PassionKnit carry blocking wires, I’m on Romni’s list. I’ve proceeded with blocking the back w/o them since I bound off today.

Oct 14/13: I’m currently working on making the vertical pocket for the first front panel. So far, so good. I’ll have to post the relevant mods when I get past it.

Oct 16/13: the left front panel has been bound off tonight! There were numerous stitch count errata for the XL size for this section. I’ll try to post them tomorrow.

Oct 21/13: after working the pocket sections for the Front Right Panel yesterday and discovering that I hadn’t worked the narrow panel for the “lead-in” to the pocket for enough length or made the pocket lining to the houndstooth pattern to align to the outside of the pocket, I fixed both errors and am now working on the remainder of the Front Right Panel. Also, I’ve noted the XL errata above; it turns out that the designer got the stitch counts following the armhole incorrect throughout the pattern. Update: if I power through, I might just get the Front Right completed tonight!

Oct 22/13: had to rip out a few rows of work on the Left Front Panel when I realized I’d knitted too far before starting the neck decreases. It’s now aligned to the Right Front Panel. The sleeve pattern has been developed and is posted. The front panels are wet-blocking face to face to ensure mirror alignment.

Oct 24/13: ought to be done making the first sleeve today, having started on the 22nd. Update: didn’t have the energy to finish that sleeve today. Tomorrow it is.

Oct 25/13: so, there’s no way I would’ve finished the sleeve yesterday. The sleeve cap directions were poorly worded, which I only discovered after having completed the b.o. row (mercifully, not having snipped anything). The actual sleeve cap shaping will proceed much more quickly, but I wasted several hours shaping it as per my interpretation of the pattern directions. I’m really quite frustrated with the pattern at this point and very glad that I’m almost done with it. Once the next sleeve is done, it’s all up to me and that should actually be less of an ordeal than working out the pattern. I hate to badmouth a pattern, but this one has proven deserving.

Oct 29/13: bound off the second sleeve last night and am wet-blocking both sleeves now. F*** you, pattern!

Oct 31/13: the sleeves have been set in to the shoulders and they’re being sewn up now!

Nov 1/13: the collar has been knitted and steam-blocked. The directions have been posted above.

Nov 2/13: home stretch! I’ve knitted the hems for the cuffs and am working on the bottom coat hem. From there, I’m most likely to work the front openings with a single crochet and reverse single crochet row, as per the zipper tutorial in Knitscene, Fall 2012. This is, of course, with the intent of making a zipper closure, but I might mull over that choice before proceeding.

Nov 3/13: with Matt’s input, I’ve decided to edge the pockets slightly. I have yet to decide if I want to do that with an applied i-cord or a 5 row “hem” as I’ve done with the cuffs and bottom hem. The hems and collar were wet-blocked today and the coat is drying over the back of a dining room chair which has been covered with a garbage can liner.

Nov 4/13: hemmed the pockets and will be working sc and rev. sc for fronts once I determine appropriate gauge. Update: wow, that rev. sc really does wonders for tightening up an edge! With that, I am officially done all work requiring yarn for this project. I just have a lining to make and a zipper to sew in -- once I get the materials, that is.

Dec 9/13: lining fabric arrived today!

Dec 10/13: zipper arrived today. It’s more brown than I expected, but it’ll do. I printed out the schematics and curves for the lining, so if/when I remember to pop the fabric in the wash, I’ll be able to get down to assembling this durn thing!

Jan 18/14: after just over two months of not touching this project, I’m sick of seeing it draped over a dining chair, waiting to be finished. To that end, I trimmed down and started sewing in the zipper today (I still have to whipstitch the edges in) and cut the fabric for the lining. I’m hoping to be able to machine-sew the lining tomorrow, leaving just the seam-pressing and hand-sewing to complete over the course of the week. If I can’t machine-sew the lining tomorrow, it might end up being postponed until next weekend.

Jan 19/14: Hells, yes! I sewed and pressed the lining today. I somehow managed to sew the shoulder seam incorrectly on the left shoulder, throwing off all the other seams on that side of the coat, so I had to rip them all out and start that part over again. Also, if I thought I hated sleeve caps when I was dealing with hand-knits, I’ve discovered that my hatred increases a thousandfold when dealing with fabric and machine-sewing. I have newfound respect for people who set in sleeves as part of their profession. I had Matt take a photo of the finished lining and I daresay that -- so far -- I prefer how it fits to that of the knitted piece. I’m hopeful that sewing the pieces together provides the coat with the heft and drape it needs. I’ve also uploaded the pattern schematic. Anyone who needs the artwork for the relevant curves can find them in Illustrator CS5 AI format: Curve A, Curve B, Curve C and Curve D. Note that these are sized to fit this coat, with measurements as provided in pattern for this bust size, but with longer sleeves. Update: the zipper has been sewn in completely and I’ve begun sewing in the lining.

Jan 20/14: I sewed in the lining on one sleeve and across the neckline before realizing that sleeves are probably never sewn in first; I’m going to have to adjust the length of both sleeves and the bottom hem of the lining. Otherwise, it’s a good fit, improves the drape of the coat and makes it so much more comfortable to wear. Update: the only remaining parts left are to trim the bottom hem of the lining to fit and to sew that portion in. I should be done this project tomorrow!

Jan 21/14: finished sewing in the lining tonight, after consulting with mom, who suggested that I provide a 3/4” allowance on the bottom hem. While I doubt I was as precise as she’d have liked, what I did applied the same principle. There’s extra fabric to allow for stretch within the lining, but not so much as to overhang the knitted piece. I also applied a 3-st i-cord loop to the right collar edge to attach to a vintage wooden button I sewed to the left front; the end result is that I’ve got something akin to a Mandarin collar (attempting to get the collar to lie flat just wasn’t working). And with that, this project is done! I’m very happy with it and can see me wearing it when the weather’s a little more forgiving than the -35C we’ve been getting so far this week.

Pattern bought on Sep 20/13 for $2.99 USD or $3.16 CAD. It was on sale! Yarn was also deeply discounted due to its being discontinued, so I scored that for $28.25. The lining fabric cost $30.45 CAD the zipper was $10.49 CAD. $4.27 CAD for matching thread. Total project cost, not including labour: $76.62 CAD.