March 20: Project moving along. Now have most of stitches cast on for the Dolman sleeves.

I think the instructions are off for the eyelet decoration stitches. On the back, there is only one instruction to place marker on each sleeve. I can see there is another set of eyelets near top of sleeve. Front instructions refer to ‘both markers’. Also the placement of the one marker mentioned is much higher on the sleeve than the pic. Also, eyelet row 1 and compensating eyelet row 3 are obviously just 2 rows apart. The pic looks like eyelets are an inch or so apart so 7 or 8 rows apart….? Very confusing. I guess I shall place markers as I see fit and carry on…

Stitch count for back after decrease rows is incorrect. I worked 2nd size so 146 sts after all increases made. Decreases are made each side of row 5 times, so 10 stitches, pattern states count is 144 stitches. Should be 134 stitches. The stated count of 270 stitches after picking up all stitches for dolman sleeves is correct.

March 22: Back is done. Dimensions not exactly correct but I think will be OK. Will work this concurrently with Lismore. (Hope my thumbs don’t give out.)

Mar 27: Started front.
Apr 6: Finished sleeve pickup stitches
Apr 7: Working up neck placket and sleeves on left side. Pattern says start placket when sleeve complete. I assume they mean when the final cast on of sleeve stitches is complete. My assumption is based on looking at the schematic. Clearly starting placket after sleeves complete, as directed, leaves too little rows to complete the placket.
April 9: Left front is complete. I think it is more or less as it should be.
Note: Pattern suggests immediately pre-finishing by joining to back. First of all this omits purling down to cuff working all of the wraps. Secondly, the right front is yet to be worked. Why on earth do you want to flop all the extra bulk in the back around while working the 20-some short rows on right side.

When the placket is complete there is no reference to stitching down the left side placket which is definitely required.
Commencing right side, my yarn is rejoined at centre. Instructions say to knit 4 YO skp. I believe K3 YO more closely resembles left side…?

April 11: Finished right front, added garter trim to sleeve bottoms, joined front and back and knit left and right placket. So far so good. Will try for collar tomorrow. Then it is just side seams and bottom trim. Fingers crossed.
April 14: Now complete. Well it could use blocking and there are still a few ends to darn in. It took me at least 6 hours today to work an invisible sewn bind-off across the ribbed collar stitches. TEDIOUS But I hate the clumsy look of a ribbed bind off. Better pics, final measurements and yarn quantity notes, pattern and yarn notes to follow.. I promise.

Final Size: Width beneath sleeve after decreases but before starting dolman sleeves - 22.75” X2 = 45.5” around
Length: Measured beside collar at tallest point in shoulder to hem at front - 23” hem at back 26”
Sleeves: Cuff to cuff measured through body - 48”

BE WARY KNITTERS. THIS LOOKS LIKE A NICE SIMPLE PATTERN FOR BEGINNERS. AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, BUT INSTRUCTIONS ARE SLOPPY AND CONFUSING. Such a pitty because the pattern concept is clever and should have been easy to execute. Sadly having to second guess and reinterpret every instruction made it much more difficult than it should have been. Not what we usually get from Vogue Knitting.

One final note: I cannot find my crochet hooks anywhere and I am not placing an order somewhere to have them delivered to work the collar support details as suggested. I don’t think collar looks bad as is. I may add a crocheted or sewn support at some later date.

May 2: Found my elusive crochet hooks so I added the crochet chains at collar base per pattern. Admittedly I am not skilled at crochet. After adding I couldn’t see any difference in how the collar sat, but the loose chainy thing tickled my neck. I removed it. If anyone reads my notes that completes this and finds the crochet helpful maybe they could explain it to me. I may not have done it right. I don’t really understand what was to have been accomplished.