Ravellenic FO: Wood Hollow Vest

So while some of the world's best athletes were finishing up a leisurely 26.2 mile run this morning, I was binding off my Wood Hollow Vest!

I wouldn't have reknit this from the bottom up if it weren't for the challenge of the Ravellenic Games.  There was one night of knitting where I thought I would n e v e r reach the armhole shaping decreases, but every Olympic event has that moment where you hit the wall and just have to keep going.

And I'm so glad I did, because I love this vest and I will sport it proudly!

The specs:

Pattern: Wood Hollow Vest by Kirsten Kapur, of Through The Loops
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes
Started: July 27, Opening Ceremonies
Finished: August 12, 9:00 am
Ravelry page here!

Congrats to all the Ravellenic athletes, and, of course, to the real Olympic athletes who inspired us and united us for two amazing weeks!

Revving up for the Ravellenic Games

The world's biggest Knit-a-long is less than two weeks away!  It's time to get ready. 

My challenge for the Ravellenic Games is to reknit a UFO that I put aside because it was miserably huge.  Like, would have had 8 inches of positive ease huge!  The pattern is the Wood Hollow Vest by Kirsten Kapur, one of my favorite designers. 

I started this about six months after my daughter was born, so I hadn't quite returned to pre-baby measurements yet.  That was problem number one.  Problem number two is that the pattern runs large to begin with.  You might expect me to say that problem number three is that I wasn't getting gauge, but here's the crazy thing.  My gauge was spot on.  I was making the size 40, and the front of my vest was exactly 20 inches.  With all the cabling, though, that 20 inches stretches to about 26 inches.  

Based on the portion that I've already knit, I'm thinking that I'll reknit it in a 32.  A 32!  I usually make between a 37 and 39.  This thing is so stretchy that I don't think a 32 will be a problem.  Other Ravelers have had problems with the vest coming out too big, and Kirsten does say that she intended the vest to be worn with positive ease.  I just like my vests to be a bit snug. 

The first step is to frog!  I should really wash the yarn, too, and hang it to get rid of the crimp.  After that, it will need a few days to rest and get some of the sproingyness back.  I better get busy!