Tudor Roses - Margaret Beaufort - Body Done!

I set aside my Liquid Gold Sinua while I ponder how many stitches I really want to pick up around the armhole for the sleeves and picked this project up instead.  I was fairly far along on the body when I last set it aside, almost done with the increases, and it didn't take me long to finish up the body and begin the shaping for the armholes and neck.  I shortened the torso, as I am somewhat high waisted - reducing the number of rows between the decreases to 4, but leaving the spacing of the increases the same - every 9 rows.  I also lengthened the armholes to give myself a little more room - I really don't like tight sleeves.  I was finally able to get a decent shot this morning after the sun came up and am now ready to pick up stitches for the sleeves.  I am going to work top-down set-in sleeves.  I recharted all of the charts in Stitchmastery so I could pull them into knitCompanion.  The charts are super easy - just knits and purls - but the book is super heavy - oversized hardcover - and awkward to work from.

I have yarn for the next project in the book (Elizabeth of York) - but it is colorwork and steeks (oh my!) neither of which I have really done before.  Okay, I've done some very limited colorwork, but I've never done steeks and I confess that they do scare me a bit.  I also ordered yarn for the next next project (Margaret Tudor), which is worked in one color, but has some very interesting construction going on, based on what I've gleaned from skimming the pattern.  I have to rechart both patterns so I can pull them into knitCompanion.

I almost abandoned this project for a couple of reasons.  The gauge this pattern is knit to is pretty tight, which makes it a little more tiring to work, and the color is dark so the stitch work really doesn't show very well unless you have very strong light.  The darkness of the yarn also makes it tougher to see what you're doing.  I think when I bought the yarn there were not as many colors on offer.  Now there are lots, including some of my favorites (like purple) and I was really tempted to order a different color and use this yarn for a different project in the book.  I was also a little nervous about running out of yarn.  You can see I had all sorts of "legitimate" excuses.  In the end, though I persevered, and I am glad that I did.  I have 4 skeins of yarn left, out of 10, so I think I will make it.

Pattern:  Margaret Beaufort, by Alice Starmore from Tudor Roses (2013 edition)
Yarn:  Alice Starmore Hebridean 3 Ply (517 g in Lapwing)
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)