Spice Girls II Mystery KAL

I’ve never before truly participated in a KAL (Knit-A-Long).  I’ve only ever knit something after the fact, then gone back to the KAL thread to find helpful information in regards to the pattern or questions I may have.  And although there have been several KALs on the Itty Bitty forums, I don’t think I’ve ever done them at the same time. 

But this time was different.  Elena Nodel has some awesome children’s patterns out there.  A friend of mine has done test knitting for her in the past, and her patterns are just so pretty.  So when I heard that Elena was hosting a Mystery KAL, I couldn’t pass it up. 

A mystery KAL is when a designer has a pattern and welcomes others to join her in a knit-a-long, but the mystery part is that only part of the pattern is released at a time.  So this means you’re knitting from a new pattern and will have to trust completely that you’ll like the end result.  Usually, every week or two a new “clue” is released.  As the knitter, you’re supposed to knit to the end of the clue and stop, waiting anxiously for the next clue to be released.  It’s actually a great way to get a lot of projects for a new design.  Sometimes the pattern is tested ahead of time, and other times, not.

This pattern is called My Honey and it’s from Elena’s Spice Girls II Collection.  It’s a little sweater with just a little bit of lace on the yoke.  Simple and sweet.

I can’t say I was particularly fond of the lace portion.  The stitches seems clumsy and it took me several tries to get the first clue right.  But that may have just been me.  I think the design is really pretty – but I wouldn’t want to knit a ton of it! 

I chose to knit the 6 month size using NaturallyCaron.com Spa in Stormy Blue.  This is an acrylic/bamboo blend, which I thought would be nice for Spring.  As it turns out, my gauge was a bit on the small side and as it turns out, the sweater a bit small for Lovebug.  I kept comparing it to her while knitting, hoping I was just not looking at it right, but there you have it.  “Make time to save time: check your gauge!”  Whoops!

But never fear! I have a friend who had her first baby in February.   And although a bit big now, will fit her nicely very soon.  I added the little elephant buttons because I thought they were fun and whimsical.  And perhaps a little bit girly. J 

I chose short sleeves instead of the long ones.  Elena’s long sleeve design is very “fairy tale” to me, and I think it is really sweet for little girls…but considering I wanted this for the warmer weather accompanied by a cool breeze, the long sleeves seemed too much.  There is also a bow embellishment and I toyed with the idea of adding this…but honestly, once I bound off the second sleeve, I was ready for something new.

I’m terribly pleased with the response I got from my friend when she unwrapped the sweater.  I hope she gets a lot of use out of it.  And the yarn is machine wash/dry, perfect for a new mum.  No blocking required!  I’d really like to make another for Lovebug – perhaps the 1 year size, with the long sleeves since it will be Fall. 

As far as my first Mystery KAL, I would say it was successful.  I got a cute sweater/baby gift, the newly released pattern for free, and a chance to knit something from a new-to-me designer. That’s win-win-win in my book!  I’d consider trying another mystery knit in the future.