Change is good, especially when you are in charge of it!

When following a pattern, listen to your gut! If you think something should be done differently (for whatever reason) go for it. Sometimes your finished project will thank you!

I just made the Minnowknits Daisy Dress #238.As I knit this dress, I came across a few things that I felt should be done differently. So I changed them! I had a valid reason for making each change, and I thought I'd share them with you:

1. The pattern has a hem which is folded up and seamed to the inside of the skirt. It asks for you to use the same size needle for the hem as you use for the rest of the dress. In my book, this is a huge NO-NO. I always go down one size needle when making a hem. I find that if you use the same needle size and the same number of stitches, it can really flare!
2. The pattern calls for you to work the hem back and forth in stockinette stitch, work a turning ridge, and THEN join your stitches into a round. That confused me! Sometimes people work a row or two before joining, to help in not twisting the join. But to work 7 rows, then a turning ridge and THEN join? No way. There would be an extra little side seam in the hem, and I thought that was messy. I recommend that you join your stitches immediately after your cast on, so you have a smooth and clean hem inside the skirt.
3. The I-cord flowers on the bottom of the dress are so cute! But the pattern calls for you to make a 2 stitch I-cord. My 2 stitch I-cord tension is not the greatest - no matter how hard I try, it seems to get all twisted looking. I'm much better with a 3 stitch I-cord, so that's what I went with instead.
4. The pattern calls for you to make 8 daisy I-cord flowers for the bottom of the skirt. My daisies were a bit beefier because of the 3 stitch I-cord, but even so... I think 8 daisies is overkill. I opted for three, and put them just on the front of the dress.
5. The last change I SHOULD have made (but didn't!) is on the armhole shaping. You are supposed to knit for one inch (after dividing for the front and back) and then bind off two stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. Then decrease 1 stitch at each end of the next RS row. I was in total relax vacation mode CLEARLY, because I normally would have caught this. The pattern SHOULD have called for decreasing 1 stitches at each end of the next RS row, THREE TIMES. This would have made a much nicer armhole edge. I didn't catch it until I was crocheting around the finished armholes, and honestly, it drives me crazy! Oh well. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

I will say, this dress was the talk of my Jet Blue flight from Sarasota, FL to JFK on Tuesday. I had finished the dress and was making and attaching the flowers. I got MORE compliments as people walked back and forth past my aisle seat... I think it's the daisies!