Tomato Thursday!!!

Yesterday I mentioned something was missing from WIP Wednesday. Today I would like to introduce you to my newest top! Tomato!!
As you can see - I made a few modifications. I will detail those below. This was a fast and fun knit! I am SO pleased with the way this top turned out! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors!
I had a little trouble with herringbone pattern at first and I ripped that sucker out...I was almost through with the colorwork section. I kept looking at it like there was something wrong and hoping that it would magically come together. It didn't. So I ripped back with a little help from Cristi (who kindly would the yarn for me as I frogged with wild abandon!!!) and came up with this pretty pink and black perfection on the next go.

Now, the edging detail is probably my FAVORITE part of this project. Here is one of the sleeves, but more on that down in the details.

Details:
Pattern: Tomato from No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights

Size: 40"
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Stone (3 balls) and Berry (1 Ball)

Needles: US 7 for body and 6 for Ribbing
Started: July 3
Finished: July 15
Mods: Where to start. I guess with the first one...

1. I some how ended up with the perfect number of stitches on the front and sleeves, but an extra 6 across the back. I don't know, I am special that way. I didn't realize it until I had already knit the first round of the houndstooth pattern. So, I ripped back to the stone row before it and adding back shaping. Yes folks, back shaping. I decreased 6 stitches evenly across the back mirroring the decreases 3 right leaning, 3 left.

2. I can't read. So I knit the pattern repeat 3 MORE times instead of 3 times total. I actually really like the even number of pattern repeats, so I left it.

3. I decided I wanted to have the pink in more than just the bust area, so I added 2 pink stripes in the ribbing. To do this, I knit 4 rounds in MC 2x2 rib. Then I knit one round in pink (knit all the way around no purls). Then I knit in MC in rib patter for one row. Knit 1 row in CC in pattern. Knit 4 rows in MC in pattern.

4. The pattern only calls for 4 rows of ribbing on the sleeves. Well, that wouldn't work for adding the pink to the ribbing, so instead of 4 rows of ribbing, there are 11. This is the same number of rows as are in the collar and the bottom ribbing. I had to add a row to the collar too, I think.

Even with the serious startitis I had, I managed to finish this in 12 days. And that includes the blocked and all. This was a fast easy knit. A GREAT knit for a first garment and if the fair isle scares you, just make it in one color. Lots of people are doing it.

A few thoughts on color. I am a pink girl. I thought about knitting this in pink with stone as the CC. BUT I think one of the things that makes this such a great top is the pop in color. The Stone color is very mellow and pretty, the Berry really pops against it and it is just beautiful. Pics don't do it justice.