Progress

Oops! I had this post nearly put together before we left on vacation, and then, well… vacation happened. I brought my computer with me, and didn’t even open the bag it was in.

Anyway, just a quick note to tell you – The Sweater is close. Very close.

Okay not that close. But close!

I realized not too far into the first sleeve that I was going to have to try this puppy on to get anything like an accurate length. So I cut and sewed down, and Bob’s your uncle, it kinda looks like a sweater! Minus a few parts.

I was at least one shirt size smaller when I cast this on three years ago, and I accidentally cast on one size even smaller than that, so a sweater that was supposed to be jacket-like is definitely fitted-like. I’m going to add some extra width to the shawl collar to compensate.

Going out in an unfinished sweater? Nothing covers up a missing sleeve like a five-month-old. No one will even notice. And if they do, they will probably think you are so crazy that they’ll be afraid to say anything.

I really needed a break, so instead of starting the second sleeve, I started the aforementioned shawl collar. One of my 32″ 1.5 needles was in a pair of socks, and I couldn’t find the other, so I’ve just been working it on US 0’s. I’m not worried – there’s such a thing as knitting to yarn, not to needle, and I’m already used to adding extra looseness with fair isle.

I made it my goal to finish the shawl collar during vacation, and I got close. Just three rows left! Which is at least two hours of work, not including the bind off. I totally redid the ribbing colors, though they follow the same basic light-to-dark foreground and dark-to-light background as the bottom and sleeve edgings. I’m content. My one concern is the pick-up edge; I kinda messed up the whole edge-stitch thing for most of the front steek, so I was picking up in both foreground and background, and it looks a little messy. I’m thinking about just crocheting a chain through the pick-up edge with one of the background colors. thoughts?