Big Swatch Update: knitting in the wet


Finally blocked the fronts and back of the Big Swatch and pinned them out on the spare bed. Pins were used very modestly. Really, I just spread the pieces out, measured and patted them a bit and pinned a few corners for form's sake. In case I have to frog back, I left the skeins attached to each piece. I put them all into a plastic bag to keep them dry and out of the way during the soak. I was oh so careful.

Wouldn't you know it, as I patted out the last piece, I noticed that the top had come unravelled. I hadn't secured the yarn correctly and a bit of self frogging had occurred - about six rows worth. Wah! Here's a grainy photo, taken with shaking hands.

I grabbed the needles and as best I could, picked up the 30 stitches and knitted the last rows and cast off over again. I was very conscious of the fact that the knitting, besides smelling like a wet dog, was stretching as I tried to reconstruct the last rows. I think it turned out OKAY though and was able to pat it back into shape. We'll see how that turns out. Here's the general view of the Swatch as it dries:



Next will be to work out the sleeves. I'm holding Prime Time Knitter's recent post on the subject as a kind of totem to help me through it. I haven't read it through carefully yet but I look at it from time to time to make sure it's still there for me to refer to.

In other knitting, I am well past the halfway point in my current mindless knitting project, the second Cobweb Crepe as well as a socklet. Yes, it is lurid, but what can you do but hope that somehow it will look better when done. Next time: Rochester knitting history.

Comments

Marjorie said…
The body is looking very nice indeed--and the yarn color is beautiful. Sleeves really aren't that difficult to plan, and any one of those sources would give you details on shaping the cap. I've copped out a bit temporarily on the cap measurement because I'm not sure the wrist to armhole part is exactly right (I'm reblocking at this very moment).

If you have another sweater that is close in shape to the one you're knitting, take its sleeve measurements as a rough approximation of your schematic.

If you are planning ribbed cuffs, the length is somewhat more forgiving than cuffs with hems or no ribbing that need to end exactly at the wrist (or wherever you want them to end).
June 9, 2008 at 2:02 PM
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