first attempt at neckline, a few rows of garter stitch
The red and white striped sweater is finished, except for the final fitting session. The last task on this sweater pattern was to pick up stitches around the neck and work three rows of garter stitch. I did this. It did not look neat. So I took a photo, for comparison purposes, pulled all the knitting out and contemplated the sweater. I believe the purpose of the three rows of garter stitch at the neckline was to connect the neckline visually with the garter stitch border at the bottom edge of the sweater. I thought that a rolled edge, with the knitting rolling to the “right” side of the sweater, so the purl side was visible would be visually similar to the the bottom of the sweater, providing continuity of design. I began by picking up the stitches around the neck, beginning at the back of the neck. I was more interested in picking up stitches evenly and not allowing any small gaps then in picking up the exact number of stitches noted in the pattern. I ended up with slightly more stitches. I worked six rows of stockinette and bound off using a stretchy bind off. I am very happy with the result. But will reserve final opinion until I see the sweater on a body. Hopefully, the neckline will lay flat and drape as intended.
final neckline, six rows of knitting, creating a rolled edge, simple and neat
Wires and pins and a considerable amount of time, but the result is worth it
The famous red and white striped sweater has been blocked. When knitting sweaters the instructions will usually say seam and then block to measurements in schematic. If I think blocking will make it easier to seam, I block first. This sweater was a combination of knitting in pieces (front and back were knit flat) but the sleeve stitches were picked up from the seamed front and back. Once both of the sleeves were knit I could lay the sweater out flat and block it easily. Blocking made it much easier to seam the sleeves and the sides. Once all the seams are done and ends woven in, all that remains is to pick up the stitches at the neck and work a few rows to polish the neckline. Why have I not yet finsihed the neckline? Because this new yarn arrived. Bright colors, machine washable baby yarn and I just had to try it out. It was almost a compulsion. What better way to test a new baby yarn then to knit a Baby Surprize Jacket (BSJ)? Soft yarn, intriguing pattern, OK, I have knit the BSJ previously, but the result always amazes me. Stay tuned.
BSJ in Baby Bandit, color is Frolic, a bright green, the computer monitor does not due it justice
Sweaters take time. No matter how you do it, top down or bottom up. Sweaters are large swaths of knitting. And at some point you end up knitting 12 or more inches of the same thing. This is a cropped sweater, super easy. Knit the back, knit the front and sew the shoulder seam. Pick up stitches and knit the sleeves. Sleeves, long sleeves are 19 inches of the same thing. I like stripes and it does mean one must focus so that all the stripes are the same. At least three times I have had to frog back a row because I was more focused on the movie than the knitting and the red stripe was suddenly three rows wide instead of two rows. The second sleeve has seemed to go on for infinity. I think it looks long enough and when I compare it to the first sleeve I am only half way done. I knit for hours and I still have several inches left to knit, a knitting condundrum. I have compared to the first sleeve, I have counted stripes and I have measured. There are still 4.5 inches of sleeve that must be knit.
The Orfeo Hat, beginning stage, before winter arrives.
There was snow on Halloween in Wisconsin. That blew me away. OK, so maybe I am in denial about being on the cusp of winter. I am still in autumn. Halloween is supposed to be crisp cold air and crisp, crackling leaves under foot. Halloween is not supposed to be four inches of wet snow. I had to shovel a path for the perspective trick or treaters. My jack o’ lanterns were not scarily lurking in the grass. The jack o’ lanterns were plopped in the snow. I had to brush snow off the jack o’ lanterns, scoop the snow away from the eye sockets and toothy grins. The only advantage was one did not have to worry about the candles being too hot and burning the pumpkin, pumpkin isolated in snow. Like I said, snow on Halloween was just too much for me.
I have been knitting myself a new hat for winter. And of course, winter cannot arrive before the hat is finished. The hat is way cool, a color work design that begins with corrugated ribbing and flows into curls and twists. The Orfeo Hat is the perfect design (link to pattern) for Bohemia Sport, which cries out to be used in color work. There are 24 colors of Bohemia Sport, do not let the pattern decide your color choices. Be bold. I chose Arsenic for the background and Tiffin for the fancy work. It is bold. However, I only have the ribbing and nine rows complete. So clearly the snow on Halloween is an aberration. It will take me at least two weeks to finish this hat.
