Salvage Job

So, once again, the problem has been that odd, poofy bulge at the neckline, where the faux-raglan seam was.

Turning it into a real seam, to take up some of the excess fabric helped, but not enough. It left the back looking fine, but the front still . . . odd.

Which left me with the problem of having to redo the neckband for a third time.

Well, I've managed to salvage the neckband. I even had two plans in mind to let me do so.

First, was just to try tightening that seam with my fingers crossed, hoping that it wouldn't change the way the neckband lay.

(The second, backup plan was going to be to snip the yarn at the cast-on row for the neckband and then unravel just enough--an inch or three--of the row where I picked up the neckband. The plan then would have been to weave in the two, unraveled ends so that they were secure, and to put the now-live stitches on markers to hold them safe while I fixed the actual seam of the body, at which point I would have re-attached those couple of inches of neckband evenly to now-adjusted fabric of the body.)

Luckily, Plan #1 worked.

I measured out a straight-line from neck outward toward shoulder and did another running-stitch seam, and now the neck of the sweater lays flat.

Well, mostly.

Because, here is the current problem . . . now, at the front neckband, I have not just the two layers of fabric that I should have (the sweater and the cut steek), but four layers, because of the seam allowance.

Which means, of course, that the sweater still doesn't actually lie flat. Just that it now wants to.

Still . . . I saved the neckband, which is a relief.

The current plan is now to (1) finish the neckband. Mine is going to be at least twice as wide as the one in the original pattern, for two reasons. One, because I want to fill in more of the neck of the sweater (which I know Cate can relate to) and two, because I need some extra distance between the edge of the sweater and the visible bulk of the steek/seam.

But, after I finish the neckband and (2) graft together the underarms, I will (3) address the bulky-seam problem. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be reinforcing those now-real seams with more permanent stitching and then trimming the seam allowance.

The potential problem with this is that all those loose ends may become rather . . . itchy to wear. Especially on my now-sensitive shoulder skin. Because Shetland wool isn't exactly the softest wool out there to begin with. Of course, I realize that there are already loose ends in there from all the color work, but part of it is a location factor--because, well, again, my right shoulder is still kind of sensitive.

One step at a time, though, right?

Let's see, we had snow today. About 3" of very dry, very fluffy snow. Chappy was so excited, he and I went outside to play in it. (Yes, I'm aware that romping in 23-degree ... that's -4 in C ... cold may not have been the wisest thing to do with my sensitive state of health, lately, but, well, YOU try telling Chappy that.) Anyway, I brought out his flying squirrel toy (bright orange toys are GOOD in the snow) and we had a good time. I came back in when I was getting tired and popped him in the bathtub just long enough to melt the ice between his paw pads.

In other news? My niece hit a deer with her car yesterday, and while (luckily) she and her car are more or less intact, the deer died and she keeps seeing the poor thing's face and feeling absolutely terrible about it. And then, this morning, just before I came down to start the waffles, our neighbors across the street called to ask if Dad could take Mr. H. to the hospital--he had a hernia operation last week and woke up this morning with a swollen ankle and was concerned about blood clots (to which he is prone). Luckily so, in fact, because they just called a little while ago, and the hospital found clots in both calves and one in his lungs, so he's going to be in the hospital for a few days.

Oh, and I did at least get one other thing off my weekend to-do list. I got my Christmas cards written out, addressed, stamped (with the best holiday stamps ever), and ready to go out the door tomorrow morning.

(And, seriously, would it be crazy to buy a bunch more of those stamps? I mean, winter holidays or not, they're KNITTED, for heaven's sake.)

 

Comments

[Chris]

That sweater is jut NOT going easily into the night, is it?!??

[LoriG]

Enabler alert: I use holiday stamps to pay bills with throughout the year. (I'm weird, I know) Isn't that enough of a reason to go buy more?

[Melissa]

Oooh, that's so not good :( It's such a gorgeous sweater, I hope you finally get everything worked out and get it to fit. I'm on the body of mine, and I have to say, I nearly didn't read your post for fear it would frighten me too much :)

[Deborah]

I say those stamps are good all through the year! Glad to see you are tackling Autumn Rose. I have to give you an award for sticking it out. I think I would have become too frustrated and put it in hibernation for a very, very, very long time. It's going to be gorgeous on you! Good luck.

[Julie]

What a saga for the sweater, eh? Would seam binding help cover those it itchy ends with seam binding?

[Kim P]

The snow was gorgeous yesterday. That photo of a post-bath Chappy is adorable. I'm glad Autumn Rose issues are getting resolved. It is going to be a beautiful (well, it already is) & wearable sweater.

[Judy H.]

I find I have to wear all Shetland wool sweaters over something, because it's just too itchy next to my skin. Perhaps a sewed-in lining of something like very thin silk over those cut edges?

[Debby]

I hope you, your neighbor, and your sweater get better soon!

[Laura]

Glad you got the sweater fixed!

[Jessica]

Sheesh... so much work. I hope it's all worth it in the end!

[Beth S.]

I might decide to order that sweater kit and just plug the motif into a loose-fitting St*rm*re sweater pattern. These tribulations of yours (and Cate's, and etc) are scary! Trimming the seam allowance sounds like a good plan, but also a permanent one--there's no going back (gulp!)

The reindeer stamp is the best one. Is it so wrong that I kind of want to knit a classic reindeer sweater?...