I put up a plea about this on Ravelry under DisKnit, but still I'd love anyone's advice. I made this lovely aran from natural beautiful yarn from Maine over ten years ago. I sewed it up carefully; it basically fits; but the neck is just wrong. It is too high in front. I need to remove stitches from the front, yet stubborn, stupid, irrational Snapdragon says I don't want to take it apart, and I think I can rip out stitches. Is this hubris? I have a little logic problem about the edges in the front as I rip out, what will happen to them. Do I pick them up and they are fine or do I have to deal with the edges as well?
Can you see the problem? I'm not wool-phobic, but this is real wool and it comes up to far in the front:
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| From 2008 Knitting |
I apologize for the somewhat creepy eyes, but I was trying to get across the various angles of the sweater with the mirror and no one else to take pictures.
Knitting Daily has a theme on Fearless Knitting which I appreciate. And I've had this sweater at this stage for 10 years I think. So . . . I could do almost anything and it is better than where the knitted substance is now. But . . . If I do nothing, I could take off the sleeves, make it into a pillow and say okay to it all. A knitted pillow seems . . . fearful. But fearlessness has gotten more than one person in trouble.
In other news, I have made reservations for a vacation in February to the old stompin' grounds of California. Lots of visiting with folks, and a little sojurn at Point Reyes, and one lecture to pay the airfare. But it has nothing to do with family and it is 12 days out of the office.
5 comments:
I have no practical advice, but will encourage you to do whatever you can to bend the sweater to your will! Knitted pillows are nice, but it doesn't seem like seeing that pillow would make you happy, and that would be a shame. I agree with you about the neckline, but the cable work is GORGEOUS, and it would be a shame to see it relegated to a pillow that made you grumpy to look at. Any chance you can get some help at an LYS?
Ahh, that fabulous sweater rises again...it is so beautiful. My good blogless friend, DaTwine is pretty fearless, as is Acornbud; both readers of our blog; hopefully they will offer some advice. Like Chelsea, I have nothing but admiration for the incredible work that went into this sweater.
Would that I could join you in CA; I'm off to Portland again in Feb, to see John Doe and to not buy yarn. Give Curtis Park my love. Heck, give Curtis the dog my love, too!
well hello k-brow and d-knit! how did y'all know i'd have some wacky notions about how to wrestle that sweater into shape?!? methinks you need to get another ticket, this one to hawai'i, and we'll work it out over coffee and beard papas (cream puffs). in case that can't happen anytime soon, and if this sweater were mine, i might treat the neckline like a steekzone, delineating and securing the stitches you want to keep in place (lifeline perhaps?). i'd < gulp! > cut down the middle and grab some ends to unravel to either side until you've revealed the general shape of the neckline you'd prefer. i'd then pick up along the live stitches to make a new neckband or whatever edging you'd like to create. now i've never tried this before, but i don't know why it can't work?! good luck!
That seems to be the consensus over on Ravelry as well. To cut, yikes. I don't have a sewing machine, but apparently in the Elizabeth Zimmerman books she explains how you can just sew by hand. And this wool is very fiberous so I think it will stick together well. I've put out a plea to DC Knitters to see if I can borrow someone's EZ book since I don't own it. Of course, there is the Hawaii trip option, but . . . I think that is going to be next Christmas . . . on my way to New Zealand hopefully. If I work tons of overtime this year!!!
whew--good to know i wasn't steering you in too wild a direction. hi/nz sounds like a great idea! i was there in april '07 and highly recommend it. keep a portion of your trip budget allocated for yarn...where else can you get possum/merino?!? keep us updated on the sweater surgery.
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