Rocket Science

Space Is For Knitting

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Location: Rural Midwest, United States

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Ta-Dah! Sleeves!

(This is where a picture would be if I had pictures on my blog.)

Between nervous breakdowns and Scarlet O'Hara imitations Monday, I reflected on Sleeves I Have Sewn.

I think my first real sweater was a child's sweater for my niece Tabi. Those sleeves were all 2x2 rib and I really struggled with them till I hit upon on the slipstitch crochet seam. It worked so well, I'm pretty sure that is what I used on my Tweedy Aran Cardigan. The only others I remember clearly are the Vittadini pullover, which was a funnel-neck raglan that went together row-to-row in mattress stitch, and, somehow, the Corset Pullover mattress stitched pretty easily, too. The shaping of those sleeve caps was all decreased, though; the only binding off part (the source of my troubles) was the little bit at the very top.

Monday night, after I had tried every way I had ever tried before, I followed the advice in last winter’s Rowan magazine. The author suggested I sew the seams and set the sleeve in like sewing patterns always direct and backstitch it all around. I sewed about an inch or two of the seams so I could get right to business, and a while later, I had sleeve seams that looked less awful than all the seams that had gone before. I still thought they looked terrible, but it occurred to me that I might have reached a point were I was no longer objective and my opinion could not be trusted. I set the Cardy aside and worked on the second Rainbow Brite sock until I was sleepy, then read till I fell asleep.

Last night, I went ahead and finished all the side seaming, and this morning I tried it on. Sure enough, the sleeves look a lot less terrible. Tonight, I’m going to weave in all the side ends, knit the last bits of ruffle, and then wash and block it again. Maybe by Friday, I’ll think they look beautiful.