It was too hot to handle wool last week. Besides, I needed a break from all that garter stitch, so I turned my attention to a blue crumpled mess at the bottom of the knitting basket. It was the body of last Spring's big UFO, a blue cardigan knitted in Euroflax linen and last photographed here . In the intervening year, some (unblogged) frogging and re-knitting had occurred, and all that remained for me to do was to finish the two fronts and assemble them via a 3-needle bind-off.
When I was done with this, I decided to bravely check on fit instead of simply forging ahead and casting on for the sleeves. This meant laundering and machine-drying the body, an easy, usually rewarding step that transforms the linen from rought to silky and could change the gauge a bit... or not.
When I held my breath and tried on the body, there were some good news and some bad news. Good news: the length is just right this time, and the width, while roomy, isn't bad. Shoulder width is just the way I wanted it. I plan to add only the narrowest of edgings and button bands, in garter stitch.
Bad news: the armhole is long. Not awfully long but, hmmm, long-ish.
Disclosure: once upon a time, precisely when I stopped blogging about this particular project, the armhole was even longer. I eventually came to my senses, and frogged and reknitted it to what I thought would be the right measurements. In spite of the long rest I took from working on this, I don't have it in me to frog to the armholes and knit the sides yet again. For one thing, figuring out the decreases within the four-stitch cable motif was a headache. For another, figuring out the rate of decrease at the V-neck at the same time was, if not a headache, a definite challenge. It made me understand like never before the absolute beauty of steeking. If I was knitting this cardigan in wool, I could make the body without those particular worries, focusing instead on creating an evenly cabled fabric, and then cutting out a V neck, front opening and armholes at the right place. Seen from here, it seems ideal. But I can't imagine steeking something as slippery as linen (although no doubt some reckless knitter has done it already).
Maybe I am being over-dramatic. When I place the body of the blue cardi on top of my Krystyna cardigan, on which I based this project, the discrepancy at the armscye is visible, but not outrageously so.
So, I find myself in a quandary, yet again. Not my favorite place to be -- much too familiar. Do I start on the sleeves and hope for the best? Do I turn this into a vest? And if so, what do I do with the remaining skeins of Neptune blue Euroflax?
Meanwhile the weather is back to Bay-Area-normal, with just the right amount of breeze and cool evening air to withstand an almost-done worsted weight wool blanket on my lap. This one at least should achieve FO status very soon.
It would make a lovely vest or you could go with a dolman shaped sleeve. As for the extra linen... it makes very nice face cloths (or I could take some off your hands).
Posted by: Joan | May 20, 2009 at 12:50 PM
I think I would forge ahead with the sleeves and my best effort knowing that a vest is plan B. Good luck!
Given your history of fabulous FOs, I am sure whatever you choose will be amazing.
Posted by: maxine | May 21, 2009 at 09:21 AM
I don't remember exactly how I arrived at your blog, but I started reading and so enjoyed it that I went back to the very beginning and read the entire thing. I want to thank you for hours of entertainment and inspiration.
I have a daughter away at college and miss her very much, but fortunately she and her friends are always in need of hats and socks, which makes me very popular at school. And I do still have two at home, although one is a 'white socks only' kind of guy.
I see your projects and want to knit along with you. I know there is a log cabin blanket in my near future, but I'm on a dish cloth kick right now and can't seem to stop, although I need to start my holiday socks soon or I won't have them all done in time.
Thanks for the blog
Posted by: Lisa | May 21, 2009 at 01:11 PM
I would forge ahead with the sleeves and ease them in when attaching the sleeves to the body. You can tighten up the armholes a little in the final seaming. Because it is linen, it might have more give than wool. And you can also crochet a reinforcement row of single crochet around the armhole when it is finished to give it more stability.
If you like the measurements on the tan sweater, then this one would be close when it is done.
Consider a crocheted seam instead of backstitch or mattress stitch--it will be firmer and you can make it stretch less.
Posted by: marjorie | May 25, 2009 at 02:02 PM