Finally Finished

I couldn't bare to post again until I finished Randy's sweater. Yesterday, after a mammoth, all-day knitting fest, I finished the last seam. Thanks to an all-day snow storm, staying inside and knitting for several hours straight turned out to be time well spent.

It's all done--almost. Just a few last touches to get Randy's sweater checked off my To-Do list. First, the sleeves are about three inches too long. Somehow, my hand-knit sleeves always come out long. Sigh. I'm not sure why. So tonight, I'll unravel a few inches and finish them up--yet again.

Second, we need buttons for the henley-style neckline. You may recall I originally envisioned a shawl collar for this sweater. After several tries, the hand-knit shawl collar eludes my knitting abilities. This is the second sweater where I had to abandon a shawl collar for Plan B. On Randy's sweater, Plan B turned out to be a solid choice. I'm going to look for a couple of leather-covered buttons at the fabric store tomorrow.

Third, the sweater needs some blocking. While overall I'm pleased with the set-in sleeves--I think they give the sweater a crisp look--there is a bit of puckering along the sleeve line in the back. I'm hoping a good bath and a bit of steam from my steam iron will relax the fabric and give it a tidy look.

Trying on the sweater for the first time this morning, Randy seemed genuinely pleased with the finished product. The sweater looks a lot like the other store-bought versions in his closet, which I hope means that he'll pull this one out of the closet from time to time. I like to imagine this sweater as a portable hug--and I think Randy appreciates that sentiment.
- posted by Laurie @ 1:50 PM