Friday, June 26, 2009

Sock Yarn Stranded


The sock yarn baby sweater is finished! I'm quite pleased with it.


The stranded yoke looks just darling.


The wrong side is the neatest of any fair isle work I've done -- I think knitting in the round is the key here (the first time I've done this with a stranded sweater!).


The steek threads are all snipped down and hidden underneath button band ribbons. I had to put the ribbon kind of halfway into the button band, but in fact, I think that it looks fine, and it makes it much easier with the buttoholes. Other sweaters with ribbon-faced button bands I've made, I've used my sewing machine to make buttonholes on the ribbon to match the eyelet holes on the button band, and they are a pain to do, plus the shapes of machine-made holes and eyelet holes are not the same and it's just an awkward business.


Here's the other side. I have to say, I may be a pretty neat knitter and finisher, but I am a total moron at sewing on buttons! My knots are never neat, you don't know how many times I threaded the needle through the wrong side of the button or the wrong side of the band and had to cut the thread, and then I had to rip out and reposition almost all the buttons at least once in order to get the bands to lie flat. Ugh!


But all in all, a totally fun knit and a great finished product! I've written up pretty detailed instructions and will post them soon.

6 comments:

Diana @ Red Delicious Life said...

This sweater is adorable! You are an amazing knitter. I've been following your blog for about a year now and recently finished my first fair isle sweater in the round. Not sure if I have the nerve to try this one yet, but you definitely inspire me!

Jen said...

Thanks, Diana! I'm pleased that you've been following my knitting. In fact, I've been writing up the pattern for this sweater for exactly those people who feel like they don't have the nerve to try fair isle or steeking! Having just steeked for the first time ever while knitting this sweater, I can say that I really appreciate it, and that it's not nearly as stressful as I imagined it would be.

Sue said...

The sweater looks great. I adore those colors too and I think the inside looks marvellous. Perhaps I should try that with ribbon on the inside too, much neater looking.

Batty said...

My, that is beautiful! And reinforced in all the right places, with incredible attention to detail... honestly, it's stunning to begin with, but the loving detail really makes it amazing.

Becky said...

The sweater (and the finishing) are stunning. As all the steeking I've done in the past results in a somewhat scratchy, unfinished look on the inside of the garment, the addition of the ribbon makes all the difference and will hopefully keep the edges of the cardigan for rubbing on sensitive baby skin, as an added bonus.

Karen said...

Have just discovered you! You're brilliant. Thank you for your blog!