Monday, February 20, 2006

Could Someone Get Me a Cold Cloth?

I finished the first round of knitting on my Olympic Knitting challenge (the knitting of the 3 tubes) late yesterday evening. Is this the long program?

Thank goodness for 3-day weekends! I had today to recuperate from the lateness and a whole day to mess around with the next step.

I am so grateful to Carol Anderson (Cottage Creations) for the incredibly detailed directions, and, let's face it, the written hand-holding that is part and parcel of all of her patterns.

The Norski sweater is no exception. FSM be thanked!

So, I turned my tubes inside out and steam blocked them.




Next step was to stitch the "steek" stitches with my 35 year old Brother sewing machine. Yes, it really is pink. That's the only color it came in! Bite me!

Four rows of stitching down the front. (I stitched from the wrong side because the columns of "purl" were easier to see on their knit side.)






Marked off the neck curve with a bit of contrasting yarn.

This was the part that was a surprise. No one warned me! Though I certainly should have been able to figure it out!

How else would you get a scoop in the front?






Next step, the hardest in the whole process, and curiously, the most calming. Get out the scissors, and CUT! Let's call this the compulsories, shall we?

I was shocked at how easily I took the scissors to my work of art! We're talking 9 days of knitting here!

And yet, there was no turning back, so what the hell!












And the stitching held my knitting in place :whew:


This should be where I wax poetic about the whole process, but there's still a long way to go! I'll do that after the finishing is finished.










Fuzzy picture of the part that was cut away. I may keep these little bits as a souvenir, since this little sweater (and the hat) are destined for donation after the fair.

All the colors are there. And all the angst.














Repeat the 4 rows of stitching on each sleeve steek and cut them open.










Three needle bind off on the shoulders completes these steps. I am ready for the next step.

We'll call that the short program. It begins tonight.
Comments:
Brave soul! It looks great.
 
Nicely done! Very nicely done!
 
Way to go Ann! Was your knitting coach supportive during the steeking or did she hide under furniture?
 
My coach was hanging out in the kitchen where chicken for tonight's dinner was stewing. Just in case it tried to escape. . .
 
excellent!
 
Rita
 
It's beautiful! you rock.
 
Congratulations! Beautiful sweater. I followed Carol's instructions in her Scandinavian Cardigan for my first steek. She made it (almost) painless.
 
you're a braver man than i, gunga din.
 
Not steeks!

It looks great.
 
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