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Whatever the opposite of zoom is......
June 06, 2005
I've been so busy recently, and this week will be the same, but then not again for ages so hooray for that! I can't remember if I said why or whatever, as it certainly wouldn't be very interesting! But basically I'm writing a thesis on the lab work I did this year, and it has to be in on friday.
So what knitting have I done? Well, I've STILL not finished Elspeth! BUT I have finished the knitting, and have seamed her, and am now doing the crochet edge. It's taking an age - although it might just feel like that because I only fitted in a hours knitting this weekend.
But about the finishing. I like finishing things as neatly as possible. I didn't know how to do this a couple of years ago, but now I have more of an idea, and so I like to use that. But I didn't really think all that hard when I knitted this pattern, I just blindly followed the instructions, cos I was in that kind of a mood, and I think I missed a lot of tricks that would have made things neater and easier.
For a start it really needed selvedges. This didn't bother me TOO much when seaming, I backstitched the seams, and they aren't invisible, but they aren't messy either:
So that's ok. But it made crocheting around the edge really tricky! I kept getting holes, so I'd put the crochet hook in the wrong way and then turn it round (I was trying to achieve the crochet equivalent of knitting into the back loop, if that helps you imagine what I was doing) and that fixed the holes.
The next problem was not short-rowing the shoulder shaping or the shaping at the top of the raglan sleeves, but casting off in groups of sts instead, because now my crochet looks kind of stepped like the shaping!
That BLOB is an unwoven-in end, my crochet isn't that bad!
I didn't have the iron at hand so I sort of pressed it with my fingers, and it looks a bit better, and I think once I've done the picot round this will be less obvious anyway.
So just minor problems I guess.....I know I could have modified the pattern so these problems didn't happen, and I'm annoyed I was too lazy to do so!
I am definitely taking photos of this top outside when it's finished, these photos I've shown today are completely the wrong colour!
Posted by jen at June 6, 2005 08:13 AM
Comments
I think she's going to be soooo pretty! I don't think the backstitched seam looks bad at all, at least from the pic on my monitor. And the picot will hide any imperfections in the edge finishing.
Good luck on your thesis. Now that's something that will be worth celebrating when it's done!!
Posted by: Michelle at June 6, 2005 03:13 PM
Hey, Jen!
Good for you for being so conscientious about your finishing. That's part of what makes your finished objects look so great, I'm sure! I can totally identify, though, with being "lazy" about a pattern. Sometimes one just wants to get started knitting-- am I right?-- without all of the fuss beforehand. And from what I've seen of your Elspeth, it's beautiful; I can't wait to see it finished & modeled.
Posted by: Kathy B. at June 6, 2005 03:25 PM
Your Elspeth is looking good! And thanks to your help, mine is almost finished, too. I'm close to finishing the crochet. (I only had to rip it out completely once.)
BTW, I did keep a 2 stitch selvedge on all my pieces and it did help with seaming but it meant that my lace doesn't go all the way to the seams. But who can tell?
Posted by: Laura at June 6, 2005 06:24 PM
I bet that when you've finished you'll love it. It's good to be critical as it makes for perfection (well that's my plan anyway, whether it works is another matter!)
Posted by: Tracy at June 7, 2005 08:28 AM
Dont you think that sometimes its nice to work on other people's patterns instead of having to think so hard about your own designs while you are working on them? I'm always disappointed when I just sit down and follow a pattern only to find that there were lots of little things that I would have changed. She does look gorgeous though, I cannot wait to see the finished photos..
Posted by: kerrie at June 7, 2005 11:27 AM