Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (plus, sewn bind-off)

I did run the ties through on Hey, Teach! but I haven't redone the buttonband yet, so will wait until I'm done to show you 'after' pictures. Meanwhile I haven't been idle! I finally picked up Rob's socks, which you last saw back in March. I had finished one sock, determined that it fit, and then never started the other one. Well, it's actually a bit nippy these days and Rob could use those socks! So I got about an inch into the ribbing on sock #2 last night. These poor socks were started in 2006 (!!!) so it'll be a wonder if I can even make the 2nd sock match the first given the weird way I take notes. We'll see...

I also snuck in and knit a pair of Debbie Bliss' Two Tone Baby Socks. They're very cute but SO many ends to weave in for such a small pair of socks! Then again, it's not like a baby's going to make a lot of miles on these things.



Finally, I'm making progress on Rob's gansey! After some screwups, I finally got the neck done, so it is a complete sleeveless vest at the moment:

The pattern said to bind off neck in pattern (that is, 2x2 rib), but that looks so messy to me, so I decided to do a sewn bind-off. If you haven't done this before, it's really easy. You make a tail 3-4 times as long as the area to be bound off, then put a needle on it and do this:

1. First, pass the needle and yarn right to left (purlwise) through the first two stitches on the needle and snug up (don't pull tight);
2. Then, pass the needle back left to right (knitwise) through the first stitch only and snug up;
3. Finally, drop the first stitch off the needle.


Repeat until you have bound off. It makes a really stretchy bind-off with a lovely look, much nicer than binding off in rib.

Pre-adjustment "Hey, Teach!"

Just so you can see what it looks like pre-adjustments:



I'm wide, but not quite that wide at that spot. And you know how it is — you never want to look wider than you are; as wide as you are is PLENTY. So I think I'm going to try a ribbon through the ribbing (need to go buy some fabric ribbon first) as some of you suggested. And I'm definitely going to redo the buttonhole band. Somehow, even though I count the same # of rows on the left and the right fronts, I ended up having WAY too many stitches on the buttonhole band. And I tried cutting it down, but did the math wrong -- so it's still more stitches on the buttonhole band than the button band. That's only part of why it's gapping, but still -- having them the same would help. Then I might put some hooks on the back of the buttonhole band in between the buttons, to help smooth out the connection.

Yeah, I know I have one more button to sew on. I'm lazy.

And now, a trip back in time

Only a few weeks back. But I just realized I forgot to show you pictures of Hedgehog #2, now safely in the hands of Elinoire the Hedgehog Keeper and her Dastardly Companion, Sylvie!



I'm totally in love with Ysolda's ingenious design. What a great way to use up small amounts of yarn of any size!

Progress!

I have only one sleeve remaining to be sewn in on my Hey, Teach!

OTOH, some of you know that sewing in sleeves is my least favorite part of knitting (I love mattress stitch, but sleeves are hard -- no matter how many times I count stitches and work the math so it'll go in evenly, somehow there's always more stitches on one side than I had counted). So it could take a few more days!

I also think I'm going to reknit the buttonhole band, which came out WAY looser than the button band. Unfortunately the whole back of the sweater is also more tightly knit than the front, but I think that'll block out. Or it'll just look slightly shorter in back. I'm not a perfectionist, just a pragmatist ;-)

I love this already (I've been trying it on as I go), but I wish the ribbing in the middle drew it in more. It makes me look more like a refrigerator with a head than my already more-than-chance resemblance. Middle age has left me without pretensions to a waist, and though I've lost some weight recently (lots left to go), I still have a thicker waist than I used to at the weight I'm at now, if that sentence parses. So having a sweater that sort of flies out widely right under the bust is perhaps less than ideal. I still love it, but some internal elastic may be beneficial.

Oh! I also finished a second pair (smaller size) of mittens from the pink monster yarn.



I can't decide whether they should go to Carson or go to Afghans for Afghans.