It’s been a journey, folks, but I made it and I feel… relieved, which is a kind of good, isn’t it?
Last time, I had just ordered yarn to finish my second sleeve. Alas, the dye lot was different (naturally, after five years), and while G insisted it wasn’t noticeable, I very much noticed it. The new shade is more brick red and, while I accept it was close, I think it would have looked very much like I’d run out of yarn and had to use a different colour to finish. Which, to be fair, would have been absolutely accurate.
So I went to Plan B, which was to make a feature of the sleeve being different. I had all sorts of DK cotton in my stash, certainly enough to make a rainbow sleeve, so that’s where I went. It’s ended up being by far my favourite part of the jumper!
After I finished the sleeve and tried it on, I wasn’t happy with the neckline. It was too wide and not a neat finish. It’s possible that the pattern called for a neckline to be added but given that I’ve lost it, who could say? If you haven’t read the other posts, I found this half finished sweater in my stash along with some of the yarn I needed to finish (the rest of the yarn had been scavenged for other projects) and no pattern. Not knowing what I was “supposed” to do gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted and I thought, why not more rainbow?
I struggle with picking up stitches, and with seaming. This project made me practise those skills and I have to say I really think I’ve done the absolute best I could. Certainly the picked up stitches at the neckline are the best I’ve ever done and that was satisfying, even if it’s not perfect.
Straight off the needles the body of the jumper was keen to skrunkle up tight. The yarn label said ‘do not soak’. Spoiler: I soaked. Just for a wee half hour with some conditioner, followed by a drain and spin in the machine alongside a clean towel. I then pinned, then steamed and pressed the seams. The end result is… fine? Certainly flatter and wider, though I guess I picked up too many of those side stitches as it’s v curved round the hem.
At the end of the day, it’s done and out of stash. I’m concerned that it’s not of high enough quality to donate anywhere, though, and I don’t think I’ll wear it. It’s very fitted on me, in a way that isn’t super comfortable. Also I think I really just don’t enjoy cotton garments for myself.
What would you do?
The Crafty Yarnster 