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cutting knits!

sewphaedra | Posted in Knitting and Crochet on

Boy did I do a weird thing today in knitting. I had a sweater vest I knit. it was a Minnowknits pattern that I sized up for myself, but I got the neck wrong and it was too tight. Instead of unraveling and redoing it, I decided to try the Norwegian approach (and one Elizabeth Zimmerman puts forth in “Knitting Without Tears) and CUT the neck off! First I machine stay-stitched it, twice, with a very short stitch and stay tape. Then I took a very deep breath and cut it deeper. I picked up stitches at the new neck and knit the neckband.
It looks great, I’m very impressed. Now I just have to see if it holds up over the long term.

Replies

  1. rjf | | #1

    Congratulations!  I know how much courage that took because I remember the first Fair Isle vest I knit.  It was knit in the round with a steek (an 8 to 10 stitch section of knitting where you change colors).  At the end, you zig-zag up both sides of the center of the steek and cut it open.  I stood there for ten minutes with the scissors in my hand.  You almost want to close your eyes before cutting.  But it worked fine. 

    Did you use an invisble cast-off?  That seems to give a very good finish: it stretches to go over your head but draws back in to lie smoothly around your neck.  I've discovered you can knit a smaller neckline than with the usual cast-off.     rjf

    1. sewphaedra | | #2

      I don't know how to do invisible cast off. I'll have to look for directions somewhere. This neckline was a rolled finish, you just do stockinette for 8 rows, cast off and let it roll over.

      1. rjf | | #3

        Oh...then you wouldn't want an invisible cast-off because the neckline wouldn't roll.  I've read in some directions to increase a few stitches here and there on the row before casting off.  That gives some leeway.

        Invisible cast-off is in Threads. volume 12.  (And cast-on!)          rjf 

    2. sanderson | | #4

      Knitting Without Tears has been my bible for a long time;  I went to a yarn store to buy yarn to make my boyfriend (now DH) a sweater 30 years ago.  The clerk wouldn't let me buy the yarn until I sat down and read the chapter from KW/OT!  I still LOL when I get to her direction to "go lie down in a darkened room" after making the cut. 

      1. Jean | | #5

        "go lie down in a darkened room"

        Hiya, Sanderson. That is  really funny! How ya been? Keeping busy?

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