Close to Victory
Front Armhole Detail
I took a personal day today to work on my masters thesis project and to give myself a breather from some of the things that we causing a disturbance in my personal force. Believe it or not, I actually did get a reasonable amount accomplished on my project. But, of course, I did not neglect Culdesac, two armbands and 2 seams short of being a real finished project.
The picture above is a closeup of the front with both the armhole band and button band in place. I did all the stitch picking up for the armholes in exactly the same way that I did for the button bands.
All But the Seams
I was actually quite good. I did one armhole in the morning and the second one after I had met my milestone on my project. It was a good day for both knitting and coding.
The problem for me at this point is I simply have an uncontrollable attraction to finishing when I am this close. I literally can't walk away. At this point I know the project wants to be finished. It's sort of like having one chapter left in a mystery novel. I'm too close to the end to close the book without knowing the ending.
Reverse Stockinette Seam
Before I get to the "good stuff" I thought I would show off my seams. I think the stockinette stitch selvedge was a good thing. It made the seaming process a lot easier. It's not a very flat seam But I think that is the nature of these kinds of seams where the reverse stockinette is facing out. The worst part is in the most highly shaped area. I will probably do a little careful steaming or pressing to on a curved surface to even it out a bit. I noticed that both pictures in Knitter's conveniently do not show the seam, so I can't use that as a reference. Overall though, I am pleased with the seam. I think it looks neat and tidy, which was my goal.
So, without further ado, I'd like to present Culdesac in mostly finished form:
Culdesac from the Front
Culdesac from the Back
Yes, I did try it on. (I don't have enough willpower to leave it sit until it's completely finished). Yes, I am very pleased with the results and the fit. I won't take any final model shots until I have finished weaving in the ends (I've got most of them, but the ones along the side seams remain) and have attached some buttons. Could mean that I have to take a little trip to Tender Buttons downtown and see if I can find something mah-vel-ous. I'm a little nervous about attaching the buttons. Historically, button attachment has not one of my greatest finishing successes.
Anyone care to share any tips or tricks for attaching shank style buttons to a fabric that has a lot of give? I want to keep the button band neat and pretty but get the buttons to stay put as well.
Theresa, most beautiful knitting and finishing! That is a stunning pattern from Knitters. Waiting to see you model it for us. Have a good day.
I haven't much experience wtih shank buttons on knitwear, but one sewing technique comes to mind: after initially attaching the button to the garment, wrap the yarn around the shank a couple times if you want to help the button stay upright.
Beautiful work. What about those safety pins with the little humps used for attaching shank buttons? Similarly, I sewed buttons onto a sweater once and then anchored them with regular coiless safety pins. That seemed to keep them from pulling out the stitches and distributed the stress. Also, if you are going to sew, make sure that you sew through more that one stitch or that one stitch will pull.
I haven't tried it, but buy some teeny clear buttons to attach to the inside of the buttons (or even small pieces of felt). You go through the back button as you sew on the front one and this anchors the button in place. I'm not at home right now, but will look up the info (think it was in the VK book) and pass it along. It looks mazing. I can't wait to see it on you.
Victory is a good word! What a stunning piece of work. Good for you!
Nearly finished ! You're so quick.
It's stunning.
Buttons ? What Steph said !
x
The vest is just beautiful. No other word for it. I've used the suggestion about backing with tiny clear buttons on the reverse side of the band, but as was said be careful about picking up more than one strand of yarn. Another idea I've used is to run a piece of matching color grosgrain ribbon on the reverse side of the band. It keep the band from stretching and provides a stable base for sewing on the buttons. This method also gives a good base for using the coilless pins so the buttons can be removed during cleaning. Unique buttons often dislike water or cleaning fluids.
Thanks for all the button help. I will indeed think hard about it. I like the little button on the backside idea and the button pins. I will have to dig through my VK to find out more.
Wowie, grrl, you did the one item in the whole magazine that stood out a mile for me. I couldn't stand to knit it (I'm such a "knit stockinette tubes without thinking" sort of grrl) but I adore that pattern.
Interesting, too: I'm of Norwegian descent and most traditional Norwegian costumes, in many areas of the country, include a red vest over a white blouse. I used to have a costume like that when I was in middle school but it's long gone now.
Great job, and so fast, as well! Isn't knitting a great way to calm the soul?