Zimmermania

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Advice Needed

At last, I have started a sweater to share with you all. It's technically a Meg Swansen sweater, but that counts, doesn't it? She says, about this pattern, that is was a "collaboration between Ma and me." Box-the-Compass sweater is underway. The cleverly constructed contrasting hem is behind me and now I have miles of plain black stockinette ahead of me. I'm finding it very soothing right now. I'll let you know when I'm ready to poke myself in the eye with a knitting needle.

The hem was enormously satisfying to work. What a wonderful detail. I chose the knit together as you go option seen here and how to'd here, rather than the add on at the end and sew up option. I'm pleased with my results.



But I need some advice. As I was patting myself on the back for a lovely hem well executed, it suddenly dawned on me that maybe I should have followed the pattern which has you do the hem as an afterthought. This sweater has you work faux "seams" by dropping down the side stitch and hooking it back up such that you create a seam-like effect. But now I have a sewn hem. Will it be okay if my "seam" only goes as far as the hem? I really don't want to rip it out and start over, and I really want the detail of the seams. What should I do??

Cross posted with more photos at my blog.

8 Comments:

  • Kathy, I think it will be ok to just drop the phony seam to the hem. When I've used them, I've just dropped them to the ribbing and it works out fine.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:19 AM  

  • What Donice said, or... You could just skip the phony seam all together.

    The hem does look great.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 11:44 AM  

  • You can still do the phony seam,just drop the stitch down to the lat but 1 row,then work the stitch back up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:07 PM  

  • Or you can drop down through the hem to the fold, then work back up, making sure you collect the hem stitch on the way.

    Good Luck!

    By Blogger Moorecat, at 4:39 PM  

  • Kathy, keep going. I'm doing almost the exact same thing--a hemmed sweater and I'll be adding phoney seams. My plan is to drop down to the hem, and then see if I can go down to the fold too.

    Oh...and this sweater definitely counts in my book.

    By Blogger K2Karen, at 1:14 PM  

  • There really is no right or wrong when "creating" your own piece of knitted art. If you like how it looks then leave it! Live on the edge........

    By Blogger Nonna Rose, at 3:18 AM  

  • Dear Kathy,
    The only tricky bit will be getting through the knit-together stitch connecting hem-to-body. Once through that, you can continue to drop the 'seam' to the lower edge.
    Why not test it now to see if it will work?
    Please post again to let us see the result.
    Meg

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:07 AM  

  • I had the same problem with a too-short phoney seam when I knit down from a bottom hem to add length to a top. Duplicate stitch worked out great, not even I can tell where the "real" phoney seam begins.

    By Blogger Monica Chew, at 12:41 PM  

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