Rogue Details

As announced shortly yesterday, I finished the Rogue. Now my notes to it, or as many of them as I can remember:

The hem is done in twisted stitch. It gives and interesting finish, but it difficult to work for as long as you must work it. Makes for a slow hem. It’s just a question of preference. If you prefer ribbing, then do that. I might next time just for a change.

The body was fairly easy. I didn’t want the shaping, so I substituted the composite cable panel for the original side panel. It still looks great. I guess you would never notice if you didn’t know what the original was.

The back was also easy. The difficulties arrived with splitting the neck and shaping the shoulders. It still all turned out all right, but I did have to think about it a bit and sometimes I just set the knitting down when I came to a new section so that I could continue with a fresh brain, so to speak. Some of it could have been a bit tighter, so I went tightened some bits up by weaving in on the WS, using the ends when I could. Looks much better for it too.

The hood was also fairly easy to do, but did require thought. It also didn’t work the way I expected it to, so that required a thought shift too, but I got there in the end. Mostly if you just follow the pattern you’ll get there. Just do and don’t question. Makes life easier.

I kind of got myself into a fuddle with the sleeves. I should have written the decreases out. I would have done better. However, they turned out fine in the end anyway. They’re both the same length and fit. Again I panicked about the pattern for nothing. The shaped armholes freaked me out a bit since I’ve never done those before. They came out just fine, so I learned something new. Oh, I did knit them in the round and not flat, at least up to where I had to split them. That worked well for me.

Sewing up took ages. I only had to do the arms, but I hate sewing. Then I also had to hem the sleeves, the bottom and the hood. Not fun, but necessary. I couldn’t just leave it knit but not finished. Too much knitting involved not to wear it. Hemming the hood was optional, but it does give the hood a better finish, especially as the edges were a bit loose in places. It just hangs nicer now that it’s seamed.

All in all I’m quite happy with the whole sweater. I never think I will be, but it all turns out OK in the end. It’s very comfy and nice to wear. I will do it in wool next time though, just so I have one that’s really warm.

I spoke to my aunt about the stole this weekend. She knows my grandmother (well, obviously as she is her daughter) well and felt I could get away with telling her that the yarn was just too difficult and unpleasant to work with. It is part acrylic and acrylics go bad over the years. Anyway, she is of the opinion that I can get away with buying another fabulous yarn and knitting up the stole with that. Maybe I’ll find something in a nice green. She’s going to need a bit of colour I think. It will have to be a strong colour, whether green, pink or whatever. It doesn’t really matter, as long as the end result is Fab and she’s thrilled enough about it to forget the other. It should be. I want to do the Star pattern from Arctic Lace and just double it to make the stole. It’ll be rectangular, but it will still keep her warm and be pretty at the same time. What more could she want?