Tales of a Putzer

Poor High Neck Cable sweater. This recent FO has gone through a lot:

1. There was the mis-crossed cable that was fixed up in early December.

2. After its successful debut just before Christmas, I decided that I just wasn't 100% thrilled with the neck. It was a bit too wide and I thought it would be better just a smidge higher, as well. So, after the holidays, out came the neck and it was re-knit. It still isn't quite as narrow as I'd like, but it is much better. I wore it to work for the second time and decided by 12 pm that:

3. The sleeves were just a smidge too short. Time for a little more surgery.

Today was the perfect day for it: with a forecast high just above 0, the day off, no new football, and a light chores list, I grabbed the High Neck Cable, a pair of scissors, needles, left-over yarn and went to work while watching the season finale Patriots/Giants game I recorded at the end of the December (knowing the outcome, of course, lessens the possibility of distraction and potentially catastrophic errors when I'm armed with scissors and knitting).

Warning! The following contains graphic images that might be disturbing to a timid knitter.

As knitting is directional, one simply cannot snip the cast off edge and rip up (believe me...I tried this once and it decidedly does not work!). One must snip and then rip down to remove the existing knitting, especially when it involves ribbing. The very first step is to find the tails and unweave the sleeve seam.

The scary part comes next! Cut one half of a stitch just a bit above where you want to begin knitting again, a little ways in the row which allows for tails. Poised with a sharp scissors and a spare needle, I'm ready to snip!

Then, one gently and carefully works the yarn in and out of the stitches on both the top and bottom pieces to expose live stitches. It's best, in my experience, to start catching the live stitches right away so one doesn't have to tussle with dropped stitches as well.

Ta da! In no time at all, the ribbing is off the sleeve completely!

Now that the live stitches have been captured, simply add on the necessary length by knitting downwards towards what will be the new cuff. In this instance, I added 8 rows, or about 3/4" of stockinette (see what I mean about just a smidge short...and being an endless putzer?) Then, proceed with the same amount of ribbing, cast off, and re-seam.

You can't tell where the new part begins, can you?

I'll have photos of both re-done sleeves tomorrow.

Now that I've mutated just about everything I can on the finished High Neck Cable, I do believe it's time to let the poor thing alone. I must say, though, that it has definitely provided me with lots of ideas for a future class and made me a little bit more fearless. Unfortunately, these successful modifications have also fed into my pursuit of unachievable knitting perfection. If I can change it and make it better, I will...

On another, unrelated note - my poor Sweetie Pie has had such a disappointing Saturday. With dashed hopes of seeing There Will Be Blood, unsuccessful trips (plural) to grocery stores (again, plural), he went to the library to pick up a book he had reserved. What does he do amid all of this crappy running about? Sees Crazy Aunt Purl's book on the New shelf and grabs it for me just 'cause he thought I'd be interested. Ain't he sweet?