BlackRayne ([info]blackrayne) wrote in [info]knitting,
@ 2006-10-13 19:32:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Current mood: frustrated
Current music:Spieluhr - Rammstein - Mutter
Entry tags:finished object

Shedir FO and question about shortening after the fact
So I finished Shedir earlier today. But I have a bit of a problem. Photos, and my thoughts on a possible fix are under the cut.





Before I get to the problem related photo, specs:

yarn - Kraemer Yarn Summit Hill, greenstone
needles - US 5 Boye circular (from my hated interchangeable set), US 5 Clover bamboo for the top

modifications - other than the yarn and needle size, a lot... skipped three of the founds of ribbing on the bottom, skipped a full cable repeat, and at the top where there are two rows of pattern repeats between the decrease rounds I skipped the second straight pattern repeat round on each section.

And now, my problem... it is way, way too long. Way.



Modeled by my 10.5 year old daughter. It's only slightly better on my head. I doubt I'd be able to fix the length issue via blocking, and I don't want to frog back to the cable pattern repeats and remove another full repeat section, so I was thinking. First I thought of folding the ribbing under and hand-stitching it up, but it makes it incredibly bulky around the edge. I do like how it looks without the ribbing there, which leads me to my current thought for fixing it.

Is it possible to pick up all the stitches around the bottom, just above where the ribbing ends and the cables start, then carefully cut the yarn in the ribbing section that I want to remove, and then bind off from the top down? So it looks something like:



In theory it seems possible, though I imagine that unravelling from the bottom up is rather a pain in the butt. I am sure it would be much less of one than starting over, though.

Am I doomed to have a too long hat (not that it is for me, it's intended as a Christmas gift for my sister), or can this way of shortening it be done?


(Post a new comment)


[info]sara_halfelven
2006-10-13 11:36 pm UTC (link)
I have no thoughts on how to fix the length issue, but that hat looks really nice. If your idea works, it'll look even nicer without the ribbing imo. :o)

(Reply to this)


[info]knitting_kara
2006-10-13 11:42 pm UTC (link)
Run a lifeline into the row you want to cut back to. Cut the ribbing off above the lifeline. You can pick the rows out, but it is a very L-O-N-G and tedious journey. Then pick up the live stitches from the lifeline and bind off.

I would suggest that the bottom edge (without the ribbing) may not hug your head as you may like. You may want to go down a size or two in needles to bindoff, which is contrary to most bind off suggestions.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]bexi
2006-10-14 12:21 am UTC (link)
I completely agree with this idea. You may also want to try Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off so that the edge will be nice and stretchy.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:34 am UTC (link)
Thank you for your response/suggestions. I started the lifeline five times last night but gave up out of frustration. It'll get done, but for now I've set it aside until I can tolerate looking at it again.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]chennpug
2006-10-14 12:25 am UTC (link)
Oh, bless you for this post. I am past all the cable repeats and 8 rows into the crown decrease, and just realized it was too long. I've already frogged it once (messed up my repeats), and the thought of doing it again is just heartbreaking.

(Reply to this)


[info]blistex
2006-10-14 02:51 am UTC (link)
I had a similar problem when I made Knitty's "I Do" shrug - you start from the cuffs and work towards the middle, and when I sewed my halves together they were just WAY too long. I did what you've proposed - decided where I wanted the sleeves to actually end, went around and picked up stitches carrrrefully onto a circular ("I Do" is lace, so very very carefully), then just snipped off the stitches in the next row and bound off the stitches I'd picked up. It worked great - here is the cuff before and after:

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sarkasmo
2006-10-14 05:03 am UTC (link)
Wow, great job!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:32 am UTC (link)
That looks awesome. I am going to pick up stitches where I want the bottom to be and do a new bind off at the bottom edge... I am just really dreading doing it (I started running a lifeline through it five times last night before giving up and starting Rogue instead). Fortunately, I have a bit more than 2 months to worry about it yet.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]_eunoia
2006-10-14 07:44 am UTC (link)
I think I actually like the hat better without the ribbing.

(also, thank you so much for posting this, as I have a small head, and I love this hat. Now I have an idea in advance of how much to cut out of the pattern.)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]knitting_kara
2006-10-14 10:22 am UTC (link)
I watched my gauge very closely on this project and went down 1 needle size. I made it from Debbie Bliss' 100% silk and knitted the pattern exactly. My FO fits nicely and is just long enough. I echo the caution to future knitters to check the length before the last cable repeat and decide whether you want it or not. The star detail/decrease on the crown is beautiful, but larger than alot of pattern decreases.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:30 am UTC (link)
I think had I used the recommended size 3 needle the length wouldn't be an issue... but I was more concerned about the circumference because I know my sister is the type of person who wouldn't even bother trying it on if it looked too small (which it would have on the size 3's).

If I ever do this one again I will use the 3's and see what happens with the length.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]viktorcello
2006-10-14 02:12 pm UTC (link)
Is this a knitty pattern?

I love the way it looks from the top; you did a great job, even if it is a bit big for the intended recipient (if she is indeed the recipient?). Don't 10 year olds' heads still grow a little? lol I dunno...

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:27 am UTC (link)
Yep, it's from their Breast Cancer pdf.

The model is not the intended recipient (though if my sister ends up not liking it, it will end up going to the model, who loves it).

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]viktorcello
2006-10-15 04:21 pm UTC (link)
Thank you much for the link to the pattern. I realized right after I sent the comment that you said in your original post that the hat was for your sister and thought, "doh! Hope she doesn't mind I asked..." Thanks for your patience. ;)

Yeah, I can't imagine anyone with good taste not liking that hat, unless it really doesn't fit. :)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]velcrorocks
2006-10-15 02:22 am UTC (link)
I love this pattern!
what is it from??

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:26 am UTC (link)
It's a knitty pattern, available only in their Breast Cancer pdf.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]blaueteufelin
2006-10-15 04:06 am UTC (link)
Hey, sorry I don't have any help to offer. I swapped with you for the yarn and I was wondering what you thought of it.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]blackrayne
2006-10-15 05:22 am UTC (link)
I was going to post my thoughts on the yarn as well, but forgot to. I loved working with it (thank you! I'd never even heard of this yarn company until our swap), it was nice and springy and bouncy, but there ended up being two slubby spots in it that I had to cut out, so that kinda sucked (as did my russian joins). The black one is destined for a hat for my husband. I think he will enjoy the softness of this on his shaven head.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…