You guys, I made it. My dad’s jumper is done. My mum worked her steam iron magic on it and it is wrapped and under the tree. My mum’s secret jumper – an Elizabeth Zimmermann Ribwarmer – is done, too, and it is wrapped with the rest of her present.
I have experienced the seven circles of stupid with these two projects. The Ribwarmer is wonderfully straight-forward. It is two pieces knit exactly the same in garter stitch. One is reversed and they’re seamed down the centre-back. Easy, right? I knit the neck tab (an extra piece that forms a small collar) on the wrong side on the first piece. I knit the second piece correctly but assumed it was incorrect upon comparison with the first piece. I freaked (this was yesterday). I took a scissors and cut the tab off the second piece, cast off the cut part, picked up stitches, knit the tab on the other side. Went to seam the two pieces up and discovered they were now both wrong. Ripped out newly-knit tab, took out cast off, reknit onto previously cut stitches. Cut other tab off, cast off, picked up, knit new tab.
I knit one sleeve on my dad’s jumper too long. By about four inches. Then, when I was trying to tidy up the collar, where I’d sewed it down, I snipped what I thought was where I’d secured my sewing yarn but what in fact turned out to be the first stitches at the base of the collar which unravelled quicker than I could scream…
I’ll let you dwell on that while I find the link to some finished photos of my shorts – because that’s the most sensible thing to sew on the solstice, right? Here’s the front, the back, how frayed the fabric ended up after much sewing and re-sewing, a pocket. They fit perfectly. In fact, I love them and I cannot wait to wear them.
The dress and skirt are both waiting for their linings to be seamed and then they’ll be finished. I saw this idea earlier today and I think I might steal it! The grey dress I am a little disappointed with. It turned out exactly how I pictured it in my head; it just doesn’t look as cute on me as I’d hoped. I’ve had a good run! And it’s not like it’s unwearable… in hindsight, it was probably never going to live up to my hope.
(If you like the photos, check out the tutorial here. It’s very easy.