Gansey Finally Finished

RLA Gansey
Originally uploaded by rallaronson

Here it is! The gansey is finally finished and DH is very pleased. I started this sweater in late August of 2008. My first version, finished just about to the neckline (but without the sleeves) was knit on needles that were too big and the resulting drape was not very attractive. In late September I frogged the entire project and began again making a larger size on smaller needles. Other projects distracted me over and over. As part of the Knitters for Obama Knit Along project for the first hundred days I made a commitment to finish languishing projects. This was the one that required the most work. I'm relieved it's finished. Now, just one more small unfinished project, a baby sweater that just needs seaming, remains to be completed before the 100 days are over.

Major Setback

Gansey, one sleeve
Originally uploaded by rallaronson

I thought I was on track to finish the gansey sweater this weekend. You can see from the photo, taken yesterday, that I had one sleeve finished. This afternoon, I was about seven inches into the second sleeve and feeling very pleased with myself when it dawned on me that I ought to either try it on myself or have DH give it a try. I could barely get my hand through the cuff of the finished sleeve and the part of the sleeve below the elbow was uncomfortably tight on me. When DH tried it on the result was the same. It was off to the frog pond for the finished sleeve. Fortunately, thanks to two trips to knitting camp, I know how to insert a lifeline. I then frogged back to the seven inch point on the finished sleeve. I'm now doing decreases every eighth row instead of every fourth row. The sleeve will be wider; I'm just hoping it won't be too much wider. Because it does not have a ribbed cuff, there is less tolerance for it to be too tight or too wide.