So I felted it. Boiled it briefly in suds, plunged into cold water, then another cold water, then wrung it out and gave it half an hour in a hot dryer with a towel. I had prudently buttoned it up ahead of time.
And ended with a really nice felted material. Much better texture, subtle design. color really blazing away I clipped the buttonholes just a bit, easy now it's felted, won't fray, for easier buttoning now the original holes are smaller.
And still not happy with the fit. So I cut up the sides and stitched a slanted seam like a dart. And now it's really nice. It fits. Very cosy, too.
I'm thinking of making a purse with the leftover yarn and felting it, now that I know how well it felts. With any luck that will be a bit simpler.
So this simple (!) vest involved knitting, felting, stitching, cursing and Dorset button making. Knitting's not for the faint of heart. At least not the way I do it!
awww. well at least you got it to work at last, and the blue is magnificent. I call stuff like that a learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the cursing was the glue that kept it all together, anyway. It usually is.
Very likely about the cursing. I always like to say my people invented those words! It was fun in fact seeing it through. I know there are knitters out there cringing at all the rough treatment, even Cutting! Boiling! Arghgh.
ReplyDeleteWow - that vest has been through a lot! Glad that you managed to finally wrestle it into submission and have something you are happy with. Must have been all the cursing...
ReplyDeleteAt one point I thought it was it or me! We both prevailed. I guess.
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