Edges and buttons!

I'm rather pleased, the grey cardigan, the one knit on teeny 2.75mm needles using sock yarn is almost done! Almost, there are button holes to finish and sleeve cuffs to work, but the end is in sight. Todays post is all about the little fiddle bits, starting with the buttons, and ending with the edges. I don't have progress photos, as much of this has been knit in the evenings, but I do have details. And yes 2.75mm isn't teeny for many knitters, but it is kind of smallish to me to be using for a cardigan.

Vintage blue buttons x 7

Here are the vintage buttons I settled on, I was thinking either classic shell, pale or dark, or even classic white shirt buttons ... but these ones caught me out with how well they seemed to echo the crochet lace detail. I wove all the ends in after trying the cardigan on, it fits and I love the neckline. For a while there I was wondering if my plans were weird and I would have a cold shouldered cardigan, you know one that leaves to much shoulder out on show and cold? I calculated the neck stitch count by draping a measuring tape around my neck, trying to allow for a wide rib band, and forgot that the weight of a garment can stretch the neck edge, hence my use of small needles and bind offs that will resist stretching.

Buttons with crochet lace

On the cardigan, the blue and white and gold seems just fine, not too sparkly. Just goes to show that not all that is planned is best, and sometimes things just seem right. I worked wide 1x1 rib edges right around the cardigan, using different sized needles.once it would have been important for me to use the same size needle so the rib matched exactly, now I realize the neck edge will stretch when worn so a smaller needle will help control the stretch. I cast off the front and neck edges using i-cord bind off, this time a two stitch variety, using a 2 mm needle across the neck and a 2.5 mm needle along the fronts. This should help the neck stay firm.

Mitred cause interesting effects

The mitered increases at the corners worked well, and produced some interesting effects that I had not considered would happen. Because the hem ribbing was already well established when I started working the final band in the round, the mitered corners created an interesting shape, unusual but not ugly. Right now nothing has been blocked, when it is I will be able to shape the corners a little more sharply.

Tubular rib cast off

I did consider working the i-cord bind off across the hem but thought it would provide a hard horizontal line, something that is hard to make successful at hip level in any design. Instead I worked tubular bind off ... Two set up rows then stitching my way across the entire hem grafting the Knits to the Purls. I tried to do this with all the stitches on one needle, but resorted to the easier method of separating the stitches out into two parallel needles.

Which leaves me finishing the sleeve ribbing .... And the finishing the afterthought button holes.

More on both of those next time, and a decision of the cuffs are cast off with I-cord or tubular fashion. I'm even wondering if this could become a late entry in the games which are not the Ravelry Olympics, although I have other wips that really need to see some closure, and I'm not sure if I've meet any qualification regulations. I guess this could be my spectator project. Elder cub is now into rowing, and is so interested in the rowing - new Zealand doing well is only increasing his interest.

Na Stella

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