Moving At a Snail's Pace......

So....I finally got the nerve to start ripping the blue sweater neckline and sleeves.  Ugghhh.  I never could've imagined what a job this would be.  What's the problem, right?  Just find the end of the yarn, pull out the weaved end, untie the knot and.....pull, right?  Not so much.

First I couldn't remember - did I knit the sleeves from the top/down or visa versa?  Did I knit them in the round or flat?  Well, there was no seam upon examination, so "in the round".  Pretty sure I knitted them from the bottom up because of the patterning.  Good.  Start ripping out the ribbing.  Not going too well.  Have to undo it stitch by stitch, no ripping.  After almost a row, I start investigating more.  Ahhhh.....I'm trying to rip out at the cast- on row.  That doesn't work.  Find where the tweed of the sleeve meets the solid cuff.  There ya go.   Unweave, untie and start separating one from the other.  Good.  Cuff is off.  Now start ripping the sleeve.

No way, Jose`!  Because....both solid and tweed yarns were used alternately; because it's a "waffle" pattern, not stockinette, it does not rip.  No. No.  It has to be done stitch by stitch.  Sometimes I can pull out 3 or 4 stitches before there's a glitch and a dozen more have to be worked stitch by stitch.

Well, after 3 days on the first sleeve, it was finished this morning, cuff knitted back on.  Oh, and the sleeve stitches had to be decreased so the cuff wasn't sooo wide.

Now the second sleeve is being ripped.  Because I know kind of what to expect, it's going a little faster.  A little.  Very little.  So 3 days from now, the alterations should be done.  And I can move on to making the pockets.  Then....in about 2 weeks from now......(hehehehehe) the sweater should be totally done!!

My own fault.  I really wanted to try developing my own pattern.  So, all in all, I guess it really worked out ok.  I do like the sweater;  I like the feel of it, the stitch pattern and the color.  I know I need more practice on intarsia(?) where sleeves are concerned.  But I'm not unhappy with it.

So here's what has to be done.  The marking at the neck is where the 14 stitches had to be dropped down 5 or 6 rows (still can't figure out how that happened!), but it is done and the collar is reknitted and finished; it worked out very well.  So I marked where the sleeves have to be shortened.

And, hopefully, pictures will be posted when all is said and done.  I do know that I will be much more careful in the future.....and try to refrain from making "gorilla" sleeves.  Which seems to be my downfall.

But....hey......the zipper went in "like butter"!!

And the wine colored vest is done. done. done.  Buttons were sewn on yesterday.  I found beautiful lavendar colored ones in my button box.  And "bonus!!".....smaller ones to sew on the inside as anchor buttons, shown in the last photo.  I love this vest.  Spinning more wool....a grey tweedy, bulky for another one!

Well, I'm going back to ripping it up....down.....out.....whatever.  My neck is killing me!

Oh, just a side note....we got 10" of snow between Monday night and all day yesterday.  Poor BH....shoveling for the 3rd time.  Yikes.