finishing it

I know finishing work is not only my biggest problem.
Many of my 'knitting' friends tell me the same story: It takes way too long, all the threads to hide, the blocking, the sewing together of all the seams, ....
Well my friends, it is what it is!!!!

With my latest project "little red riding hoody" I shortened the finishing time a little by blocking my work as I finished each piece.

First the back. Then the two front pieces, and then the arms. While the arms dried I closed the shoulder seams and knitted the hood right onto the garment. I did not cast off the middle diamond design stitches on the back piece so I could continue the design into the hood. The button band was knitted on next. I repeated the 8 rows from the jacket and arms edge and added 5 buttonholes in the top half of the hoody. The bottom half remains open.

Once the arms were done blocking I sewed them on. By 'sewing' I mean I crochet them on. I have given-up on using a sewing needle to close any knitting seams. For me the best way is to use a slightly smaller crochet hook and a single crochet stitch to close a seam.

I think you can see in the picture that I did not have the hoodie's side seams closed before sewing on the arms. I also did not have the arm seams closed. I like this method of sewing (crocheting) in the arms open.

It gives me full control over the placement:

-making sure the middle of the arm is placed at the shoulder seam.

-sewing down the back half of the arm and then the front half lets me adjust the arm width to end exactly where I want it to be. It also is much easier to crochet small sections and 'open them again' if it did not quite come out perfectly.

After that I can sit back and take one evening to close the long side and arm seam. All in one. For this little red riding hoody I left a few inches open at the end of the arm's seam and at the other end of the body. That leaves this hoody light any airy. It is not meant to be cuddly warm, rather just a small soft little chill-remover, for evenings near the ocean or cool spring evenings on the porch.

Comparing it to the sketch I made when I first played with the idea of a kimono hoody, this looks a lot like the vision I had. Don't you agree!

I know that the ladies from the Normal Heights knitting group are asking for the pattern. I know, I know. It's time to write it down.

My husband gave me a super Christmas present. It's a Phone and Pad in one, the Galaxy Note II. So guess what! I need to learn how to make the design notes while I am knitting and making the decisions, so I can just push copy - paste and have the pattern already done.

That's the goal for my next project.

But for now I need to get on it. It's time to remember the way I did it, so everyone that wants to make a hoody like this can do it. I am wearing it a few times a week and it goes well with casual and business styles a like.

Oh and Maxy likes me wearing it out on HER walks.

The Pettern is now for sale in German at my ravelry store:
http://www.ravelry.com