The Seamless Hybrid is sputtering along

Molly Knits Sweaters gave me good advice. She said if I get stuck while doing an EZ pattern to just walk away from it for a while and then, when I come back to it, it will probably make sense. I took her advice and did not touch the hybrid for about 4 or 5 days. During that time, the solution to my dilema came to me. It was simple, which is probably why I could not find anyone else having problems with it. The decreases continue up the sides of the saddle but the saddle does not decrease, so I centered the decrease over the join of the saddle and body and then moved this stitch to the saddle side of the marker.



Now I have a new challenge. EZ says to knit 44 rows on the saddle and then bind off half of the saddle stitches to shape the neck opening. When I knit 44 rows on the saddle it will take me to the center of the body which then moves the neck shaping to one side. When I look at the picture, the saddle stitches do not meet in front - they stop at the neck opening. So now to determine where she got the 44 rows. I have been following her recipe fairly closely and I should not be this far off in numbers. The only difference is the way I did the double decrease. Hmmm... but those decreases happen at the same rate as the ones in the picture - I think. The only solution I have come up with is to take the number of stitches that are remaining on the front after the double decreases and divide that number into thirds. Then knit 1/3 of the way with the first saddle, bind off half the saddle stitches to make the neck opening, and continue across the middle third of the body stitches and stop. This brings the saddle to the far edge of the neck. Then knit the second saddle from the opposite direction across the remaining third of the body stitches to meet up at the edge of the neck opening. This will follow her hand-drawn diagram. My next concern is whether the neck opening is big enough. The total stitches allowed for the neck opening (if I follow my plan) will be 96 stitches, which is a little more than I would cast on for a hat, so I know it will fit over the head and allow me to knit a 1x1 rib band at the neck line. This is the only plan I have come up with that makes sense to me.

What I thought I wanted was to follow along and let someone else do the thinking, but there is satisfaction in working through the process. The good thing is this keeps those little gray cells in my brain all working together towards a common goal.

I finished the sample for my sock class...


I was not concerned about making the sock proportional - hence the short foot, etc. My goal is to have a sample of sock construction that can be held and studied; I believe that learning is also tactile. Today I get to put the finishing touches on my handouts and make the copies at the office supply store. I teach the first sock class tomorrow!

T.K. asked what my biggest project has been so far, and I think a sweater has been my biggest project. I have flirted with the idea of a sampler afghan. I think it would be fun to practice different stitch patterns and use them in an afghan, but I do not know when I will do it. Someday.