I may have finished a sweater.
No photos yet, because at this point it doesn’t look good enough on my husband. It is snug, and rather short in the torso. I may have grossly underestimated the circumference of my beloved’s manly chest. And I should have heeded Elizabeth Zimmermann’s wisdom about short rows across the back above the hem. Last night I was all ready to make a decisive surgical snip and tear out a line of stitches so I could lengthen the torso and graft it back together again, but the look on Mr. G’s face stopped me cold. He was horrified that I was about to cut the knitting. I had explained the procedure to him upon our discovery that the sweater was looking a little short in the body, but apparently the reality didn’t sink in until he saw the jaws of sharp, cold steel poised above a solitary, innocent stitch.
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m going to cry!”
This was so plaintive that I found I just couldn’t do it. I put the scissors down. I put him back in the sweater. (Dang, that little bit of ribbing sure did draw the sleeves in snug!)
“Can’t we just block it?”
The man has been learning by osmosis! He’s actually picking this stuff up! And he might even be right. A good stiff blocking all over might just make it possible for us not to cut apart the sweater. (Although I might still add those short rows.) I agreed that I’d knit the neck band and then we’d block it and see where we stood.
Into the tub with you, purple sweater. Grow, grow!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I love it! A man who knows that blocking will cure a host of evils! Hang on to that man with both hands! I will be curious to know if blocking does the trick. Keep us updated.
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 11:47 am
I just went through this with my husband–The sweater I made him last year had a turtleneck, and after he wore it three times his beard stubble had done serious damage to the yarn at the neck. I snipped one stitch to take the sweater apart and knit a new neckline, and I thought he was going to pass out. I’m the one who spent months making it!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Purple, eh? Looks like he knows what to get you for Christmas – a tape measure! 🙂 Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Somehow I made a hat fit for a giant, not my boyfriend’s head. Been there. How nice that he is picking up the lingo! Mine has too, I find it great.
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
LOL! I think he might be perfect!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Hee hee. It’s funny how they learn to say certain things at just the right time! He’s a keeper alright!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I’ll be thinking good blocking thoughts.
I still need to make a sweater for my husband (bought the yarn months ago). I think I might have just a few too many projects!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
ha ha that’s fantastic. Good on Mr G. Sometimes the boys are right – mine has been, on knitting, before and it makes me happy!
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Lucky you to have such a good learner in the house! I am much more likely to get “Gosh, *I* don’t know. Do what you think is right.” Which is never helpful, because who throws her project at three nonknitters pleading for help when she knows what’s going to be right?
I’ve got my fingers crossed the blocking helps : )
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
That is one of the sweetest stories I have heard in a long time. Isn’t it great when our knitting is appreciated by those we love.
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
So funny! “Blocking” is the only knitting term my DH bandies about, like a cure-all for all, even for non-knitted things. (“My jeans shrank in the dryer, do you think you can block them back?”
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 3:36 am
go with a good wet blocking, it’ll work!! My husband is pretty familiar with the terminology, too- turns out they are listening to us, after all!
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Such a cute story. My husband has picked up lots of knitting terms, too, but whenever he uses one, he stares at me expectantly until I acknowledge it. He expects me to fawn over him for using the right term, which is pretty darn cute. I hope the blocking solves the problem!
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 6:48 am
I love it when my husband uses knitting terms.
He also occasionally shows some metrosexual leanings.
Once while watching Project Runway he said, “That’s a cute pencil skirt.”
My jaw dropped. First: he knew the term. Second: he correctly identified the type of skirt. Third: he had an opinion about it!
This, from my body-building, bald-headed (and goatee’d), heavy metal listening physics teacher of a husband.
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I’m channelling large purple growth for you…and what a great story…
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 11:01 am
I had a similar experience with my husband’s seamless hybrid. I actually frogged nearly the whole thing, but had to do it when he wasn’t looking. Happy blocking!
Posted: September 18th, 2009 at 3:15 am
I hope the blocking worked! My husband was similarly horrified by the idea that I would be cutting his sweater, when I did the steeks, but since he wanted a cardigan, it just had to be done. He’s actually learned quite a lot about knitting from listening to me ramble on about it!
Posted: September 19th, 2009 at 9:51 am
omg, mr. garter is so cute!! i love that he knows all the lingo.