Hubris

Last weekend, I finished Sleeve 1 and started seaming up the sweater. The pattern calls for a very specific and, to me, unusual progression of seams: sew the side seam, sew the sleeve seam, sew the sleeve into the armhole. I don't think I've ever finished a sweater in this manner, so, believing that I, the 21st-Century Knitter, knew better, I tried to fit the un-sewn sleeve into the sweater and then sew up the side seams. This went wrong fairly quickly as I realized that the offset side seam meant that the sleeve seam and the side seam did not line up. I had forgotten about this fact and pinned the pieces together wrong at the start. Ah, the hubris of the present day knitter. 

So, I ripped out my seams and went back to follow the pattern's original instructions. Anna Schumacker, the 1907 pattern writer, clearly knew what she was doing. Overall, it worked well. Setting the sleeve into the armhole as a tube proved to be a little fiddly, but it allowed me to center the sleeve more easily and ensure that there was some excess fabric at the shoulder for the puff. Incidentally, when the sweater is finished, I think the sleeve puffs will need a little extra support to keep their shape.

The sleeve seam from the outside. I promise that the sleeve really does puff when worn.

The sleeve seam from the inside. I wove in a multitude of ends for this photo.

I spent a lot of time working on the seams, all the while hoping that things would also fit well. So far, so good. The sleeves are the right length, the shoulders fit well, and the double-breasted front should work. I'll share pictures soon. In the meantime, Sleeve 2 awaits and then there's the small matter of the crocheted edging and buttonholes.