Paths and Choices

It's really hard to think about life in a completed way.  Life is always journeying, moving us along its path, presenting choices for us to make at every step.  If you've been reading this blog for any length of time at all you know that I take the perspective that knitting and life intersect in so many ways, not just at the times when the needles are clacking.

I picked up the blocked pieces of the vest, intending to join the shoulders using a 3-needle bind off.  (There are lots of ads around this one, but the voice is nice and pictures are at a good distance for really learning.)

Charged down the 3-needle path, short DPN's in hand.  Nope -- not a good choice.  I decided not to take this path.  Thus, I needed to backtrack and make a real and regular sewed seam.  So that meant I needed to bind off each of the four shoulders -- 2 front and 2 back.

Love those DPN's for binding off short distances.  The
shorter needle is not in the way and doesn't poke at the
already-knit portions of the piece.

The cable pattern runs right up thru the middle of the shoulder, both front and back.  3-needle bind-off doesn't easily accommodate to patterned stitches -- though if a reader has hints I'd sure love to hear them.  This method seems to work best on just knit or just purl stitches.

Now that the edges are ready to seam, I've joined the front to the back using a mattress seaming technique. These gals from Knit Picks are fun to watch if you wanna learn the Mattress Seam.

Left shoulder seam.  The left front is on the right of the
picture.  Confused yet?  

The hood is about half way to the finish line.  It has lots of shaping, including some shaping in the middle so it will pull in at center back and not be bulky.   

The ribbing edge will be around the face when the hood
is worn.

Paths and choices -- Life and Knitting.  Happens every day, all the time.  Relish the mystery.