The Knit Doctor is in...

Time was when the last stitch was bound off and the last yarn end darned in, I was done with a project. Too bad if the buttonband drooped, or the sleeves were too wide, or the length just not quite right. If I didn't like the way it looked, well, off to the corner of the closet with it. Thankfully, I've learned a bit since then.

I recently finished the Hex Coat from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. Loved knitting it, love the color, and knew it would be a handy layer for our not-so-frigid winter. Problem was the sleeves were too long. I've run into this before -- why designers think that our arms grow longer as our middles grow wider I'll never understand--so I should have been more careful in the knitting. Not to worry though, time for some surgery.

Off went the excess length. While I was at it, I decided I would prefer not to have a ribbed cuff. I decided on an I-cord bind off -- I thought it might look more coat-like. Plus, the wavy edges bordering the hexagons looked a bit like I-cord, so...

There was a lot of fabric hanging from the shoulders, so I decided to try to keep them from stretching out by hand sewing some seam tape along the shoulder seam. I couldn't find an exact color match to my yarn, but luckily it doesn't show at all from the right side.

Then, to provide a little more balance to the shoulder area ( I have narrow shoulders) I knit some shoulder pads from instructions in Vogue Knitting - the Ultimate Knitting Book.

Now, instead of being relegated to the dark corners of my closet, I have a sweater coat that fits better, and one that I'll be happy to wear. Well, just as soon as I figure out how best to belt it.