Glamour Jacket Knit-Along: Sleeves and Blocking!

Editor’s note: There’s still time to get your Knit-Along Kit, get your kit here now – there are four to choose from! Also we have a hashtag for this KAL, use #LBspringKAL2015 when you share your progress on social media. Have fun!

Hello my fellow knitters! It’s Kristy Glass here and I’m hoping you’re still having fun!

I want to talk about the two lower sections for a minute.

PAY ATTENTION! After knitting SUCH a large piece (Right Lower Section), you are going to get into a groove and think you know how to repeat the lower section once more. Back in my novice days, I TOTALLY would have just knit the exact same side and ended up with 2 RIGHT lower sections instead of one of each. So I thought I would just point out the very subtle differences between the RIGHT and LEFT lower sections, with my Pink Arrows below:

Compare your pieces as you go to make sure the bias stripes are sitting in opposite directions from each piece. After you have knitted your pieces, it’s time to put it all together. This is where your SEWING AN ACTUAL GARMENT skills come into good use. Knitting and Shaping is one skill, but taking these pieces of fabric we have made and forcing them into a wearable sweater is a whole different set of skills that sometimes challenge different parts of your brain (different from the parts that were challenged while you were trying to remember your ridge pattern increases! HA!)

For all aspects of sewing this together, I highly recommend using a flat surface. We are not sitting on the couch watching our favorite tv show and knitting anymore. Now we are down to business!

Step 1: Sleeves! If you remembered to keep your stitch markers in place, this will be easy. Fold your fabric in half (right sides together) and sew from wrist to the markers. As you sew make sure you are checking in with those markers. You might want to use one of them to pin both sides of the fabric TOGETHER so that they don’t move. Try to keep tension the same on both sides while you sew it up. What stitch are you using? I used a running stitch. When you reach the markers, leave the tail of your yarn for now. Where the two sides come together will end up being a straight edge for the lower sections later.

Step 2: Collar! If you left your collar live, now is the time to assess if you need to make any changes. With right sides together, pin the collar to the collar notch of the upper body. Since this is curved, it will seem a little awkward. There may be a bit of stretching here and there as you try to make it match up, but if the collar seems VERY short or VERY long, this is where you will adjust it and finish it off. I found I only needed to bind off my collar, I didn’t need to change the length after all!

Step 3: Lower Sections! Your top half is ready, so now we need to get the bottom half ready! With right sides together, sew the two bound off edges of the lower sections. Here they are laid RIGHT SIDE up together:

Here they are on top of each other getting ready to be sewn, with wrong sides facing out, right sides together—-the markers match up at the corner!

Make sure you do NOT sew the tails together!

Start sewing here:

Step 5: Sew her all up, weave in ends and you are ready for blocking! If you love how your sweater looks pre-blocking, you can just leave it as is. I found my sleeves and the upper body felt a tiny bit wonky, and I am very glad I blocked. It made it go from feeling novice and amateur to a professionally-made garment!

I soaked my sweater in the sink and then laid it flat and shaped on a towel, rotating it after a few hours so that it could dry completely. Waiting for it to dry was the hardest part. After hours of knitting the garment, I just wanted to wear it already!

How is your sweater coming along? Are you stuck any parts of the construction? Let me know, maybe I can help! Don’t forget to check out our Ravelry group where we are chatting about our progress! Never Stop Knitting!

See you next week for a few styling tips — you will not believe how many outfits the Glamour Jacket goes with!

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I am Kristy Glass and I am so thrilled to be infiltrating the Lion Brand blog to lead you in the 2015 Spring Knit Along! Even though I learned to knit as a girl, my passion for fiber arts has escalated at a very steep rate these past several years.I returned to knitting and began crocheting about 8 years ago after I suffered an unexpected health setback leaving me feeling completely out of control. Hand work was a healing salve for my body and soul as I suffered through a long healing process. Thankfully I continue to use knitting to aid meditation, solace and a feeling of accomplishment. I knit year round, despite weather changes, and I am highly anticipating us all knitting together on this project. I have completed over 100 projects including scarves, cowls, hats, hand warmers, phone cozies, afghans, pillows, sweaters and yarn bombing. My most recent passion has been making sweaters and actually wearing what I make!