entering the home stretch...

I had a fairly productive weekend...I finished the front of Kirk and put forward the extra effort to wash and block the front and back.

I was debating whether to wet block this sweater. I've seen differing views on whether you need to block ribbed items. I'm really glad I decided to wash the pieces. The laundry water turned a dark blue when I let the pieces soak in soapy water, even though I didn't have much dye come off when I was knitting. I also had some extra fuzz from the angora come out in the wash. Maybe that will keep the shedding down once my dad starts wearing it. I didn't want to stretch the pieces out too much, so I only blocked it to a width of 23 inches, instead of the 25.5 that is on the pattern.

Here's a shot of the front & back


Just the front


And a close-up of the neckline


I'm hoping to keep the ball rolling on this piece instead of leaving the finishing for later. Tonight, I will be washing and blocking the sleeves. I will also be seam the shoulder seams and knit on the collar. The only thing I'm missing is a zipper.

This will be my first attempt to put a zipper in a handknit item. I have sewn zippers in other pieces of clothing. I'll be refering to Bonne Marie's guide.