in the pocket...

Did I mention I also just happened to have almost the exact shade of WCD for the pocket lining – it’s lighter/thinner so doesn’t add too much extra thickness for the single-layer pocket.
Funny, the colour name of the three different beige/tan yarns: the WCD is ‘sand dune’, the mercerised cotton is ‘khaki’ and the alpaca is ‘camel’.
I set the deformed Back aside to think about. My options are re-knit the whole thing if I have enough yarn  after the fronts are done (likely); redraft and rip it back to the point of the mistake and cast it off and make the back yoke deeper to reflect (possible); or rip back, rehang, reprogram and hope for the best – worth a try and I’d have more bragging rights!


begin pocket slit shortrow ravel cord

On to the fronts. I’ve decided on an inside-patch pocket set into a vertical slit. This will mean knitting to the bottom of the pocket opening (in pattern with DAK, bless his little heart!); putting one portion in hold, knitting the depth of the slit, holding this side; putting the first held side back in work, re-reading the row and knitting this side up to match the other, blah-blah-blah…for a little recap of the MAO-approved shortrow method, check this link for photos and how-to in lace [https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2017/01/life-lessons.html] Also plug ‘shortrow ravel’ into the search box at the top left of the page for other instances.

shortrow using garter bar to hold sts

Practise a few deep breaths, jump in and get to the bottom of the slit, no problem. Because I don’t want to be passing the carriage over and over the held side, possibly damaging the yarn of the held row, I’m using the ravel cord method of shortrowing, bringing the stitches back to A position on the ravel cord  so there are no needles sticking out but you need to make sure the held stitches remain back in A. I find out quite quickly this new carriage has a zero-tolerance policy for this and suffice it to say, I did manage to get the first side of 26 rows knit with only six instances of severe profanity, while considering ways to revise my plan for the second front. I’m not at the abandon-ship level of frustration yet!

successful slit opening for pocket

For the second side of the slit, I put the first side out of work by taking it off on the short section of garter bar and roll it over on itself and clamp it to keep the stitches from falling off – works successfully and Bob’s your uncle! One Front done! I did briefly contemplate making the second front in two pieces – the slit opening for the pocket is a vertical line and I could just seam the two pieces above and below, leaving the same slit for the pocket, but what the heck? What is life without a little adversity?
I just thought of the perfect name for this thing – The Skin Game! or maybe just The Skinny!