I'm making a vest and I have a few ideas for finishing the fronts and I'm wondering if anyone has better ideas.

I don't want to make the regular button band and the original pattern (which I fiddled with) called for 2 bands. A button band and buttonhole band that morphed into a shawl-type collar that meets in the middle of the back of the neck and sewing the whole thing to the vest. I want to attach it as I make it and I was thinking of making I-cord and when I get to the part where it becomes the collar, to "open up" the I-cord, turn it into ribbing with a couple of increases, and knit it to the vest until I work all the way around to the other side and then turn it back into I-cord and down to the bottom. Or should I maybe work up both sides and meet in the middle like the original? I've never finished like this and I know you can knit the I-cord on as you go, because I've seen reference to this idea, but I can't remember where. Some magazine article I think.

Any way, if anyone thinks this will work, urge me on. If you think the idea reeks, let me know and maybe offer me a better idea.

Thanks! Diana

Wow, either way sounds great to me.
Are you talking about knitting the I cord, like, on the ends of each row, as you knit each row?
I've only done it as a bind off around the bottom or at the neckline.
Is the Vest knit from bottom up, or top down?

Your description of the shawl collar construction is reminiscent the Cowichan-style shawl collar in Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts book Knitting in the Old Way. Descriptions and diagrams on page 186 illustrate "a three-section construction, the back plus two front portions...The front sections are usually worked first and then the back section is both formed and joined to the front pieces as the work progresses."

I'm knitting from the bottom up and I plan to attach the I-cord after I have the pieces done and seamed together. I can't recall where I saw this, but I swear I read somewhere that you could knit I-cord and as you finish each 'row' you could knit it together with the edge of your garment. So I planned to start with I-cord and when I get to the bottom of the neckline area, to open up the I-cord and knit if flat and still knit it to the edge as before, maybe turn it into ribbing, and proceed to work around to the other side, at the bottom of the neck area turn it back into I-cord and go to the bottom edge of my vest. The other thought I had was to work up each side as before and meet in the middle of the neck back and seam the two parts together.
But I've never tried this before, so I was hoping someone would either say "Yes, that will work great" or "Yes, that will work, but....." or even "Tried that, didn't work, here's a better way". I'm trying to be more adventerous in my knitting. I'm rather conventional (you know, start out with ribbing, make your pattern stitches, finish with a ribbed neckband) and when I see some of the things that people make, I always think that I would never have thought to try that and it's wonderful stuff and so I need to break out of my regular way of doing things and try new stuff.
I hope I sounded lucid in explaining this! It's a Monday morning and I just woke up a little bit ago.

What you are describing is known as applied I-cord (it is applied to an already knitted edge). You will find it much easier to do if you pick up a row of stitches around the entire edge first. Then, as you work the I-cord, you work to the last stitch and do an ssk with the last stitch and the first st of the picked-up row. I think your idea about the collar sounds very interesting and worth a try, but I have no real experience with it. I think you will want to work from the right bottom edge up and around, then down the left side, otherwise you will be working the I-cord backwards on the left side and I can't imagine the join would look the same. As for the collar--you can only try, what have you got to lose!

Thanks, Laura. I hadn't thought about picking up stitches first, but that does sound better than what I was going to do; to just knit through the edge stitch to pick up the yarn from the I-cord and knit it. I hope I explained that OK. I can visualize it, just not explain it very well. But your idea sound like it will make it come out more even.

My only other concern is that when I open up the I-cord to make it flat, it's going to have an 'inside curl' to the edge, when I want the collar to obviously curl to the outside. So maybe I should knit two together and then just add a couple of well spaced increases to get my ribbing. Experimentation is in order here.

I almost have the second front side done so just the back to finish. I'll keep everyone posted as to progress but if anyone has more ideas, bring 'em on!

I actually like the idea of opening up the I-cord and increasing for a ribbed collar. You would have to increase a great many stitches to get it wide enough to actually behave as a shawl collar, but it might make a nice little ribbed, banded collar. I think as soon as you increase the ribbing will lay flat--and you can continue it visually if the knit stitches from the I-cord continue as knit sts and the increases become the purl sts. Or, the entire neckline would look nice with applied I-cord. You can even make buttonholes by binding off 2 or 3 sts of the picked-up row (do this simply by passing one over another, not by working them as the working yarn is on the I-cord portion--and don't worry about it being too tight, it actually helps hold the buttonhole firm)then work the I-cord not attached for the same lenght--probably 3 or 4 rows. Now, reattach the I-cord by going back to the ssk at the end--voila! buttonhole!

I had thought about just doing the I-cord all the way around, but really liked how this collar on the original pattern looked. It's one of the things that I liked about it in the first place. I wanted to eliminate buttons and buttonholes because I almost never button up any of the sweaters or coats that I own now!

Another thought I had about my collar was this: I plan to use 5 stitches for my I-cord, so when I get to the top of the front, to knit one, increase 1, knit the front and back stitch together, increase 1, knit the last two stitches together (plus the picked up stitch of course). So now I still have 5 stitches to start then I can just increase at the inside edge because the shape is a V and that should give me my shawl type collar. I don't think it is technically a real shawl collar but then maybe it is. The final affect when the vest is laid out flat is that edging goes straight up but the inside edge curves to fit the vest shape. I hope that was clearly explained enough. If I can ever figure out how to add a picture link, I'll post it when I'm done.

Thanks, Laura, for all your advice and ideas!!

Diana

Ah, I should have added that you can curve I-cord around an corner or edge as you work in a way similar to the buttonholes--just work a row of I-cord without the ssk at the end, then go back to the ssk. The extra row causes it to curve around the neck edge. If it was the bottom corner, like going from the hem to the front edge, it would probably need 3 rows of I-cord without the ssk. Keep thinking, you are doing great!

Just an update on my vest; I have both fronts done and am working on the back. I did the fronts first because the stitch pattern was new for me and involved color changes, so I wanted to do that first. Plus, the back was origianlly done in ribbing, but because I am using a heavier yarn than origianlly called for I needed to find a different stitch and stockinette was just too boring for this. I finally found a stitch: Tweed stitch. When done the right side looks like handwoven fabric. I found it in 365 Knitting Stitches a Year. There was an error in the written pattern and once I figured that out, I was good to go. The only down side to it is that you basically knit two rows but only gain one row of heighth because of the slipped stitches. But I love the effect.
So thats where I am now. I will try to post a picture when I get done if anyone is interested.

Diana

Knitters are always interested in seeing Projects, at least I am. Where in PA are you located? Grace, Love and Prayers. God Bless.

I live about 40 miles SE of Pittsburgh.

My hometown is New Castle...50 miles NW of Pittsburgh. 'We Are!' How is the vest coming...what color is it? Grace, Love and Prayers. God Bless.

Been on vacation this week, so I knit when I can. Vacation means not working, not necessarily that we went anywhere. Not the travelling kind. Went to Cabela's in WV and a couple of knitting shops around here. Today we plan to take M-I-L with us to the mall. After that, who knows.
When I get it done I will post pictures. Hopefully in the next week or so.

Diana

Just an update on my vest: It's done!

I'm not 100% happy with it, as I couldn't finish it the way I wanted to. Hard as I tried I couldn't seem to make the applied I-cord work. And despite all my careful measuring, it came out a bit too large. So I'm going to have to find a closure method for it. It hangs crooked otherwise. I like things a bit big on me, because I hate the strangled feeling from clothes that "grip" me, but this one "shrug" I don't know, maybe with the off and on way I went about it, my gauge must have relaxed along the way or something. Or it was too tight when I did my original swatch and I didn't realize it then. Anyhow, it's done and I'll wear it. One of those "learning" experiences that I was unwilling to rip because I didn't care enough to do so. Bad way to feel? I'm not sure, but there it is. I'll try to take and post a picture soon, but just wanted to post an update.
Diana