Thanks to some recent discussions, I’ve found out I’m NOT the only person on the planet who loves to Mattress Stitch.

My secret to success?

R.E.L.A.X.

Find a comfortable chair & footstool and it’s easy to strettcccchhh out and get busy. The work lays flat along my lap and legs and it’s a little factory. :)

I’ve finished all the section knitting on my icy light blue heather Camilla Valley Farm Canadian Collection 2-ply Worsted Weight (heh, mouthful) and am now happily seaming it up. It turned out there wasn’t enough yarn for a hood (as suspected) but I’m going to make this a nice crewneck, using the same type of ribbing that’s on the front bands.

Once I get get good and comfy, the seaming goes really fast. I’ve used Corsage Pins (from the florist) to pin the sleeve together, putting one pin in at about every increase made along the side edges of the sleeve. It’s easy to feel the little difference (sort of a bump) in the fabric surface where the increases are, so I match bump to bump along the seam.

Then it’s just like lacing a shoe: back and forth, back and forth.

I left a long tail of yarn when I cast on the sleeve and am now using it to sew it up.

FINI!

From the wrong side, it’s matched up great and the seam has a very low profile…

Now, off to seam the body of the sweater…