The Cursed Corset

If this thing is ever finished and if it fits me, it will be some sort of miracle. I do not normally make items that need to fit. This is the reason why. It is still a nightmare.

Someone (and I'm sorry I can't remember who you are, but I think you will probably remember who you are) asked about the one row buttonhole. Google is your friend, my dear. I googled and found lots of hits including this from Esther Bozak, who had to do with the Aran I knitted that you haven't even seen yet. There was also this, which includes a variety of good tips, the one row buttonhole is the second one, I think. Also included was this gem "Don't start over or rip out at night; it may look fine to you in the morning. Or you may come up with a
creative solution to your "mistake". - Maggie Baldwin"

I should be so lucky that the horror that is the corset might look "fine" in the morning, or the evening or at any time, day or night. I ripped out Madam Modesitt's i-cord cast off and on buttonhole, which someone described as "unnecessarily complicated" - couldn't have put it better myself. I re-knitted using the one row buttonhole, discussed above. It looked neat, it looked a heck of a lot better than the first attempt. It also looked far too small. I know it's a corset and it's meant to fit. I know I don't have huge, great fat arms. But I just couldn't stop myself thinking that the armhole was going to strangle my arm. So I put the stitches on the good old red crochet cotton and tried it on. I looked a wonderful vision as the corset was about three inches long at this point and covered nothing that it should. Yes, I could get my arm in the buttonhole, no, I couldn't move my arm. When the arm started to turn blue and feel numb, I realised that the armhole was too small.

This presented a dilemma. Should I do it again, same technique but use more stitches? Should I do it again, using different technique, more stretchy, same number of stitches, more stitches? Should I sling the whole thing in the bin? Should I run myself through with a pair of knitting needles and be done with it?

I ripped (again), I re-knitted (again), I used the reinforced buttonhole, detailed in Montse Stanley and no, I can't find it online - I may just not be using the right search terms, you may have better success. I carried on with the ribbing. I started to worry (again). I put it on the red crochet cotton (again):



Sorry about the poxy picture - it was dead of night, I had just got back from work.

I tried it on and it fits, it fits, it fits:



There is no picture of me in it - I have spared you that.

I am now hoping to sail serenely on, down the body, out over the hips and have it on my body before the winter sets in.