I cast-on for the back basically a week ago, and just finished the Italian bind off tonight. I would have likely been further along had I not a) been distracted by knitting part of my purim costume and b) been home earlier. We had a site visit today and I decided even though there was some traffic I wasn’t binding off in the car (I worked on a new sock toe instead).
It’s impossible for me to remember the last time I worked this bind off and I can tell I’m a much more patient knitter now. It was straightforward once I had the rhythm and paused to think how the stitches would be arranged if they were on two needles. I did find myself gripping the left hand needle a bit hard and feel soreness in both my thumb and upper back as a result. For anyone else working it, I will advocate better posture and arm support than I maintained (curled up on the couch with nothing on my lap and leaning into my task light) and even transferring all the stitches to a long straight bamboo needle. That said, it was worth it. There’s other tubular bind-offs that can be worked but this one is good.
Now to join for the left shoulder and see how long the front takes.
I have experience with the final stages of this slipover as I finished it for a student last year. I’m looking forward to working them again.
I’m not completely in love with this yarn choice. It’s a design that sings in solids but I think my marled fabric will look nice. It’s goal is for warmth and I believe I’ll have that in spades. Ok, enough updating, time to pick up and knit.
