i finished all the knitting, tried it on & it was too big.
well alrighty then.
i found this tutorial for machine-stitching new side seams by CHIC Knits & avoided trying it for what i felt was an appropriate amount of time (because of the part where you take the handknitted garment, that you spent hours working on, & go at it with a pair of scissors).
here's my abbreviated step by step:
1) turn your handknit inside out. use another garment for your template & pin to your hand-knitted garment.
2) machine-sewn seam. finished seam is 3 rows of stitching along the outside edge of your template- 2 straight stitch + 1 zig-zag.
3) cut off the excess
there was a moment of terror when i started cutting because i was convinced the whole sweater was going to unravel like a fuse to dynamite.
it didn't. & it seems ok, but i need to wear it a couple of times without it unraveling on my person before i can admit that it worked.
currently, i'm weaving in the ends from all that striping.
it's taking forever.
the downside to striping.
