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The top-down rust raglan that I knit for the Friday Group Class knit-along was finished last Friday (or so I thought).

I picked up around the neckline and knit simple K2, P2 for a polo style collar.  (Turns out that isn’t going to work so well — but more about that in a minute.)

The moment of truth was now upon me.  As knit, the garment was a little on the tight side.  But according to my swatch, it would grow a bit after washing.

Unfortunately, I have known swatches that lied… bad, baaaad swatches.

So over the weekend I washed the sweater, laid it flat to dry, and held my breath.  (Well, not for the whole weekend.)

And wow!  It fits fantastically!  Just what I was shooting for!

Except for the problem with the collar, which isn’t long enough to fold over properly in the back.  You can’t see it very well in this back view, but you can see the beginnings of it from the front.

I had an inkling the collar was maybe going to have this issue — but seeing as how there were the bigger fit issues at stake, I decided to do it the easy way first, in an effort to get the sweater washed and see whether the swatch was lying or not.  Now I’m going to have to tear that collar off and do some short rows back there, but hey.  I’m not complaining — not after the way the rest of it came out!

But even better than my own sweater is this one!  from one of the Magnificent Seven — the seven plucky knitters in the Friday Group who were my knit-along guinea pigs.  Obviously, this one isn’t quite finished yet — but Linda sent me a picture anyway so I could see how nicely it’s coming out!

WOW!  I am so pleased with her work!  Thanks for the picture, Linda!