sweater

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starshine123102
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sweater

Post by starshine123102 »

So I've taken the plunge and I've decided to try making a sweater!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library ... -asymmetry" target="_blank

I've taken all my measurements and I'm all over the place on this piece. I'm an extra small in the hips and way off the charts to an xxxl on the armhole to hip length :shock: . I've stopped in at my local knit store and they helped me figure out what I need to do so :x: :x: :x: that it works out.

I've also decided to make the 3/4 length sleeve end just above the elbow to make it a little bit more springy/summery.
Michelle
:ratherbe:


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Delightful Fruits - Pears


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Heidi
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Re: sweater

Post by Heidi »

Lovely the design. Can't wait to see how it comes out. Are you doing it in the same colour?
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karen4bells
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Re: sweater

Post by karen4bells »

What a pretty design!! I'm looking forward to seeing progress pics of it
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rcperryls
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Re: sweater

Post by rcperryls »

:D Lovely design! Seems like centuries ago I knitted a vest with the help of a very skilled aunt. If I could do it, I know yours will be lovely. What color are you planning? Lots of progress pics, please.

Carole
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starshine123102
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Re: sweater

Post by starshine123102 »

I'm using the same yarn in the same color as in the pattern. When I saw it I absolutely fell in love with it and I just had to do it!

So far I have 14 rows done and after knitting 2 pairs on socks, kitting on size 13 needles feels like knitting with telephone poles!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
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NeedleAndFork
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Re: sweater

Post by NeedleAndFork »

Looks like a lovely sweater. You're going at knitting like gangbusters!!

A few thoughts... because you know I can't leave well enough alone ;)

First.. what yarn are you using? The original yarn is a cotton blend that looks very drapey.. have you knit with cotton before? It is a completely different beast from knitting with wool. It doesn't have the same elasticity as wool which means you have to work harder to knit it.. and your hands will tire more easily. If you've not worked with cotton, I'd highly recommend knitting atleast a washcloth using a ball of cotton from walmart before you decide if you like knitting it enough to make a whole sweater out of cotton. Personally, you couldn't pay me enough to knit something that large out of a yarn that's mostly cotton, no matter how soft and drapey it was. I substitute a linen such as Louet's Euroflax or a cotton/tencel blend with a fairly high percentage of tencel like Classic Elite Premier (which I see has been discontinued. NOOOOO I wanted more!! This is why I stash!!) They're much easier on the hands to knit and I can stitch for a longer period of time with them without my hands starting to hurt.

Second... swatch, swatch, swatch! BIG swatch, and make sure you wash it and block it before measuring. Cotton/linen yarns change gauge fairly dramatically when they are blocked, and the larger the size of your garment the more it will be affected.

Third.. Sizing. You said you're having trouble deciding on a size. Does this sweater have any waist shaping? It sounds like you're rather busty but otherwise fairly small framed. I would do a bit of research on adding waist shaping and even some darts at the bust to make it fit better, otherwise you're going to end up with something that will fit you well in one place but either hang or be stretched too thin elsewhere. This is where having an accurate gauge swatch is important so you can do the math to get the sizing correct. A really good example of what adding bust darts and shaping can do for a sweater can be seen in the Tomato Sweater. Take a look at that pic. It looks fairly shapeless and rather blah, doesn't it? Not at all flattering to the figure. And what busty woman would want that stripe calling attention to her widest part? Now look at this version - it's the exact same pattern, but the knitter added some darts to accomodate the bust, and moved the stripe. Looks totally different, and SO much more flattering! In fact when I saw that version I knew I had to knit it too since I am shaped very similarly and that is so flattering I had to have one too and cast on the very same week for it!

Darts can sound complicated when you start researching them but they really aren't that hard - you just have to be willing to do lots of measuring and some basic arithmetic to get your numbers right. If you decide to do them and need some help figuring them out, feel free to come pick my brains about them! :)
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starshine123102
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Re: sweater

Post by starshine123102 »

Oh NeedleandFork, what would I do without you!!! You are like my knitting hero!!!

I swatched and swatched and swatched and swatched some more and I cannot for the life of me get the gauge. I've bumped up from an 11 to a 13 and I'm at about 10.5/11 per 4 inches instead of 10. I haven't washed and blocked though. I went to my local store and she seemed baffled as to how I wasn't getting gauge....I can't knit any loser than I already am and i don't want to move up another needle size.....11-15 is a BIG difference, I don't see how I can be that far off.

It's supposed to be a very loose piece anyway. I've done washcloths before so I've worked with cotton and it doesn't bother me in the least. I've just never made anything to wear. And I don't understand how to edit shaping to save my life. I suck at math and it just makes my head spin to try and change it. It's really frustrating and I'm about ready to give up on this thing already.

I've started on the XS (which doesn't seem right, but according to my measurements and this pattern I am) and then I'm supposed to move up to a small for the upper torso area (which also doesn't seem right). From what the woman at the shop told me, it's only a difference of two stitches, but it doesn't seem right to me and I don't understand how to make the edits. And once again, she was useless at explaining or answering my questions.....but that's another story.
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
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NeedleAndFork
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Re: sweater

Post by NeedleAndFork »

Do NOT start it without washing and blocking your swatch!!!

I usually make a swatch atleast 6 inches square seed stitch for about half an inch, then knit in whatever the pattern tells you to swatch for gauge in with about a half inch on each side, so that your swatch in pattern is 5 inches wide. Knit until the swatch area is 5 inches square, and then do a half inch seed stitch to finish it off and bind off loosely. Then I measure my guage on the swatch unwashed and unblocked, wash it in warm water, lay it flat and pin it out so that it is completely square. Don't try to get it to a particular gauge, just get it so it is even and smooth and the stitches look good. Let it dry completely this way, and then measure again. having a 5 inch knitted area in pattern with a seed stitch border means your swatch will lay completely flat, not curling edges or anything. Then from there we can figure out what needs to happen.

A couple of questions for you - is it knit flat in pieces and seamed? Or is it knit in the round? Is it knit bottom up, or top down? All those things make a difference. I wish it was a free pattern so that I could take a look at it. I'll have to see if any of my friends has the magazine it is in so I can borrow it long enough to look the pattern over.

Trust me.. you want to do the prep on a sweater. It is what makes the difference between a sweater that is just meh... or one that you look at and go WOW, I made that and it doesn't look like something Mrs Weasely made for her kids. :doh:
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starshine123102
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Re: sweater

Post by starshine123102 »

it's knit flat and seamed from the bottom up. I'm not happy with what I have anyway so I'll take your words of wisdom and re-swatch, wash and block.

....and of course I broke a cardinal rule and didn't buy an extra skein...... :oops:
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
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calico
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Re: sweater

Post by calico »

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NeedleAndFork
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Re: sweater

Post by NeedleAndFork »

starshine123102 wrote:it's knit flat and seamed from the bottom up. I'm not happy with what I have anyway so I'll take your words of wisdom and re-swatch, wash and block.

....and of course I broke a cardinal rule and didn't buy an extra skein...... :oops:
Meh. If it comes down to it you can frog your swatch and use it at the end. :)
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