Join us as we knit a top down sweater using a pattern from How Are We Doing?
Who has finished?
Who hasn't started yet?
Who has questions?
If you can't post to the comments because you are not a member of Blogger, let me know and I will make you a member of this blog :-)
Answers to the comments:
Kellie asked about the part of the pattern where you put stitches on hold - this is where the sleeves and the body become seoarate tubes. You need to make sure the underarm depth is comfortable at this point. It may help to measure a garment that fits the way you want this one to fit.
Smidget asked about the overall length - the pattern will specify a total length for your garment - remember, YOU are the architect. Make it as short or as long as YOU want :-)
She also asked if you have to do the hem treatment specified in the pattern because she does not like rolled hems. Once again - YOU get to decide :-) You can do ribbing or seed stitch or any other stitch that doesn't roll if you don't want a rolled edge.
Judi says her sweater is too small and thinks she should go up a size - if it isn't too late, instead of going up a size, you could just keep increasing (unless it is LOTS too small :-) If you keep increasing, try it on again in a few inches and see if it is the size you want. Your numbers will not match the pattern at this point as far as how many stitches are between the markers, but you can see which part is which when you are ready to separate the body from the sleeves. Better than starting over :-)
Anon. asked about a color jog in the middle of her neckline - feel free to move the start of row over to someplace less obvious like the side of the neck. Yes you will have a little section of ribbing that has one more row than the rest but, I promise you, the Knitting Police will not fine/find you. And you will like the look much better!
Steph asked how we have so much time to knit - my answer is No Kids, No Pets, and a well-trained husband :-) Plus I watch TV every night - prime knitting time.
Anon. asked about sleeve decreases because she wants to make her sleeves longer. The pattern is telling you to decrease every 6th(5th,5th,4th,3rd) round (whichever size you are doing) and then says to space them further apart to lengthen the sleeves. In other words, if you are doing the decreases every 5th row, do them every sixth or seventh row and you will have more rows between decreases which will add rows to the length of your sleeve. I have thin arms and like really long sleeves so I usually do the decreases as the pattern specifies and then just add length at the end.
Who hasn't started yet?
Who has questions?
If you can't post to the comments because you are not a member of Blogger, let me know and I will make you a member of this blog :-)
Answers to the comments:
Kellie asked about the part of the pattern where you put stitches on hold - this is where the sleeves and the body become seoarate tubes. You need to make sure the underarm depth is comfortable at this point. It may help to measure a garment that fits the way you want this one to fit.
Smidget asked about the overall length - the pattern will specify a total length for your garment - remember, YOU are the architect. Make it as short or as long as YOU want :-)
She also asked if you have to do the hem treatment specified in the pattern because she does not like rolled hems. Once again - YOU get to decide :-) You can do ribbing or seed stitch or any other stitch that doesn't roll if you don't want a rolled edge.
Judi says her sweater is too small and thinks she should go up a size - if it isn't too late, instead of going up a size, you could just keep increasing (unless it is LOTS too small :-) If you keep increasing, try it on again in a few inches and see if it is the size you want. Your numbers will not match the pattern at this point as far as how many stitches are between the markers, but you can see which part is which when you are ready to separate the body from the sleeves. Better than starting over :-)
Anon. asked about a color jog in the middle of her neckline - feel free to move the start of row over to someplace less obvious like the side of the neck. Yes you will have a little section of ribbing that has one more row than the rest but, I promise you, the Knitting Police will not fine/find you. And you will like the look much better!
Steph asked how we have so much time to knit - my answer is No Kids, No Pets, and a well-trained husband :-) Plus I watch TV every night - prime knitting time.
Anon. asked about sleeve decreases because she wants to make her sleeves longer. The pattern is telling you to decrease every 6th(5th,5th,4th,3rd) round (whichever size you are doing) and then says to space them further apart to lengthen the sleeves. In other words, if you are doing the decreases every 5th row, do them every sixth or seventh row and you will have more rows between decreases which will add rows to the length of your sleeve. I have thin arms and like really long sleeves so I usually do the decreases as the pattern specifies and then just add length at the end.
32 Comments:
I am about 4 inches down from the under arm mark. I guess that's about 12 inches down from the top of the shoulder. My pattern calls for 22 inches from the top of the shoulder to finish the bottom edge. I'm getting there. I started 2 weeks ago from today.
I'm about 8 inches down from the under arm mark. I'm so excited, it's looking really good! At work yesterday a co-worker saw my masterpiece in progress and said "wow, it looks like an actual garment!"
Unfortunately I've had to slow down the pace some due to tendonitis in my thumb. I have to limit to just a few rows a day for awhile, alternating with ice and ibuprofen...
I am just about to bind off on the back hem and move up to finishing the neckline. Then I have to do the sleeves - ack. I have never used double pointed needles before and am a little anxious about it. My sister in law assures me it is not that hard, I guess I just need to jump in and give it a try otherwise I will have a quite warm sleeveless sweater.
I just found the Knitalong on the weekend so am just now approaching the sleeve separation bit, which may confuse me! I got gauge but am a bit concerned that I may be making the world's most oversize neckdown jacket :o). Oh well, hopefully I will be able to tell a bit better when I hit the sleeves. Apart from my concern over size it looks pretty good.
Erika,
I still have to get my supplies. I only get a check once a month on the 3rd so will have to wait till then. People are already finished??!! I must be the slowest knitter in the world. But I'm definitely gonna give it a good try.
Camilla
Kelli - Now is a good time to try your sweater on - thread a strong, long yarn or string onto a big-eyed yarn needle and slide it through the stitches on the needle. Take the needle out and try that puppy on - this is your first chance to adjust the fit.
Check how long you are going to want the bodice before the underarnms. Do you need any short rows?
Much easier to back up and correct right here than after you have finished the sweater :-)
Camilla - you are right on schedule - your schedule :-)
This is not a race - rather a chance to learn from each other. Maybe those who are already at the finish line will have words of wisdom.
I'm doing a child's size and have only done about four inches - guess I needl to get going also!
First I love the site...knittinggeek.com/simple
I just got my patterns in the mail yesterday...03/28/05 ..I will be making 993...I am gonna wait a week, thinking about the yarn. I might just use anything I have laying around the house..I don't follow patterns often and I want to use up some of my stash...
signing off...I am a little confused as to who I am so...
carmen bethel
or
redshelf (blogger ID)
or, dnxggl
or, bigcan
or, bigcanezine...lol
any further post just
carmen
Erica, thanks for your reply - here is my dumb question for the week; when you get to the part of the pattern where you put stitches on hold for sleeve separation, is that at the point of the underarms of where the sleeves will be or higher up in the shoulder-meets-sleeve-area? If it's the underarm area I'll be ok, if not it's too big :o(
I hope that question made sense, lol.
This morning I finally got to the part where I start working in the round. I'm pleased so far but wish there were more hours in the day!
Kathy
I just separated the sleeves yesterday. I'm pleased with the way it's turning out!
I have finished the knitting on my Summer Cardigan, just have to sew on buttons and weave in ends. I enjoyed my first topdown raglan. I have bought three more topdown patterns-the jacket, baby cardigan and long sleeve cardi.
I am about 6 inches from the under arn. When the pattern states...knit til pc measures 25 1/2 inches...am I correct that this mean overall length from neck edge? I am only 5 feet tall so I may have to adjust mine as I don't like long sweaters.
This is my first hand knit sweater (pattern 992) and so far, it has been rather easy.
My other concern is that I am not fond of the rolled hem. Is there an alternative for me? or should I just go with the pattern?
I'm getting there slowly - but at my pace. I am not quite to the arm holes... :)
Going ok -just never enought time. My coworkers love my yarn color. :)
I haven't started yet! I am ordering my pattern from a company in Nova Scotia, and the shop owner hasn't received her shipment yet. I sure hope that the shipment arrives soon, because my pattern still has to get sent to me in Ottawa! I wanted to knit a lightweight cardigan (#241 I think) out of silk yarn. My fingers are starting to itch in anticipation of starting this project!
I'm reworking the yoke for the third time...actual knitting is not matching the swatch gauge. I ripped the first attempt, too skimpy, but I'm holding on to the second, which is a trifle large, just in case #3 doesn't fit, either. It's the shaped Tee, #233, in Classic Elite Imagine, a cotton/rayon mixture, and I've twice reached a point just a 5 or 6 rows away from completing the raglan increases. I truly hope the third time is the charm!
ILN
I have finished! See my sweater on my blog at pknit.blog-city.com
Hi all, I've been plugging along slowly, still 2 or 3 inches from sleeve separation.
I'm used to working with much bigger neddles and so I feel like I'm slooooow.
It's ok though, cause I'm liking the look and feel of my cardigan so far, even if no one else can recognize as a cardigan so far, lol.
I am about 7 inches below the arm holes. It is going much easier than I thought it would! I just wish I could devote more time to knitting.My dh now recognizes it as a garment!
I thought my sweater(9742) was looking quite good until I tried it on where the sleeve separation is suppose to start. I guess I'm going to the frog pond and start over. I think it's too small and I should go up a size. Better to find out now but it is sure disheartening. Judi M.
I am a few inches under the arms as well. Had to take a break due to spring break, tendonitis in thumb, and have to finish taxes. Cannot wait to get back to it though!
I've finished the body of my cardigan including a nearly 4" deep cabled twisted rib border at the bottom. (Yeh, I'm bragging.) The sleeves are next, then the front and neck bands. I plan to do twisted ribbing without the cables on the cuffs and front.
First of all, I have to confess that I'm not using either of the suggested patterns. I'm using a Paton's Upside Downerv (#719, Adult's Textured Yoke Pullover). I really wanted to try to do something with colors on this project, since everything else I've done has been one color. But I've had to redo this same section of seed stitch striping three times (only fair, my mother will tell you, since she's the one who's had to do her yoke three times). I keep messing it up, and it's impossible (for me) to find out where and fix it without going all the way back. But that's not really why I'm writing.
This pattern calls for three inches of ribbing for the neckband. Then the instructions say: 1st rnd: With A, K6. Place marker on next st and knit it. K28 (back). Place a marker on next stitch and knit it. K12. Place a marker on next stitch and knit it. K28 (front). Place a marker on next st. and knit it. K6.
What this means, without going into details of the following rows, is that each round begins in the middle of the back. Here's the problem: when I change color, I get that jog between colors. I haven't been able to get the "pick up right leg of stitch below and knit that with the current stitch" technique to work (this supposedly gets rid of the jog). I kept making things worse, so I gave up on it. But I hate the idea of having the stripes jog in the middle of my back. Why doesn't this pattern account for this and hide the jogs in the increases, or somewhere less noticeable? How can I keep the jog from sticking out like a sore thumb?
I loved the Summer Cardigan so much, I ordered three more patterns. I started the Neckdown Jacket, 201, in Noro Shinano #10 wool/silk blend last night. I love watching the stripes come out, in addition to seeing the shaping emerge. I cannot do these sweaters on 24" circs, so I have swtiched to the longest size 9 circ in my Bamboo Sister set.
I've been on board from the beginning, but just now got the gauge right. Bought a set of Denise Needles to reduce the amount of time it was taking just to get another set of needles (how does everyone have so much time to knit???). Crocheted a chain and going to try the provisional cast on today.
I would like to make my sweater sleeves longer than the pattern states. Decrease round-k 1, ssk, k to within 3 sts of marker, k2tog, k1. Repeat this round every 6th(5th,5th,4th,3rd) round. The pattern says if you wear a petite size, space the decreases closer together. If you wear a tall size, space the decreases further apart. I am not understanding this and do not know what to do. Please help. Thanks
After reading all the other comments I feel so much better. I was afraid to admit that I had not started yet. Real life got in the way of my fun (knitting) and I hope to start in the next day or so. All your questions and answers have helped lots. Can't wait to get started.
You wrote: Anon. asked about a color jog in the middle of her neckline - feel free to move the start of row over to someplace less obvious like the side of the neck. Yes you will have a little section of ribbing that has one more row than the rest but, I promise you, the Knitting Police will not fine/find you. And you will like the look much better!
I'm several rounds (but not as many as I'd like!) past the ribbing. Can I still move the color changes over?
Miriam
Yes Miriam, you can change your color jog to where ever, whenever. If you put it five stitched to the left every time, it wouldn't show at all...just keep track of your original end of row.
I'm a couple of inches below the arms. It's going smoothly. This is my first time knitting in the round!
I am finished with all except the sleeves. HOWEVER!!! I have a HUGE problem! The only thing I can think of is that I started the sleeves between the wrong markers! The hole for my sleeves is a total of 20 stitches. I am making the cardigan. I am supposed to decrease to 35!
I just realized I have been knitting tighter on the body than the neck, and my gauge is now tighter such that the sweater will be too small. I think I have to restart with larger needles. Darn!
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