Above all, don’t think it through, just cast on and design on the needles making decisions as you go! [yeah right!] And if you must take this approach - keep a pattern library [I use Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches] and these two books within easy reach:
- Using a size larger needle than you intend to knit with, cast on the number of stitches required to go over the head of a child of, say, 6 years old [in this case 96 stitches; which is actually big enough to go over my head!!]
- Change to correct size needles to obtain gauge [I knit with a size that makes the knitted fabric feel right in my hand - not too stiff, not too drape-y for the project-in-hand]
- Knit K2 P2 rib for required number of rows [I like to fold my neckbands and stitch them down so mine looked like a turtle neck for quite a while]
- Do six rows of short row shaping across the back of the neck starting with half the number of neckband stitches plus 12** [1/2 of 96 is 48 + 12 is 60] then 2 less, then 2 less, etc [i.e, rows getting progressively shorter: 60, 58, 56, 54, 52, 50]
**This is the reverse of EZ's no-seam sweater which is knitted from the bottom up - Find four or five ways that don't work to avoid little holes at the end of those short rows
- Rip all the short rows out and start again, this time knitting the end of the short row with the stitch below the next stitch [see EZ "Knitting Without Tears"]
- Knit one row then increase in next row by *K3 M1* repeat to end of round [I now had 128 stitches]
- Determine the depth of the yoke [in my case: 20cm/8inches; I found this figure in "Top Down for Toddlers"]
- Choose a lace pattern for knitting interest and work in the round until yoke is 1/4 of its depth
- increase this time by *K2 M1* repeat to end [192 stitches]
- Decide that the pattern is too fussy and doesn't sit right and modify it to suit own needs
- continue in stocking (stockinette) stitch until yoke is 1/2 its depth
- increase as in step 10 [288 stitches]
- continue in whatever pattern takes your fancy until yoke has reached desired depth [a modified eyelet pattern]
- *knit 82 stitches, slip the next 62 stitches onto waste yarn* repeat for remaining stitches [modified figures from "Top Down for Toddlers" to suit my 288 stitches]
- cast on 8 stitches at underarm, knit across to the other underarm, cast on eight stiches
- continue on these 180 stitches in desired pattern until work measures finish length desired minus length of bottom band [I changed to pencil point ribs of my own design]
- decrease ten stitches evenly around the body in next row
- knit band desired length in K2 P2 rib
- pick up 62 stitches for one sleeve on dpns
- pick up and knit eight stiches from cast on stitches
- put a stitch marker where the underarm seam would be
- knit 7 rows in stocking stitch
- in row 8, K1, SSK, K to last three stitches, K2 tog, K1
- continue decreasing in every eight row until 46 stitches remain ["Top Down for Toddlers" recommends never going below 45 stitches for a 6yo's sweater]
- knit the band in K2 P2 rib for desired number of rows
- cast off loosely
- repeat steps 20-27 for the other sleeve
- look at finished sweater and realise the sleeves look too long
- measure with a tape measure - yep, too long by about 9cm! [3 1/2 inches]
- decide that's not too bad, it’s for charity not someone specific, it would surely fit someone [a chimpanzee maybe]
- continue the internal debate: one could live with that, one may even grow into those sleeves [and out of the body width and length]
- struggle some more with oneself for a few minutes [maybe twenty!]
- wait until it's past bedtime [with
workpaid employment the following day] to decide to frog! - pick up the stitches, reknit the bands to desired length
- cast off loosely
- Try not to be concerned that it looks out of proportion - the measurements are correct!
- look the sweater over and make a list of all the things to do differently next time!
- since it’s acrylic and it won’t block, don’t use the first stitch pattern at the beginning of a circular yoked sweater because it will never lay flat
- find another way to do short row shaping on the back of the neck
- decrease more frequently on sleeves – decreasing every eight rows doesn’t work when starting with 70 stitches and need to get to 46 – do the maths BEFORE you start the sleeves!
- Share with readers the trials and tribulations of
trying to reinvent a top down sweater [which someone with far more experience has already done!]the design process!!
You have been experienceing designer trials, haven't you?! The sweater is almost pretty-just a bit of adjustment in the shoulders would do it! Can you borrow a child to try it on and see how it fits?!
ReplyDeleteStep 29... that would have been when I broke into the scotch!
ReplyDelete