The pattern I am using is a fill in the blank pattern with very few instructions and is a top down, knit in the round sweater pattern.
The pattern is called The Incredible, Custom-fit Raglan Sweater by Pamela Costello.
I am not exactly sure if it is a good pattern for a first sweater because it doesn't really give you many specific details like how to finish the edges. At this time with about 10 rows on my needles, I feel like the pattern will give me the bulk of the sweater but the rest, the fine details, not so sure about. Since I don't have a knitting mentor, it is a little difficult figuring out the fine details with my limited experience.
For example, currently my collar is rolling up. What if I wanted a collar that was ribbed? How do I do that? When do I do that?
Also, I am trusting the blanks and the math. I am not sure what the final measurements of this sweater is going to be. It is a mystery. Will it be too small? Will it be too big? Will it be just right?
Here are the starting measurements for the neck which will be changed if the sweater fits funny. I am not afraid of ripping out a project that I have been working on for days. I want a wearable piece of clothing.
Needle: US 5
Gauge: 5.83 st/in
Neck-size 15"
Total neck stitches 88
The neck is a bit complicated and at first I didn't understand the instructions that you begin knitting back and forth and not in the round. It was my first rip out.
I am also hoping that I understood correctly that the increases only happen on the knit side which I am assuming is the right side of the fabric. I am also assuming that after casting on the center front stitches, I should start knitting in the round.
Also, there are several types of ways to increase. Which way is best for a raglan sweater? Does it matter? I am currently using the knit two stitches in one stitch increase instead of a yarn over increase.
Stay tuned for more updates on how this sweater is going and how often I rip it out and change something.
Monday, January 11, 2010
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4 comments:
This may be too much information, but I recommend this website. There is a section on increases and decreases if you scroll down.
However you may need a VPN ...
http://techknitter.blogspot.com/2007/05/series-index.html
hope it helps
good luck on the sweater
Lisa in Toronto (lisarr)
Wow thanks. That is a great website with a lot of great information!
If you want ribbing on the neckline, you'd have to start ribbing right away when you start the sweater (as it's top-down). Or, you can finish the sweater, then go back up to the neck and pick up stitches around it, and knit your ribbing then.
Usually, for raglans you only increase every other row, so yes, only on the right (knit) side is fine, and once you do start knitting in the round after you cast on stitches for the front.
As for increases, I prefer the "pick up bar between stitches, knit into through the back loop" increase, but Techknitter's site will give you lots and lots of options.
For the collar I did both. I started with ribbing the collar and after finishing the sweater picked picked up collar stitches because of the way the sweater starts from the top down, the collar looked funny, ie. half was ribbed and the other half wasn't. Adding the ribbing at the end made the collar look better.
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