This old dog learned some new tricks
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As the weather gets colder I get a hankering to do some needlework. I found this pattern for a cardigan/sweater jacket that is perfect to use up some acrylic yarn I have in my stash:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/everyday-ragg-cardigan
I usually do afghans, scarves, hats, and fingerless gloves, but have never made any sweaters. I was absolutely fascinated by how this is worked. It's a top-down approach. You start from the neck and work down to make the yolk. You continue working the body of the sweater, the band at the bottom and the band that goes around and becomes the neck. Then you do the sleeves. The design is brilliantly simple and totally flexible. All the sizes start with the same stitch count and you just try it on and can adjust length, the body, and/or the sleeves to fit you. Almost no sewing required - you are just working nearly the whole damn thing in one go.
I'm just finishing the pockets and need to block it. I did buttonholes but am not sure whether I need the buttons or not. Mine isn't quite as long as the pattern designer made. It just covers my butt...
I'm almost ready for the cold!
@wtg That's beautiful, WTG. Congratulations on your first sweater. I love raglan sleeves.
I'm trying to think if I've ever knit one top down, but I don't think so. I usually knit bottom up patterns. But the top down approach certainly seems to have advantages.
The industrial revolution cheapened everything.
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Nice,love the stone colours, home knitted are the best.
When I went off to do my degree I asked my Mum to knit me a couple of jumpers. One was of a snow tiger, the other a chunky cable-cardie with wooden buttons I took ages to decide on.
Forty five years on...
She added a few rows to ensure it covered my lower back, it's super warm.
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Nice,love the stone colours, home knitted are the best.
When I went off to do my degree I asked my Mum to knit me a couple of jumpers. One was of a snow tiger, the other a chunky cable-cardie with wooden buttons I took ages to decide on.
Forty five years on...
She added a few rows to ensure it covered my lower back, it's super warm.
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@wtg That's beautiful, WTG. Congratulations on your first sweater. I love raglan sleeves.
I'm trying to think if I've ever knit one top down, but I don't think so. I usually knit bottom up patterns. But the top down approach certainly seems to have advantages.
@Bernard Thanks!
I also like raglan sleeves. Or dropped, like @AndyD 's cardigan.
The sweater I made is crocheted but I see that there are knitting patterns that use the same top-down technique.
I wanted a cardigan because they are easy on/easy off if you are too cold/hot. And something that's for everyday use. While I prefer natural fibers like wool, I have to say that being able to machine wash this acrylic one is nice. I have a bunch of wool sweaters that my Mom made that I also wear, though most are pullovers. She was a prolific knitter!
I haven't knit anything in decades but have been scouting around for a pattern for an Aran cardigan.
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I am thinking of cardiganizing one of my pullovers that I don’t wear much. But I’m not sure I’d wear it as a cardigan, either!
@Bernard did you do this recently to one of yours?
@AdagioM I did! This is after I'd cut it up the front and knit one of the button bands and new collar, but had not yet sewn the buttons on. They were just placed here to see how they'd look. (It turns out I'm going to re-do the button hole band and use bigger buttons.) This poor sweater! It's been through so much. I wasn't pleased with the drape as a pull-over, I love the drape as a cardigan but the button bands need re-working. It's had attacks from moths which I've patched. And I wish I hadn't made it quite so roomy. No matter, it's basically an "at home" cardigan. I do love the pattern and it's very warm.
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@AdagioM I did! This is after I'd cut it up the front and knit one of the button bands and new collar, but had not yet sewn the buttons on. They were just placed here to see how they'd look. (It turns out I'm going to re-do the button hole band and use bigger buttons.) This poor sweater! It's been through so much. I wasn't pleased with the drape as a pull-over, I love the drape as a cardigan but the button bands need re-working. It's had attacks from moths which I've patched. And I wish I hadn't made it quite so roomy. No matter, it's basically an "at home" cardigan. I do love the pattern and it's very warm.
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@Bernard If I actually do this, I might pick up the button bands before cutting. Belt and suspenders, doncha know! and needle felt the actual cutting area. That’s a fun way to reinforce.
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@AdagioM Good idea. Before I cut, I used a crochet hook to pick up and chain stitch up both sides of where I was going to cut.
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@Bernard I teach several methods in my steeks class, including slip stitch crochet and single crochet, backstitch, and needle felting! We talk about sewing machines, but I wouldn’t trust my knits to a sewing machine, ever.
@AdagioM said in This old dog learned some new tricks:
@Bernard I teach several methods in my steeks class, including slip stitch crochet and single crochet, backstitch, and needle felting! We talk about sewing machines, but I wouldn’t trust my knits to a sewing machine, ever.
I saw that you are teaching a steeking class in the near future. I just can't wrap my brain around cutting something knit....
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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@Bernard I teach several methods in my steeks class, including slip stitch crochet and single crochet, backstitch, and needle felting! We talk about sewing machines, but I wouldn’t trust my knits to a sewing machine, ever.
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@AdagioM said in This old dog learned some new tricks:
@Bernard I teach several methods in my steeks class, including slip stitch crochet and single crochet, backstitch, and needle felting! We talk about sewing machines, but I wouldn’t trust my knits to a sewing machine, ever.
I saw that you are teaching a steeking class in the near future. I just can't wrap my brain around cutting something knit....
@wtg That’s what makes it so fun…it’s marginally terrifying! But not really.
It’s easier to knit stranded colorwork in the round than flat, because the colorwork pattern is always facing you. No purling back in pattern. But if you want a flat piece of knitting (or a cardigan) when you’re done, you need to cut it so it’s not in the round any more!
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@AdagioM My first steek was secured with a sewing machine. Slow and easy, wide foot. It went OK.
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@wtg That’s what makes it so fun…it’s marginally terrifying! But not really.
It’s easier to knit stranded colorwork in the round than flat, because the colorwork pattern is always facing you. No purling back in pattern. But if you want a flat piece of knitting (or a cardigan) when you’re done, you need to cut it so it’s not in the round any more!
@AdagioM Yes, my friend used to do a ton of stranded colorwork in the round and it is from her that I learned about steeking. I was also the beneficiary of one of her early attempts which turned out much too large for her because she did her gauge swatch flat but when she knit the actual sweater in the round it grew like Alice!
Some of her work:
I love this:
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She was an amazing and incredibly prolific knitter!
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My friend who knitted these sweaters was wicked smart and a doggedly determined person, both in knitting and in life. I have never done this kind of knitting but from what little I know of how it's done I do think it can be quite challenging. @Bernard or @AdagioM probably have a better idea of the difficulty factor from the viewpoint of experienced knitters.
A few more pics:
My friend not only knit, but also did her own designs. Here's an example of the evolution of one design. This one started with choosing the colors for this tam:
Which morphed into a design for this sweater:
And into some other color palettes:
For me, at least, eyes crossed....
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Fair Isle patterns, in themselves, are not difficult as long as only two colors are used in the same row, which is usually the case. The sweater I posted above has some rows where three colors are needed and I found that it took more attention to carrying the threads. Once a person is comfortable using two colors at once (some people carry a different color in each hand, some carry both colors in the same hand), they are set to go. The pattern takes care of itself. It's like following a recipe. More often than not the pattern is given in the form of a chart which gets repeated horizontally and vertically.
A typical chart:
]wtg, your friend's sweaters are stunning.
