I’m after the collective wisdom of the group on what feels like the umpteenth modification on a sweater I made for my husband several years ago.
He wanted an Icelandic Lopeysa (typically circular yoke, oversized, with no shaping). BUT he wanted it fitted and with extra long arms! So I chose a basic pattern, selected suitable motifs and colours, and incorporated a few mods to cope with his demands!! I added short rows throughout the back motifs and extra long fitted sleeves with a sleeve gusset to cope with the minimal ease. When complete, he wanted it 3 inches shorter, so I cut it in half, removed three inches and grafted back together.
The sweater is still not worn though because he says it has an odd ‘pooch’ at the front.
I think the issue is that he has a longer back than front (years of road cycling?) .
So my next proposed modification (it’s that or the charity shop!) is to cut it in half yet again, just under the armpits ( I can’t be tinkering with those odd gussets) and to add approx 5 pairs of short rows, bottom up, long to short, starting just inside the nipple line. And then graft it together again.
I have attached a couple of pictures - the first is the jumper how it should be worn, and the second shows the jumper as he wears it ( showing the wedge of excess).
My big question is, am I missing anything? Is there a better way to deal with it? Do you think it will even work?!!! It’s pretty daunting but he loves the colours so much and it never gets worn!
Looking forward to the hearing your thoughts!!
I don’t know that raising the back below the yoke will help much, when it seems that the issue is in the front. It might work to raise the back through the upper back, but you can’t do that through the colorwork.
Might it be possible to cut across the front, where the “pooch” is, remove some rows, tapering out from the center, and then graft that back together? I’d be trying that on a swatch, for sure!
I agree with ColoCro and the idea of removing the fold at the front. A sort of melon shaped cut out seem like it would work although the graft may be difficult at the edges or points of the mellon.
Are the armholes too deep perhaps? And he’s pulling the gusset and underarm up into his armpit for comfort and movability?
I’d frog and make the same pattern on a set in or modified drop sleeve instead. Not what you wanted to hear but I’d enjoy the colourwork and wouldn’t enjoy trying to fix the pooch so it would be the way to go for me. Either that or I’d feed him a lot of Jaffa cakes to fill the pooch out. Or make a big front pocket to keep snacks in.
I can’t see how to remove the wedge from the front as it is worked in the round, so each row will be separate and I won’t be able to taper / graduate the ‘removal’!
Thanks! The arm fit is pretty good - I added the gusset because circular yokes should really have more ease than this, and the gussets actually stop it pulling up when he raises his arms.
I did warn him that it wasn’t supposed to be fitted!
I’m just reluctant to totally give up on this. I may just shorten the sleeves and wear it myself:rofl:
Yes, I see. What if you try cutting a strand in the middle lowest row, pulling out the sts on either side up to the tapered ends. Pick up the live sts. Do the same on an upper strand picking out the yarn strand and again picking up the live sts.
Then graft the above and below sts. The long strands from the original cut can be woven in to secure the rounds.
Don’t try this on this lovely sweater but use a small swatch in the round first. I’ve cut and grafted but never quite this way before and I wouldn’t want to harm your beautiful work.
An alternative might be to fold the bulge to the inside and graft then cut out the extra rows. It’s like the chimney method of working sock toes. This way you could see how successful the fold and graft are before cutting.
