I’ve been working on the back of a mans vest top and about to start shaping the arm holes. But laying it out to check length, I noticed that the middle (main) section is much baggier that the patterned edges. What have I done wrong?
Pattern is king cole 5800. I’m knitting flat using circular needles to make it easier with the number of stitches
Have you taken it off the needles or moved some sts to a second needle so that you can lay it out completely flat? Is your stitch count correct? You could also measure stitch gauge across the lower portion of stockinette and across the middle and upper portions just to see if it changed while working. It sometimes does.
If the width is what you intended then washing and blocking will probably solve some of this bunching.
I think it’s mostly that it’s still a bit bunched up on the needles, especially in the center. If you don’t have another set of needles or a cord you can put some of the stitches on, try and scrunch up the textured sides to see if the center will lie flat.
To me it looks like the stockinette is longer than the patterned sides. I expect row gauge is the explanation. This happens with borders done in garter or other patterning that works out with more rows/in than stockinette. If this is the problem then we can help with tutorials on how to compensate using short rows.
You can move all or at least some of the stitches to waste yarn to smooth it out flat to get a better look at your work.
I don’t think you have done anything wrong at all.
If you look at the 3 projects on ravelry they are all the same with the looser stockinette. Also it is noticable on the open vest on the pattern picture although not so much on the closed vest picture.
I think the sides will/can stretch longer esp when wet or steamed and gently patted out when the yarn relaxes. You could try a light steam or a damp cloth laid on the outer edges until the yarn is damp and then shape it, it might give you added confidence for continuing.
Your knitting is really neat and even, no problems there.
