I have a fair isle style Jersey I’m knitting and I love the pattern work however I’m knitting a smaller size and the pattern says to stop the chart work after so many rows and split the sleeves off, I want to work the design in its full glory. I emailed the designer and she said i could but I need to split the sleeves off where indicated in the pattern. I don’t really understand because this is my first go at knitting in the round and fair isle knitting. I think I get how to split the sleeves but don’t know how to keep going with the chart work when I’m casting on stitches and putting stitches on hold. The chart work pattern has 36 rows but for size 3 it says to stop the pattern work at row 30. If do this then split the sleeves off then cast on 8 stitches I’m lost where I am in my pattern… Won’t casting on 8 stitches disturb my pattern? Do I need to cast on in the correct colours? If I don’t do this bit it will miss the last row of white and blue and chevrons and I think it will look odd.
What is the name of the pattern? Are you working it top down?
If it’s top down, the continuation of the pattern at what will be the underarm isn’t so critical. You can adjust the pattern across the 8sts with maybe an extra stitch between the chevrons or a jog at what would be the side seam. The important thing is to keep the main body of the pattern in register.
Yes top down. That’s what I don’t understand how to do. Firstly this is my first circular project so I don’t understand the sleeve splitting totally then working out keeping in pattern blows my mind. Do you cast on, onto the right needle or the left so that you immediately knit the newly cast on stitches… Which colour yarn do I cast on with… I’m using 3 in the pattern work. The pattern is called Embla and it’s a purchase from Ravelry.
Probably whatever yarn you currently are working with is the best to cast on with. If you have to carry other colors across, then do that. It’s only for the 8sts.
You’re probably going to put some number of sts, say 25 on a holder for later. Use scrap yarn threaded through a tapestry needle to transfer the sts to the scrap yarn.
Which needle you cast sts on depends on the directions. If you knit up to the sleeve sts, then place the next 25 on scrap yarn, then the working yarn is coming off the right needle. Switch the needles in you hands and cast on the new sts. The working yarn will be at the tip of the left needle. Now switch the needles in your hands again so that the working yarn is coming off the right needle and continue on with the knitting. You won’t be knitting across the newly cast on sts until you complete the round.
It’s like the 2nd cast on (see 2 minutes) in this video. Ignore the first cast on which is not a good one to use for more than 2-3sts.
Thank you. I will have a look at the video and aee if this makes more sense to me, I’m definitely a visual person. I did look at a few video’s before asking the question but some turned the work over some didn’t. I can’t seem to make it work with my pattern work so I know I’m not doing it correctly.
The pattern says:
Dividing sleeves and body: From the stm, place the first 40 (40) 44 (48) 48 (52) 52 sts on an extra pair of circular needles, or a piece of scrap yarn as a placeholder. Cast on 8 new sts with the backward loop cast-on and knit 56 (62) 64 (66) 72 (74) 80 sts (front). Repeat this process once. = 128 (140) 144 (148) 160 (164) 176 body sts on your needles.
See if this video helps with the concept of placing sleeve sts on waste yarn and looping those sleeve sts out of the project for the moment.
As far as continuing the pattern, you can try working a chevron if 8sts is enough or you can stop the pattern on the 8sts. Just knit across with your working yarn. It’ll be at the underarm and won’t be visible 95% of the time.
Awesome thanks. I’ll let you know how I go. Really appreciate the detailed replies, honestly wouldn’t have continued my learning to knit journey if it hadn’t been for this forum and your fabulous replies .
Ok so. I have managed to cast on the stitches and successfully split off the sleeves. However… When I come back around to knit the new cast on stitches they have gotten so tight I can’t knit them and there is long bit of yarn with no stitches… The pattern says to cast on with the backwards loop which I did but is there a better way that stops this… I’ve had to unpick it all. Also with the sleeves there is also not enough stitches to do the full pattern repeat. Can i knit as much of the pattern as i can then when I run out of stitches just start the repeat again rather than trying to finish the last repeat…
If that makes sense.
The two videos that I posted above mention the backwards loop but both suggest better cast ons. It’s partly because of the very problem you mention, tightness and difficulty knitting the sts. Use a knit or a cable cast on instead as shown in the videos.
If you’d like, yes, knit as much of the repeat as you can and then start over so that the pattern in the main body of the sweater is maintained.
Enjoy working the rest of the sweater!
Thank you, you are amazingly patient!