I am attempting to make this top-down jacket and just started the neckline ribbing. However, when I put it around my neck it feels a bit too tight. How would I go about making the collar looser but maintaining the same size jacket?
I was thinking of redoing the neckline and casting on more stitches but I am confused about how I would continue with the rest of the pattern (below).
Step 3:
Really lovely jacket!
Ravelry: Hack It Jacket pattern by Nina Ruth
Which size are you making?
You could try going up a needle size or two with the same number of stitches for the neck rib. Once the rib is complete, go back to the needle size you need for the body (the one you use to work a swatch).
It is the Hack it Jacket by Nina Ruth (https://www.rilleruth.com/product-page/hack-it-jacket-1). I was hoping to make a size 3 or 4.
Could I also cast on additional stitches but then decrease a couple of stitches until I get to the correct number or would that look weird? I think the collar is intended to fit quite snuggly but I want it quite a bit looser that’s why I was thinking of adding some more stitches.
How many stitches do you think would make the collar more comfortable? Combining a larger size needle and a few extra sts would work.
For size 4 you need to increase 2sts after the rib and before the body anyway so adding sts then decreasing will work. You can probably add in the extra sts for size 3 and then decrease for the body too.
Can you use the neck you’ve already made as a large swatch to calculate how many cm or sts you need to add?
I made a sweater with a high neck folded to the centre and found it too tight too, for that one I found folding to the outside had a great effect, much more comfortable, the rib responds differently. But I expect you wouldn’t want to fold to the outside in this design.
Another i made a seperate rib collar/band and sewed it on afterwards, i was amazed how many sts I needed to make a comfortable neck band, it was a lot.
If you feel you need a lot extra, as i did, you could see working it as a second swatch and just look at what happens when you decrease all the extra stitches on that dec/inc row. If you don’t like the result you will still learn something from doing it and then put together a plan for trial 3.
I generally have to try a dozen necks to get something I’m happy with, it can be a bit of a drag redoing them but, on the other hand, the real beauty of hand made is making what you want, how you want it, with any modifications you want.
I wonder if the rest of the sweater will fit or will it also be too snug. Sizing is often hard. You might use a provisional cast on, start the body of the sweater to see how it goes and then knit the neck, with any additional stitches added in, up from the PCO. My first thought was larger needles then I thought I’d need more stitches and larger needles for the neck but I hate anything snug around my neck and won’t even wear a mock turtleneck anymore. I would like a neck like that if I left it open, more like a collar.
