I ran across a sweater that I started many years ago!! I actually didn’t remember having gotten this far along. But now the problem, can’t find pattern. I remember it being in a magazine but that’s all I know. I am hoping someone recognizes or maybe I can complete without. Interesting that there doesn’t seem to be any armholes. I guess I could seam the sides and shoulders and then inset sleeves but not sure exactly how. But no clue how to do the neckband. Really disappointed that I got this far along and then never finished. Sure there was a reason but not sure what. Any help?
Locate a pattern?
That is an adorable sweater and almost finished, too. Do you have the other sleeve or more yarn? If you have the yarn you can copy the first sleeve by counting sts. A gauge swatch to match the stitch gauge you have will help with needle size. If you don’t have the original yarn a similar yarn in one of the contrasting colors would work.
Usually the shoulders are seamed first. Then you can measure the sleeve top and pin the sleeve top to the sides of the sweater centered at the shoulder seam and extending down in the direction of the hem, half of the sleeve top to the front, half to the back. Once you seam that in place, seam the sleeve from the cuff to the underarm continuing down the side seam of the sweater to the hem.
You have most of the neckband on holders already. You can pick up sts in the round starting at the left shoulder and working down to the front held sts then up the right shoulder and across the back. Pick up about 3sts for every 4 rows on the sections without held sts. Make sure you end with a stitch number divisible by 2 for k1p1 rib.
If you’d rather work back and forth on the neck, seam only the right shoulder and leave the left shoulder seam and sleeve until the neckband is finished.
Yes the other sleeve was nearly finished. I am several rows above the top green line. I unraveled the yarn mess and have 2 ping pong sized little balls of the grey. So I think I have enough to finish the sleeve. I have plenty of the green and blue so plan to use both for the neck band. The sleeve was actually on a needle so know needle size. So I’ll finish sleeve then block then see if I can get it put together. Might need more direction for neck but we’ll see.
It’s going to be such a fun sweater. I’m so glad you’ve resurrected it from wherever it was hiding.
Wow an almost finished sweater - it will be great to get it finished.
The neck won’t be as hard as you might think, it’s only working out how many stitches to pick up which is covered on tutorials and obviously help here. And if you put a life line across the held stitches you can try out the neck band and if you don’t like it rip it out and try again with a different number of pick ups.
Great sweater too.
Yep. I am blocking all the pieces except for last sleeve I’m working on. Since I don’t have a schematic to measure, I’m just using the squares on blocking mat to make sure everything matches: shoulder width, length of front & back and will leave the first sleeve on mat until I finish 2nd sleeve and can match it to the first. As for the neck, the front holder has 18 stitches and back holder has 26. On each side of front holder is 14 or 15 rows so I think I should pick up 10 stitches on each side but I will think on that before I get to that. Not sure about ribbing: 1x1 or 2x1. Any thoughts. And how many rows 4 or 6. I’ll be using 2 colors. Good idea about lifeline. This is a child’s sweater probably a size 8 if I remember correctly when I initially started it.
I would do whatever the rib pattern was on the cuffs and waist for the neck, I wouldn’t change it.
A folded neck might be nice? One colour outside and then change colour for the inside? I’m only saying that because I like the folded neck on the cardigan I made for my son.
Well the procrastinator in me loomed its ugly head again. I finished the remaining sleeve and I set it all aside. Now I want to finish the seaming and neck. But now don’t know what size needle I was using. I’m thinking maybe US 6 or 7. But is there any way I can tell by using parts already completed?
Do you remember the size needle used for that second sleeve before you set it aside? The ribbing at the neck may be a size smaller than that. If not, just work up a swatch and compare the sts/4inches to that of the completed sweater either stockinette or rib as you need it for the finishing. It’s going to be a very good looking sweater and I’m glad you resurrected it from the time-out pile!
I didn’t have many needles at that time. And I remembered they were straight needles and they were grey. So I found the needle and they were size 5. So now I am very sure that’s what I used. But I was thinking I need to go up a size so the neck is not too tight, or maybe not since it will be a rib so will have a natural stretch. It looks like a k1p1 rib. And since will do in the round what length cable should I use.
A 16 inch circulat needle works well for neckbands (as well as hats). I like doing the neckband in the round so that a seam up the neck can be avoided. Is it a crew neck or turtleneck on this sweater? I’d certainly go up a size for a turtleneck because I don’t like one that is snug. For a crewneck, it may not matter so much as long as your pick up of sts isn’t too tight and you work a stretchy bind off.
Ooh, this sweater is lovely! I’m glad you decided to get back to it.
Can I suggest on the neck, a life line in those live stitches that you’re going to work across when you pick up for the neck. For me live stitches on the neck put me off ripping back a neck I don’t like or which is too loose or tight. I am so much happier to rip back and have another go with a different needle size or different number of stitches when I know the stitches in the sweater are all safe, either bound off or a life line in place.
I think you were going to do a 2 colour band, I love neck bands like that.
Oh my. I just watched Roxanne Richardson video on design and modifications on necklines from 8/31/22. It sounds extremely complicated. I’m thinking that is why I set this aside again last year. I’ve never done a crew neck and so have nothing to compare to. I thought it as simple as picking up stitches and knitting the number of rows. But after watching this, it’s a lot more complicated, like figuring out decreases. I think I’m in over my head.
You can do this. Does your pattern give you directions and stitch numbers for the various sections of the neck? If so, try to pick up close to those numbers. Doesn’t have to be exactly the pattern recommendation but close. Make sure you have a total number of sts divisible by 2 (for 1x1 rib) and you should be ok.
You can adjust the stitch number if necessary after you’ve picked up the sts by increasing or decreasing on the next round. If the stitch number is over by 2 or so, I wouldn’t be concerned. If it’s under by more than 2, you might look for sections with too few sts and pick up there again. If the pick up is too tight, it won’t stretch enough to comfortably fit over your head.
I use stitch markers to mark off the sections, front, sides of the shoulder and back to make sure I’m on track.
Somehow these bands always look much better and more even than you think they will so take heart and give it a try.
It is!
Your crew neck is already shaped, all you need to do is the neck band. As salmonmac said just pick up the number of stitches it says in the pattern.
You can definitely do it.
The problem is that I no longer seem to have the pattern. I’ll be winging it. The front stitch holder has 18 stitches and the back has 26. I’m thinking I could look for a child’s crew neck sweater pattern and see what the directions say.
But after I pick up the stitches am I going to be doing decreases since it appears the neckband has more stitches at the bottom and tapers to the top.
I just realised you did say you no linger had the pattern.
Salmonmac is best for advice here.
If it was me I’d find a free pattern with a similar dimension/size and copy the neck, or at least use the neck as guidance.
Take a look at the ribbing on the sweater and estimate the number of sts needed to fill in the gap at the sides of the shoulders. It’s not perfect but it will at least get you in the ballpark. Looking for another child’s crewneck is a good idea too.
Since most of the guesswork is along the sides of the rows at each shoulder, the ratio of picking up 3sts for every 4 rows may be a good guide. There’s a bit of trial and error here but write down what you’re doing and if the first attempt doesn’t work (too loose or too tight) you’ll be able to adjust for the next pick up.
One of these might help, or a combination, reading the neck instruction for a few and combining what you learn to make a guess at the humber of stitches you need. By looking at how many shoulder stitches remain (I think you have around 24), the shape of the neck and the stitches on hold front and back you can roughly match up your sweater size to the instructions in a pattern.
Some patterns are pretty loose when it comes to this number anyway. Here are a few which may help
This has a nice neck, it’s knit longer and folded in for a double fabric (would be nice in 2 colours). 15 stitches front and 35 to 29 back (on this pattern they are bound off but the number are similar to what you have on hold), here 76 to 88 are picked up depending on the size.
This has similar number of stitches for front and back and similar number to pick up. The difference here is it mentions increasing on the first round, these (in my limited experience) just to alter to the right number of multiple for the rib pattern. You don’t need the right number for 2 x 2, but instead 1 x 1 rib as salmonmac mentioned a multiple of 2, when I’ve done this it’s been because I followed a tip to pick up in every neck stitch and then alter the number on the next row/round. You won’t need to alter by lots it will be pretty close to the right number anyway, then just choose where to work 2 together, not in the section of held stitches to keep those nice and smooth.
Looking at the front of your sweater there are about 12 rows after the neck stitches
If you pick up sts 3 stitches for every 4 rows making the front 9 + 18 + 9 = 36 sts
If you pick up in every stitch 12 + 18 + 12 = 42
If you did a mix of these (3 stitch in every 4 rows in the steeper part near the top, but in every stitch in the shallower curve near the held stitches) you’d get about 40 sts. So that could be a good nunber to try.
11 picked up, 18 on hold, 11 picked up = 40
40 sts front, 40 sts back, total 80, falls within the numbers given in the 2 patterns.
For the back, 7 picked up, 26 on hold, 7 picked up = 40
It’s just an example, if you feel lost.
Edited to add. You don’t need to do decreases throughout the neck band. None of the necks I have made are done that way. If there is a decrease row it is only the one just to alter the number of stitches to get the rib right, no more shaping after that, just knit the length you want, double if you want to fold it in and bind off. That’s all.
Thanks for all the input and taking your time to look up some patterns. I ended up picking up 76. I was kind of worried it would be too tight to go over the head but once I removed the holders I was able to slip over my granddaughters head. I put in 2 lifelines, one at the beginning and another when I switched colors (in case I didn’t like it). So onward, hopefully I’ll be happy with the first try.