Hello all
I am in a dilemma about how to move forward with the neck edge on my current sweater.
Initially I planned a square neck having loosely based my design on a few different patterns but now I feel I need a more considered neckband.
The sweater is very basic in shape, back and shoulders just one straight rectangle. Front has straight rectangles up to the shoulder and a central panel in a different stitch pattern.
Here it’s laid out but not sewn
The central frint panel is not bound off and I can continue it to make it higher in the neck.
On the patterns I looked at the front and back were just finished with a few garter rows, I don’t want that as I don’t think garter stitch suits the sweater. On the patterns the side/front edge was left raw as in my pic.
I tried a mock up of a folded neckedge where I picked up stitches on the side neck edges and along the back neck and worked half fihermans rib (same as front panel stitch) which had some success:
The back looks great transitioning from colourwork stockinette into the half fihermans rib neckedge, a huge improvement on the raw bound off edge.
The half fisherman’s looks nice folded but I think is too heavy overall for the sweater.
The pick up on the side neck seems okay-ish but shape and construction wise it’s kind of odd shifting into the rolled cowl type neck edge.
Here’s the mock up, all just tacked together
I’m looking for any ideas, feedback, comments on this.
Things I am considering
Try a slit/boat neck with the front panel worked right up to the shoulder then work the neck front and back with the colour change exactly at the shoulder. I think the neck edge would sit up some from the sweater.
Transition to fisherman’s rib so it is reversible and can be a little longer/cowl-ish and could drape a bit or be folded in or out and look the same fabric stitch either way.
Using the sewn bind off that gives a sort of rolled look on the edge without actually needing to fold the neck.
Or is it possible to work a square neck edge in half fisherman’s or fisherman’s? I’d need mitred corners I think, I don’t know how to do that or if it’s even possible or neat?
Or should I be shaping the front panel into a round neck first and then picking up around the full neck? Is a slit/boat neck or square neck just not going to work?
Will I be choked by a slit neck when I wear it if there is no shaping at all or is fisherman’s rib flexible enough to move stretch and drape in the neck (I kind of think it is from the panel I’ve got, but, I don’t know…)
All ideas, comments welcome. The rest of the sweater isn’t too bad but I’m a bit stuck at this point.
Been pondering it for ages.