Pattern help with sleeves

How-to Questions
1

I’m stretching my knowledge with a more complex pattern for my second jumper. It’s this intarsia pattern from Rowan:
https://knitrowan.com/en/products/zm76-bankfield

I’m currently on the sleeves and am puzzled that the right and left don’t appear to be symmetrical, the way I’m reading the pattern. I guess I have it wrong, and would appreciate some advice from the forum.

I’m working the third size for the pattern, i.e. 22.5 cm for each sleeve half at the top of the shoulders.
I’ve knitted the left one down to the start of the intarsia block, and currently have 91 stitches, as expected by just two total rows of decrease (i.e. 4 stitches from the start of 95).

I’d expect the right to be similar in terms of the top decrease, for the first 20 rows, but it seems different. I’m reading it as decreasing 5 stitches each end for the second 10th count, which would look downright odd! Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Pattern for the top of the sleeves is as follows.

LEFT SLEEVE

Mark points along side seam edges 20 [21:22.5:…] on either side of shoulder seams.

With RS facing, using 4mm needles and yarn B, pick up 83 [89:95…] sts evenly between markers. Beg with a purl row, now work in st st throughout as folls:**

Dec 1 st at each end of 12th [12th: 10th:…] and 1[ [1:1:1:2:2:3: 3:3] foll 12th [12th: 10th, 10th: 8th: 8th: 6th: 6th] rows. 79 [85:91:97: 101: 109: 111: 115:119] sts.

Work 1 [1:5:5:1:1:1:1:1] rows, ending with RS facing for next row

Place first block

Using the intarsia technique as described on the information page)

Etc.

RIGHT SLEEVE

Work as given for left sleeve to **.

Dec 1 st at each end of 12th [12th: 10th:…] and 4[2:5:4…] foll 12th [12th: 10th, 10th: 8th: 8th: 6th: 6th] rows, then on –[3: -: 2: -: 7: -: -: -] foll – [10th: -: 8th: -: 6th: -: -: -] rows.

73[77: 83: 87: 91: 95: 97: 101: 105] sts.

Work 3[1: 7: 3: …] rows ending with RS facing for next row.

Place first block

Using the intarsia technique as described on the information page)

Etc.

2

Left Sleeve: Dec 1 st at each end of 10th and 1 foll 10th rows. 91 sts.
Work 5 rows, ending with RS facing for next row

Right Sleeve: Dec 1 st at each end of 10th and 5 foll 10th rows. 83sts.
Work 7 rows ending with RS facing for next row.

Lots of sizes for this pattern but yes, the two sleeves seem to be different. Read the Finishing instructions to see if they make sense with the two sleeves.

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3

Ah, ok, that makes a lot more sense, so it’s still a decrease of 1 stitch at each end of the row, but multiple times. Thanks for that prompt response. It is much appreciated.

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4

This looks like an interesting and fun knit. Please do post a photo when you finish!

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5

I’ll do that :slight_smile: It’s my first ever attempt at multiple colour work. The pattern is a good one for a beginner (despite some of the confusing terms!) as the intarsia is all rectangular, with only ever 3 balls of wool on the go at one time. I’m enjoying the challenge.

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6

Just looking at the pattern pics, I don’t see any indication that the sleeves would be shaped differently. Is there a schematic that maybe shows this?

7

I think this may be to do with the placement of the intarsia blocks. It looks like these are different in each sleeve, the blocks on the left starting earlier.
( They don’t want you to go romping on with the decreases and miss the block placement instructions!!)
I suspect that you’ll carry on decreasing on the left as you also knit the intarsia block, and your sleeves will be symmetrical.
You haven’t quoted the part of your pattern after block placement , but maybe your instructions here will include the phrase “at the same time”? This should tell you how to continue decreasing!

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8

Not at all! It’s a very symmetrical shape, as you’d expect, but the pattern instructions were confusing me, hence my post.

9

I’d figured the blocks and decreasing would affect the pattern, but it was so much gobbledygook to me. I had (mis-)interpreted the right hand code :

Dec 1 st at each end of 12th [12th: 10th:…] and 4[2:5:4…] foll 12th [12th: 10th, 10th: 8th: 8th: 6th: 6th] rows

to mean dec 1 st at each end of the 10th then decrease 5 st at each end of the next 10th. I hadn’t actually started knitting it, as despite being a beginner I had sussed out that a big step on the sleeve like that would look daft. This would look very, very silly, so I figured I must be wrong.
Fortunately salmonmac deciphered it such that it made perfect sense, and should be read as “the 4 following 10th rows”. Easy now I know :slight_smile:

5 Likes
10

I’ve had my eye on that pattern for a while, I’m a bit jealous you’re making it and I’m not but I look forward to seeing your progress.
When i ever get to it I’ll remember to carefully highlight my size numbers as it looks like a lot of numbers in a confusing line of info.

Cheering you along with this lovely design.

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11

I’ve done just that and circled my size with pencil now, due to mis-reading one earlier! I shall take pics so you can see it.

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12

Oh, yes, I’ll look forward to the pics.
I’ve got yarn bought for about 5 or 6 sweaters already so I daren’t be side tracked by this! It’s so tempting!

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13

Finished the knitting now, and just need to embroider the blocks. There was a fair bit of frogging involved, but I’m happy with the final result. Very confused about having an unused whole ball of yarn in one colour leftover (F/Cinnamon/175), which is listed on the Rowan page, but I’ve re-read the pattern multiple times and can’t see any reference to it whatsoever. It may be me as it is my first time knitting this type of pattern.
I changed the neckline to make it more comfortable for me to wear.

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PXL_20250812_131222031
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5 Likes
14

First time with this type of pattern and you’re already adjusting the neck. Can’t wait to see the sweater with embriodery. It’s already great!

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15

I knitted it as the pattern to start, but the cast off in rib was just too tight, so I used a stretchier one (from pink knits on you tube, where you knit two stitches together). Even then it was too high up my neck, and still irritating me, so I folded it over and sewed it up to keep it flat, seems to work! Too hot to wear it at the moment here in the UK, so plenty of time to sort the embroidery.

16

This is great. I love the colour blocks going into the rib. I like the modification on the neck too, looks good and a bit more comfortable.

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17

Thanks, the on-pattern neckline was just in the wrong place for my neck, and a bit scratchy as well. I would have never worn it like that.

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18

Update on Bankfield Rowan pattern. I’ve had a reply back from Rowan regarding my unused ball of yarn (Cinnamon). It isn’t required at all for the main pattern, and had just been used for the pictures in some embroidery decoration at the end. It could easily be swapped out for the similar cumin colour if anyone else was planning on knitting this.

19

Good to know. Well, better an extra ball of yarn than playing yarn chicken.

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20

Beautiful sweater - some of my favorite colors.