Has anyone knit the Ranunculus? I have the pattern and I want to use a worsted wool wt… but since I’ve seldom made anything that ended up fitting me, I’m nervous. I want a short sleeve, wide neckline, to be oversized to wear as a sort of vest. It’s cold here in N. Minnesota! Thanks for any advice!
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It’s impressive how popular this pattern is, over 32,000 projects. I see it every time I look at the “hot right now” patterns.
It’s meant to be knit with lots of positive ease. You can decide how much positive ease or extra roominess you would like in the sweater. The Ravelry details page gives the size for the finished garment. Scroll down to about the 11th photo for the bust size of the actual sweater. Then consider your bust size and decide just how much extra fabric you’d like in the sweater.
Remember to work a swatch to make sure of the gauge you’re getting for the yarn that you’re going to use.
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You can also, on Ravelry, check out all the finished knits and see what those knitters have said about them. I always find that informational when I’m knitting a new project.
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Thank you!
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@Chava Have you cast on for this yet? I’m about to cast on for it myself in an aran weight yarn. This video has some examples that inspired me, including some short sleeve variations like you’re talking about. https://youtu.be/-ze71ToYM00 Scroll to 13:20
Not yet. I started “reading” the pattern yesterday and ended up watching videos on short rows–have never knitted them before. So, I think I get that now. I hope I’ll choose the right size. I’m using worsted weight wool and want a sort of large short sleeve thingy to pull over whatever top for the day… I live in MN and keep my indoor temp lower in winter. Thanks for the video link… will check it out!
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You might make up a swatch to practice the short rows. They aren’t especially hard, but it often helps to practice a bit with some larger-gauge leftover yarn, so you can really see what you’re doing.
Best wishes choosing a size. I found it challenging myself. One thing that’s important to get, is it’s always going to have that extra wide body quality, and the arms are always going to be relatively narrow. Sleeves are proportioned at under 30% of the body’s number of stitches, vs. a more typical 40%. So you can only go so small in the body before the arms become too tight around, as they are proportionally much less of the overall sweater than is normally found. I’m actually so used to more standard proportions, I’m finding I don’t like how it’s turning out, and I’m considering ripping back and tinkering with stitch marker placement to give the sleeves some of those body stitches. Not to dissuade you if you like the wide style, as so many people do, just letting you know the limitations of this pattern’s existing proportions, since for me this is why sizing was so challenging. Some of the examples out there give a different impression as to the proportions, but if you look at the numbers, this is just
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Amy, you might be interested in roxanne richardsons modifications to this sweater. You can skip to the chapter where she shows how she increased the sleeves by reducing the body a you’ve said you are considering.
She doesn’t look all that pleased with the end result of the sweater despite the extensive swatching and mods.
Some of the models look fantastic in this sweater, their body shape, personal style and the professional approach to photography all work together to show the design at its best. Personally, it’s not a sweater I would ever consider making for various reasons (which Rox also said in an earlier pod cast… and then made one anyway).
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The proportions of this pattern don’t work for me (woman swallowed by sweater) although the lace pattern is very pretty. I wonder about adapting the lace to a more conventional sweater pattern.
See these knitters’ posts for example.
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