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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For my purposes, I am good with the large body section– want to use the sweater like a vest/shawl/cape/ over whatever shirt I’m wearing that day. My house is kept cool. But wow… the arms are the size of a doll’s arms! I did not see Richardson’s post until after I did this…. I added to the armsyce size by adding to the CO stitch number in Section 5.
Now the sweater is sitting here looking at me, saying: “Well? Are you going to rip me out or keep on knitting?” I’m trying to ignore the question by knitting some cotton dishcloths. Maybe I should put in some needles at the arm and see what happens.
You’ve enlarged the armscye to a usable size and need to do what? Just an armhole trim, like ribbing? Or are you thinking of ripping back to use Rox’s solution (and amy’s) of giving body stitches to the armscye instead? Surely either works so if you’ve already done the body then why rip back?
To throw this over whatever else you have on you will need roomy armholes. I have what I call ‘under jumpers’ (a more fitted sweater), then sweaters which need to fit over my under jumper, then I have a house cardy which fits over all… Each layer needs to be a bit bigger than the last!
Yes that’s it….just adding some armhole trim was my thought. I’m very unsure of myself… not confident that enlarging the armsyce would work, since the very experience Richardson did it by subtracting and adding stitches from the body to the arms…. so she must be doing it right and I’m doing it wrong…
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Hmm well there’s usually more than one way to do something and various reasons for choosing one way or another. Rox wanted a smaller body, she was going to make that modification anyway, then she realised how small the sleeves were. As a side note some of the pics of this sweater the sleeves look huge, others they are skinny.
As you’ve said you don’t mind, and want, the larger sized body for a loose over top, there is surely no need to reduce the body? If you have made the armholes large enough and like how it looks, well, that’s the aim isn’t it? No need to rip out something successful.
Or are you struggling to get the armhole big enough?
Have you tried it on?
I did try it on and the armholes are a good size. So in my mind, it has been a matter of “right” or “wrong” and having read your encouragement– thank you so much. I’ll pick up and continue on! So glad for this forum, btw. 
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The only “right” or “wrong” in knitting is whatever works for YOU! If you’ve gotten a result you’re happy with, great! If you were to make a 2nd Ranunculus, you might take some of the other methods into consideration, but no need to undo something that works for the way you plan to wear it.
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Great!
I’m so glad for this forum too.
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