SYLVI-KAL: The Ultimate Coat!

Hi everyone! :waving:

GinnyG found a positively adorable coat back in December.
Several of us have been discussing this coat since then!
We decided to begin knitting it together on February 1st!

The coat is called SYLVI!

This coat was knit by knitwitmom, Moderator in the
Sylvi Group over at Ravelry. We have her permission
to post this most beautiful version! Thanks, Linda!

Knit primarily in seed stitch, with beautiful cable work on the BACK.
BTW: the flower petals are knit separately and stitched onto the BACK. The vines and leaves are ‘knit into’ the BACK. It requires a bulky yarn, so it will be a relatively quick knit.

Would you care to join us? :grphug:

The thread in which we were discussing the preliminaries for SYLVI is located HERE. GinnyG started the thread and called it A PROJECT FOR ARTLADY! We’ll lock that thread on Feb 1st. All future SYLVI discussions will take place here in the SYLVI knitalong.

You will still be able [I]to read our comments[/I] in that discussion thread after it’s locked. Our comments might be of use to you!

BTW, [B]Ravelry[/B] has a SYLVI group that has a lot of interesting discussions, especially regarding modifications. Some SYLVI knitters have hucked the hood and made a collar instead; some have modified the cuffs; some have shortened Sylvi into cropped jacket with a zipper; some have incorporated side slit pockets! You can see those projects and read all about them over at the Ravelry Sylvi Group. There is one discussion in the Group regarding yarn substitutions that is particularly helpful. Some have successfully used Cascade 109 and Lamb’s Pride Bulky and saved on yarn costs. Both are excellent yarns. I had some Winter White Rowan POLAR in my Stash, so I will be using it.

The designer also participates in the Ravelry Sylvi Group so that is a real blessing, too. She has been very helpful to the group.

An important NOTE: before beginning our coat, it is imperative that we knit a gauge swatch with our selected yarn.

As for me, rather than knitting the BACK first as I usually do, I’m going to knit the SLEEVES first, then the FRONTS, and lastly, the BACK and hood. I am knitting in this order to get a feel for the yarn and the gauge. The row gauge might be particularly useful information when knitting the BACK.

So we hope you will join us for the SYLVI KNITALONG on February 1st!

You may begin commenting in this thread now if you like. We will answer your questions. You don’t have to wait til February 1st.

I’m in!
This is my first BIG project.
I have my yarn (Cascade 109 in delphinium)
I need to knit my gauge swatch
And it may take me to next Feb to finish LOL

-Kim

How many skeins of cascade did it call for?

SYLVI requires anywhere from 1,632-1,904 yards, depending on the size, using Briggs & Little Atlantic as the original yarn. Yardage is yardage, but maybe there could be a variance if we’re using a substitute bulky weight yarn.

Sizes are 34; 38; 41.5; 44.5; 47
Skeins: 12; 12; 13; 13; 14
Yards per skein on Briggs&Little Atlantic: 136 yds each

I read that this coats grows a bit, and it kinda stretchy…so if you are a bust of 42 or 43…the 41.5 will prolly work rather than the 44.5". Unless you like a real roomy coat.

Just something I read. That is not in the official pattern.

:woot: I’m in!

Lambs Pride Bulky in LIPSTICK RED!

I won’t be able to start til February but hope to start guage swatching soon!

Of course I’m in too! Can’t wait! :thumbsup:

I’m still trying to decide if I want to do this one. Actually, I do want to do it since I’m a cable freak and this is beautiful but I have a 48" bust measurement and I haven’t been too sure about upsizing. I keep hearing that it’s very stretchy so I don’t know that I would need to upsize. I don’t want to go to all the trouble of upsizing the pattern if it is unneccessary but I don’t want to knit it up only to find that it doesn’t fit well.
Ugh!

Libbie

Hi Libbie! :waving:

I looked at the schematics for this pattern. The size 47.5" size gives this information: at the widest part for the chest just before the raglan decreases begin is 14" for each FRONT, and 23.5" for the BACK…a total of 51.5" around…which allows some for seaming.

However, why couldn’t you plan to cast on additional stitches for the FRONTS ONLY…treating them as residents of the [U]front edges where the buttons and buttonholes go[/U].

Do all your side decreasing as per usual…but you will know (and you could place a stitch marker at each point) that you have an additional, let’s say 6 st living along the FRONT’S edges. The gauge is 12 st = 4"…so 6 extra stitches for each FRONT will increase your bust area by 4". That oughta do.

Well, give it some thought. The FRONTS are pretty plain…and it seems like you should be able to add some extra room for God’s Gifts! :wink:

I know that these 6 extra stitches will make the FRONTS wider from the bottom up. Another idea is: cast on the recommended number of stitches, but don’t decrease as much or as dramatically, leaving out 6 decreases for each FRONT. This is another way to get back those 6 extra stitches without casting on more stitches from the get-go.

I spent some time last night looking at the Sylvi projects on Ravelry. There are some beeeeeautiful coats that are completed. I decided to stick to the pattern, hood and all. The only modification I think I will make is I am not going to put buttons and button holes but am going to use clasps. There was a hunter green with pewter clasps that just looked lovely.

For anyone “upsizing” the clasps rather than button holes will give you a bit more ease because there is no overlap.

I am still waiting for my yarn, I think it will be next week before I get it now.

Artlady - are you sticking with the pattern, or are you working on doing a pattern on the front. I was wondering if you had pattern on one half of the front and not the orther will it muck up your stitch/row gauge.

Ah, now that is a really good idea! I hadn’t considered just adding some to the fronts but that would probably do it. Thank you ArtLady!! Definitely something to seriously think about…hmmm… ugh, I’m supposed to be destashing, not finding a pattern that requires me to go buy yarn. Might have to sneak it in and “find” it in my stash :rofl:

I really would like this coat but I don’t care for the flowers. If I do go ahead and jump on this I’ll probably just do leaf vines all the way up instead.

Libbie

haha, it will be a few years before I can even think of making anything as beautiful and complex as the Sylvi coat. But I will enjoy watching everyone’s progress. Happy knitting to you all!

Hi Karina!

Oh, you reminded me! :wink: I remember thinking about implanting one vine, two leaves and one flower into the RIGHT FRONT SIDE. Oh gads. I don’t know. I haven’t quite wrapped my mind around modifications yet. :??

Hood/no hood? Fancy-work hood/plain seed stitch hood? :think: Collar? Zipper? Clasps? Buttons? :think: Plain Right Front/Fancy Right Front? Side to side cuffs/ribbed cuffs? Plain seed stitch sleeves/fancy-work sleeves? :think: Inside-out seams/conventional mattress seams? :think: Pockets/no pockets?

The more options & modification I see, the more I lean to knitting the entire pattern AS SET FORTH by the designer! :teehee:

[COLOR=Blue][B]First to knit: [/B][/COLOR] SLEEVES> [B][I]I[/I] [/B][I][B]will[/B][/I][B][I] make [U]the cuffs[/U] as per pattern. [/I][/B] I like them and I think they dress up the sleeve. Her cuff is classy. No further embellishments or designs on the sleeves. Plain seed stitch as per pattern.

[B][COLOR=Blue]Next to knit:[/COLOR][/B] LEFT FRONT>as per pattern

[COLOR=Blue][B]Next to knit:[/B][/COLOR] RIGHT FRONT>decisions need to be made regarding [B]1)[/B] chart ‘design elements’ incorporated into it (or not) and [B]2)[/B] buttonholes (or not)

[COLOR=Blue][B]Next to knit:[/B][/COLOR] BACK>as per pattern

[COLOR=Blue][B]Last to knit:[/B][/COLOR] HOOD>decisons, decisions :think: I’ll think about the HOOD as I knit the other parts of the coat first.

That’s a cool idea, Libbie! That would be very classy and simple!
I like that idea a lot! :thumbsup:

I bought 17, which would be 1853 yards, between the L and XL requirements by yardage.

I have a question about sizes … I’ve never knit anything like this before where size matters, LOL

So it says finished bust measurement :
34 (38, 41 1/2, 44 1/2, 47)”
Referred to throughout pattern as
XS (S, M, L, XL)

My over-clothes bust measurement is 41" or so – so that would mean the M would just fit assuming it knit up right to size? No roominess? So I’d want a size up from the number that is closest?

Or do the measurements mean what size charts for pre-made clothing mean; “Fits a bust size of 41.5” and that already includes any intended roominess?

I hope my question makes sense … do I need to include my own guess at desired roominess?

I don’t want it stretched-to-fit across my bust with the button holes gaping! Eek! But I don’t want to swim in it, either. I’m not a big woman, but I do have the nursing mama bust going on …

I guess I need to finish my gauge swatch(es) too, though, before starting out.

Since my youngest is now 17 I decided to finish up my degree and just started school. I am doing the weekend college at Mount St. Mary’s College here and my first weekend was 1/17,18. INTENSE!!! I love that I am going back to school but it will definitely slow me down on the jacket. I may still be at it long after you all are done :teehee: I’m still in though :thumbsup:

Consider that the nursing mama bust is only temporary :wink:

Just fyi… there are a [B]ton of colors[/B] of Cascade 109 on sale on
Web’s American Yarn Store (on line), at $3.99 each!:yay:

http://www.yarn.com/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns-closeouts-new-closeouts/webs-knitting-yarns-cascade-109-solids/

[SIZE=7]
You are sure right about that!!!
[/SIZE]