No problem. It’s fun to think about the design. Partly the increase in stitch number is because the cables are going to draw the knit fabric in. A little testing on swatch will help with the width of the rib should you want to work something like this in the future.
Good luck with the new pattern!
Thank you for all your help!
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I see you’ve decided to go for a different pattern, but maybe it helps to know anyway…
I know exactly what you mean about finding a lovely cable stitch pattern but the rib being very pulled in, lots of 80’s style sweaters were very wide in the body and tight in the hem rib to pull in and make that spare tyre hang over.
I feel it is relatively simple to alter this.
Making a decent size rib swatch is not too time consuming and can then be used to decide how many stitches to cast on, which may be closer to stitch count for the body of the sweater to produce more of a straight hang rather than a pull in. Also really useful for deciding the cuff stitch count by just wrapping a swatch around the wrist and seeing exactly how you’d like it, no pull in, a bit of pull in, lots of pull in.
I like to look at how the rib relates to and transitions into cables and twists. I just love a unique rib which travels into those cable and twist stitches and which relates to the other stitch patterns in a sweater. It is a small design detail perhaps not noticed by most people but which, for me, elevates a sweater.
You’re obviously v experienced! The reason I decided to change was that while I could increase the rib for the body, the sleeve pattern was so wide that applying the same principle would’ve led to very loose cuffs! It wasn’t so obvious on first inspection. The new one is more complicated, but I’ll give it a go: her birthday’s April, so maybe it’ll be done by Spring 2025…! I actually quite like the plainer one, but…those cuffs…!
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Ha ha, no I am not very experienced at all! I have never made a fully cabled sweater like this, a little cabling yes but nothing this challenging. But I have altered a rib and once you’ve done something and realise it wasn’t as difficult as it first seemed, then it is easier to comment on it.
I prefer the second pic, is that the one you’re going for? It’s absolutely lovely. What is the name/number of it? I need to add that to my list of patterns to make.
The first pic, the sleeves are quite wide, I can see how just altering the rib would not be a suitable solution there. There is a knitting calculator which can help with making adjustments to sleeves, not that you need it now but possibly handy to know for future. I’m always amazed by the wealth of resources available.
It’s great to be able to follow the development of this project.
Ah, I think this is it, linking in case anyone else wants to use this lovely pattern
https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/honeycomb-aran-in-patons-classic-wool-worsted
Thank you! It’s good to feel that my choice to change, and of new pattern, has been vindicated! Thanks for that link; though dammit, had I known I cd’ve saved myself £3! I’m thinking of ordering these other two, for ‘maybe’ use, but poss I should look on ‘lovecrafts’ first. (When I first saw that site come up on the net, I thought it was for something much more racy than knitting!).
Hmm, yes I did notice a few places selling the Patons pattern which is available for free. It happens sometimes.
For what it’s worth I haven’t seen those two for free.
One way to look for different sellers (or free) or to find out the name of a pattern is to to a Google search on the image. I used your pic, selected it and chose search images or use Google lens to search Web, something like that and it will offer results which look similar or the same.
So funny!
The guy in my life reckons they chose the name deliberately as clickbait!