WIP: my own pullover 'design'

#1

[B]I have this great yarn [/B](purchased on the recent LYS tour)!
So excited and surprised that one of the LYS’s actually carried this yarn, it’s so rare!
Clasica [I]Naturals[/I] means that this yarn is ‘right off the sheep’s back’…undyed and natural.

Anyway, it’s very special to me…I wanted to knit a pullover (for a change)…but the HUNT for the perfect pattern. :eyes: What a challenge! I spent days swatching for this design and that design. Oh, and worse, rummaging in my Rav Queue, and all my books and leaflets too! Even tried The Sweater Wizard. I was not feelin’ the love. It drives me bonkers. :eyes:

This Manos Clasica Wool Naturals swatches to 16st=4" with a US8…per the label…but it was SO THICK…and the stitches were so dense. I didn’t like it.

Now off to find a [B]bulky wt[/B] design. Oy. Never did find the perfect pullover design.
It was getting rather discouraging.

Anyway, FINALLY dragged out my old book called
"25 Gorgeous Sweaters for the Brand-New Knitter"!

Yeah, I’m not a brand-new sweater knitter, but this book is still a GREAT.

There is a [B]pullover on pg 73[/B], called the Quick Knit Rolled-Edge Pullover…and it is the RIGHT GAUGE for my yarn (13st=4")…but I could not envision my yarn with rolled hem, cuffs and collar. Kinda old school. Something we were excited about in 2004, but now not so much. Kinda like ponchos.

[B]So, now on to page 87. [/B] A pullover with 3 hem/cuff versions, but of course, at worsted weight gauge. Sigh. I liked Version 1 on page 87 for my Manos Pullover.

So that’s what I finally did! I melded them together for the perfect sweater!
I knit a swatch to get a good look at it…and last night, while downloading vintage music CD’s into my i-Tunes, I cast on for the MODIFIED Manos Pullover! I’m really liking it! I’ve knit many sweaters that are far more complex, but I feel good about digging up the perfect solution for a particular yarn!

Here is the swatch: the hemline isn’t really rocket science.
It’s essentially ‘broken rib’ (knit on RS, k1/p1 on WS), and is preceded and followed by 2 garter ridges. Simple stuff, but I like it. I’ve used broken rib before for the pattern stitch.

Here is the progress, as of right now:

So that’s what I’m up to. I have 4 cami/tanks on the front burner, too, but
won’t cast on for them until we’re on vacation in the mountains. Tanks are good vacation knitting! Summer is in no rush to show up yet! Sun one day, hail the next.

I am hoping (was hoping) to wear this Manos Clasica Naturals pullover when we are in the mountains next week, but I don’t think I’m gonna realize that goal. It still gets cold up there. And my husband’s truck air-conditioning is like Alaskan Arctic! It might be 80 degrees outside, but his cab is 40 degrees! It’s a constant battle. I lose.

#2

What beautiful yarn!!! I always love seeing what you’ve cooked up, although this little teaser is a touch on the mean side! heehee

You’ve got quite the following, my dear!

BTW, you REALLY should consider writing a blog…as one place for all of us ArtLady fans to go to for inspiration and ideas on how to tweak patterns!!

#3

Are we married to the same man??? :wink:

That yarn is gorgeous!! I can’t wait to see the FO - your sweaters are always so beautiful…one of your own design is sure to be a winner!

#4

I love the look of the yarn it’s stunning and also the look of the swatch. Will be another gorgeous sweater! Great descriptions also! I always notice the backgrounds you use…very artistic!!!

I agree totally with auburnchick comments…why don’t you???

One thing about Seattle weather…we get everything and not necessarily at the time most other places do but got to love Seattle. :heart:

Happy knitting! :knitting:

#5

A blog?

It’s a great compliment! I thank you both! However, I’ve read the ‘blog etiquette’, and it really emphasizes that a blogger needs to input every single day without fail. If people are following your blog, they feel neglected if you fail to write.

What with my KH participation, and my Ravelry participation…and on top of that, KNITTING… I don’t feel I could do a proper job on a blog. It is a humbling thing, to think people would find my knitting commentary of such interest! I certainly do thank you again for the warm thoughts!

I won’t entirely rule it out, but even KH and Rav have cut into my knitting production!

I know y’all know what I mean! :wink:

:hug:

#6

Well, I’m hitting a wall, sorta! These 8 hank/cakes are showing themselves to be very different in intensity. All 8 are the same color, however, 4 hank/cakes have more white in them, rendering a knitted piece that is more “dusty”. The other 4 are deeper, more browns.

I discovered this quite by accident (yeah, I shoulda known better :doh: ).

I was about 15" up on Piece #1 (front and back are identical)…
and was approaching the 16" point for armhole bindoffs. I was contemplating (have lots of time to ‘contemplate’ whilst knitting st st!) what to do with the upper bodice part. The region from armhole bindoffs to the neck.

So I pulled out an extra hank/cake and began to swatch the 2 pattern stitches I had in mind. Lo and behold…I could see plain as day…this hank/cake was quite a bit darker than hank/cakes for Piece #1.

Oy! :doh: What to do. What to do.

Well, I immediately yank my US10.75" needles out of Piece #1, set it to the side, and cast on for Piece #2. I’m currently alternating hanks every other RS row…that is to say, two rows with a dusty browns hank, two rows with a deeper browns hank. It is working quite nicely so far.

Will not frog Piece #1 into a beach ball size. Will pull it out as I use it for the sleeves. I will keep the nice 2" border hem for Piece #1, but the 13" of st st will have to GO.

If I had continued on my merry way, I would have had a pullover with a light ‘Front’ and a dark ‘Back’…or…worse…Front and Back being dusty browns and the Sleeves being darker browns. What a clown outfit would that be???

Anyway, this is to be expected with yarns that are natural, or kettle-dyed.
When will I ever learn? Oy vey! :eyes:

I guess I did, but since the hanks didn’t appear to be so different…I launched right into Piece #1 without a care in the world. That’ll teach me. :wall:

A QUICK simple sweater has become not-so-simple. And certainly not quick!
I hate futzing around with alternating hanks. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do, eh?

#7

Blog etiquette? Hmmm…I must have missed that post. :??

I have a blog on WordPress, and I do NOT feel obligated to post daily. I muse whenever I feel like it, which just happens to be almost every day because “life” just seems to happen to me on a daily basis. :teehee:

BUT, I read quite a few blogs, and a number of the authors do NOT post every single day. Some post once or twice a month.

I do hope you’ll consider it. You have such wonderful knitting experience. You’d have a HUGE following. In fact, I’d be the first to subscribe to your feed.

:hug:

#8

I could not have said the last couple of lines better auburnchick but I understand.

Hopefully you will consider it sometime in the future! [U]I [/U][U]would be the second to sign up![/U] :thumbsup:

#9

Love that yarn.
What kind of neck are you going to put on your sweater?
Are you going to match the cuffs to the bottom?

#10

I can’t wait to see the FO. I love that yarn. I recently finished a cardigan with some similar looking Lopi yarn.
I am rapidly becoming another one of your “fans” and yes, I would be interested in a blog too.:cheering:

#11

ArtLady,
I too would certainly sign up for your blog if you were to start one. I do understand how busy KH and Rav keep you but a blog entry does not have to be words all the time…:wink:

#12

Yes, will match [B]cuffs [/B]to the hemline border, but instead of a US10, I’ll use a
US8 or US9. Will swatch with both. Don’t want sloppy cuffs.

[B]Neck?[/B] Prolly a 2x2 rib from the pick-up row up to maybe an inch…then polish it off with a teensy st st rolled edge. Not a true rolled neck…just a topper.

At least, that’s the “plan”. That can change.

I’m very fussy about a neckline. It is so ‘visible’.

The pattern says to knit the FRONT and BACK as identical pieces…but I don’t want my front neckline to choke up on my throat so much…so I will execute the neckline shaping about 1.5" sooner than I do for the back neckline. This will allow some room for my neck to breath!

I might even do a crab stitch around the neckline…keeping it real simple.
I’ll have fun tinkering around with it.

Another modification OPTION for the Front Piece: creating a “slit” in the upper portion.

Like this:

After the armhole bindoffs, each side of the “slit” were simply knit separately,
on separate balls of yarn.

Here is the model sweater: (the blue one above is mine)

#13

The longest piece is Piece #2, with alternated hanks throughout the st st area.

The shorter piece is Piece #1, and no yanks alternated. It needs 1" more til armhole bindoffs can begin.

The pattern stitch for the upper body is a 4 row repeat:
Row 1: K1/P1 across
Row 2: knit the knits, purl the purls
Row 3: P1/K1 across
Row 4: knit the knits, purl the purls

Still more work to do on the bodice before neckline/shoulder shaping.

The shorter piece will be the Front of the sweater.
IMHO, its color characteristics are more interesting to look at.

This yarn DEFINITELY needs aggressive blocking, that is to say, WET SOAK blocking. The THICK-THIN characteristics of the yarn make some areas look lumpy. I have full faith that blocking will tame the st st spans into submission! :thumbsup:

#14

I really like this …interesting yarn,…I don’t know much about yarn but I do like the differences in the color of this one…eager to see the finished sweater.

When I have more experience I will probably be everywhere with yarn choice…not going by what the pattern calls for …now that I think about it I guess I already doing that a little!

Happy knitting! :knitting:

#15

I like the buttons at the base of the slit, nice touch.
You are probably finished but here is another option- shawl collar to show the ribbing on the neck.

#16

Thanks for the link, Freyja! I love that shawl collar pullover. I love most of the DROPS patterns!

But you are right…I’m done!

Here is the Front and the Back, as yet unblocked!


THESE 2 FINISHED PIECES HAVE SHORT-ROW SHOULDER SHAPING. They will be blocked later!

And here is me…I clipped the shoulder seams and side seams together so I could ‘try on’ for fit. I’m very happy with my neckline treatment. BTW, I will wear a black cotton tank under this pullover, so that the wool isn’t next to my skin.

This is me, in the powder room, trying it on!

I didn’t like the “fit” of the shoulder seams…so after this photo was taken, I ripped out the last 8 rows for each shoulder (all 4) and re-invented those 8 rows with the use of ‘short rows’ to shape them. (a pattern with the NEWBIE KNITTER in mind didn’t give shoulder shaping any thought…the shoulder bindoffs were straight across all 24 st, which I tried, but didn’t like)

Here is the neckline:

Those red yarns are “10 row repeat” markers. By establishing them on the first piece you knit, you can easily knit an identical piece for the other side by simply knitting the same number of rows and repeats. No measuring and re-measuring, no counting of rows, and re-counting and re-counting. Driving yourself insane. :eyes:

#17

Don’t care what you say, you’ve got gumption to do this.

It’s really awesome. Too scared to attempt one of those myself.

#18

It’s going to look great on you.:yay:

#19

I love following your exploits, Dollyce! You must be great at math, etc., as you seem to be able to figure out all kinds of things that leave me scratching my head.

My ‘gift’ is working with food. To have something come out when knitting, the pattern has to be fully there and correct. The yarn can’t give me problems, and the buttons had best jump off the shelf into my hand.

Anyway, it’s going to be a beautiful sweater, and look really good on you. Your WW program seems to be working, congratulations!

#20

your work always amazes me…that you could design and finish this within days is amazing…i hope to one day be as proficient a knitter as you…:yay: