WIP "shortsleeved lace sweater, low neckline, wrapped on front"

What'cha Knittin'?
1

I’ve decided to try my hand on something I can actually see myself wear on an everyday occasion:

I’m not sure how to call this in English though. Is it a sweater? Is it a vest? I guess it is a sweater as you can’t open it up and you might argue that it just has a deep cut neckline… Do you have a certain name for this type of garnment?
[COLOR=“Blue”]EDIT: I’ll go for: “shortsleeved lace sweater, low neckline, wrapped on front”[/COLOR]

I started with the yarn, determined to use up my leftovers. However, I do not have anything thick enough for #5 (pattern) needles, so I need to use 2 strands. I figured green/blue would pair beautiful with white, but I also tried grey as I cannot really see myself using that for anything… As I had 2 colours, I figured it would be a waste of time to knit them both on the same size of needles when I wasn’t even sure of the gauge, so I also tried #6:

Surprisingly, I like the grey version better. And the gauge of the #6 needle is closer to the one required, though I did try a #7 to really get there but I did not like how the lace turned out so I quickly frogged it. I guess I’ll have to do quite some calculating on this one :cool:

As a cast on, I used the long tail but as it starts with ribbing I (for the first time) also used the PURL long tailcast on. I’m quite happy with it, but I haven’t managed to take a picture which really shows how it looks so you’ll just have to take my word for it :wink:

I had some help with the increases after the rib, thanks again Salmonmac. :cheering: In the end, kfb was the best way to go.

I am knitting the backside and tried to put the lace pattern exactly in the middle to make it symmetrical, but this turned into a problem with the stitches on the side so I decided to just start the pattern on the left and break it of halfway on the right. The lace-pattern is quite easy and has 6 stitches. I am a bit troubled about the increases for the sleeves, as I need to increase on every 2nd needle and need to keep the lacepattern going without making a mess of the sides… I think that will be a challenge.

I am not sure yet about the size of the thing. For starters: I swear I knitted 9cm of ribbing (measured and counted), but when I remeasured the next day it turned out to be only 8?! As I feared: I’m not good at keeping the gauge NOR measuring :hair: I just do 1cm more of lace pattern for now, but I’d like to avoid this in the future, any ideas?! Apart from only measuring after letting the work “rest” a bit…

As for the width: no clue. I can measure it as 38cm and 44cm, really depending on how I stretch it and whether or not it draws back in (which differs). I’m just hoping for the best and relying on my gauge and stitch count :angelgrin:

2

This is going to be lovely, no matter what you call it. I agree, the grey swatch looks to have a lighter, lacier appearance that will give the drape that you see in the model.
Usually the instructions are to measure the width slightly stretched, whatever that means. I think that when you block this you’ll have some leeway as to the width. The blocking will open up the lace pattern, too.
I measure on a smooth surface such as a glass top table to try to let the knitting relax and give me the truest measurement, if that helps.

3

Thank you. I do have good hopes for the blocking :wink: Never done that seriously before though, or at least not to get a certain size so that will also be exciting :cool:

I indeed measure it on a smooth surface (varnished wooden table) and I think I’m at my 22cm for the increased stitches now. Again, I’ve studied the increases but I am not much wiser as to which one to use :sad: Too much variables. I’ll just go for trail and error… I’ve got a lifeline in case it all goes sour. :frog:

Part of the problem is that the increasing happens while trying to maintain the lace pattern. So I do not just need to increase in stockinette, but also f.ex. next to a yarn over. I do alwayse have an edge stitch, but I don’t want to increase in it as it is so loose (slipped on one row, knitted on the other). I know that in the end anything will work, but it is slightly annoying that there isn’t ONE RIGHT WAY. I guess this gives you some freedom, but I’m just not ready for it :pout:. There are too much choices to make.
How hard is it to give a recommended cast on, increase method, decrease method and bind off per pattern?! Cause all of those are missing on this one, and it wasn’t free :gah:

So, now my rant is done and I’ll go on knitting. I guess I’ll just see what kfb looks like. I’m a bit worried about the second stitch looking like a purl, but we’ll see whether that matters. In the end, the lace pattern does have a lot of purls…

All this fuss about increases one won’t hardly notice while wearing the sweater :eyes: :wink: But if I do it, I want to do it right :cool:

4

I finished my first set of increases. Not too happy about it, but it ain’t too shabby either. It does seem that the matter of increase isn’t too important, but rather how to incorporate it in the ajour pattern.

On the right

You can see I also increased by NOT knitting stitches together, but this made the pattern wider and I think this might actually stand out more…

On the left

Now I need to increase 2 stitches per 2 rows instead of just 1. I have already increased with 6 sts, which is exactly a pattern (on the right). To increase 2 sts in the pattern could be done by not knitting 3ptog but just 3p. However, I think this’ll show to much, so I’m going for m1 to the right and then do the other inc on the WS by knitting 2 sts into the yo of the lace pattern. Then I’ll have to increase 2sts AGAIN in the next row (as increases are every other row), but I’ll see that when I get there for I can’t quite wrap my head around it… It’s quite the puzzle! I really wish I was more experienced or the directions were more row-by-row. :eyes:

I’ve really become to respect people who knit sweaters :cheering:

5

You do have to make this up as you go along. I like the look of stockinette for these increases since it’s sometimes difficult to work them into a pattern stitch. Also, when there are several increases, it helps me to keep the knit fabric loose along the line of increases. Usually they’ll fall along a seam and it makes it easier to sew together at the end too. I think your increases look good and are working well as you’re doing them.

6

I’ve done what I intended to do, but somehow I ended up with NO increases on the left side… I know I did a m1 there, for I purled it! :wall: But for some reason, I have 8 increases on one side (as I should) and only on the other while it should be symmetrical. I really have absolutely no idea where it went wrong. None whatshowever.

Right:

The purple thread gives the beginning of the Original Pattern (so without Edge Stitch). The green thread I used to count the stitches: it switches side every 10 sts, from left to right. Should be 100 now, but as you see there are only 98 (started with 84).

Left:

Again, the green thread marks 10 stitches. The red thread marks where the 82 stitches from the Original Pattern should end, counted from the right (84 - 2 edge sts). I tried to define this by using the pattern (1/2 lace pattern at the left end, the picture just shows the 1k2p near the end) but this proved to be quite tricky…

DOES ANYBODY SEE WHERE I WENT WRONG? If so, I think you deserve a medal, for I really doubt it is visible on these pictures (if it is visible at all).

WHAT TO DO I could frog it and try again, but I think I’m just gonna try and cover it up… those few millimetres (or is it millimeters?!) won’t ruin it, will they? But it will bug me, That’s for sure… So maybe I’ll take it all out after all…

7

That’s a very pretty top and I agree with the grey colour in preference to the blue too.

8

:frog: Frogged it :frog:

:cheering: Hooray for lifelines

EDIT I just spent 3 hours knitting-frogging-knitting-frogging… Not because it was difficult, but because I forgot an increase or a yo in the lace pattern :wall: In the end, I’ve got 6 more rows ready, half from what I thought to easily get done in that time :sad: Oh well, still progress :cheering:

9

What a pretty sweater. I am sure yours will be beautiful

10

@nonny2t: Thank you, but I’ll have to wait and see. Right now I’m quite surprised by the fact that nearly every line of this pattern makes me wonder what they mean EXACTLY :wall: They do leave much to the imagination…

I’m nearly done with the back-part. I just need to decrease the top of the shoulders, but I’ve got some trouble with figuring out how exactly to bind off… I need to decrease stitiches by binding off, which seems clear enough. But I don’t see how I can do this [B]on both sides of the needle[/B]. I mean, if I do it at the end I can’t knit on anymore!?! That’s a puzzle I need to figure out before I can go on.

11

You bind off the shoulder stitches, knit the rest of the row. Turn your work and bind off the shoulder stitches on the purl side finish the row.

12

I finished the back:

Thank you all for the ideas on the bind off! In the end, I used short rows, which I think went best with the lace pattern. See this thread for details.

I’ll have to wait till Saturday before I can start on the front. I’m really looking forward to seeing this come together. :cool:

13

Your back looks great! Now on to the fronts. Keep us posted on it. it will be a great addition to your wardrobe.

14

Front is done on one side, I need to do the left now…

But I first have to make up my mind about the best way to pick up the stitches. I still have a lifeline running through that part, I wonder whether I could use that…

15

I saw your question in another thread, and the reply. I wonder if you could could cast on the required number of stitches and after knitting that portion stitch it in place at the back. I think it would show less than picking up stitches. Of course, picking them up in front and reversing the overlap would work too and I think salmonmac suggested that. If you pick up stitches in the back could you do it in the very top row of the band below the lace portion?

16

I did go for picking up the stitches at the back, through the loops of the purled row:

It is a bit contracted, but I hope that will even out (might have to block it, will that help?). I didn’t think that any of the other methods (brilliant as they might be! Really good suggestions) would look better and now we’ll never know…

It is unpractical to knit with the right front hanging by, so I made a roll out of it :cool:

17

[COLOR=“Purple”]Looks really nice so far! Can’t wait to see the finished project!!![/COLOR]

18

Update:
I finished this garnment at the beginning of October and have worn it a couple times since.

It turned out to be easy to put together due to the slipped stitches. The seam on the shoulders is a bit thick though: I really don’t see how I can sew it together so the sew becomes another row; I just have to draw both sides tightly together to make it look right… the seam does prevent the garnment from stretching too much :cool:

It fits quite well. The front part is a bit bulky though: If I ever were to knit this again, I’d stretch the “crossover” over more stitches… I think… though I’m not sure that would give me a better result…

I’ll post a picture when I’ve got my camera :slight_smile:

19

It is a beautiful stitch pattern

20

I would call that a light sweater vest. Pretty and feminine.