woo, lady sweaters! a few notes on patterns, etc.
If you haven’t entered the contest for the woolgirl.com gift certificate, there’s still time! Go! Go!
Big thanks for all the kind responses to the February Lady Sweater!
If you’re interested in making a version that’s more faithful to Elizabeth Zimmerman’s original, several folks have made larger versions of the original baby sweater, by doing some serious math. I mentioned Jenny’s in my last post (could she be any cuter?), and you should also check out this super-gorgeous version. In fact, I just found out that Ravelry has a whole discussion going on about how to re-work the math for an adult size, with a few pictures of finished ones. (Shoulda known–there’s a Ravelry thread for everything.) And someone even made a grown-up version just by using superbulky yarn and the original pattern.
EZ’s original baby sweater is, of course, fucking brilliant in its construction. It has a lot of increases over a small number of rows, to create a rounded shape that will suit a wee baby’s round body. The pattern I wrote, on the other hand, is just a basic top-down raglan. This construction means that, instead of fitting a baby’s round body, it’s made to be fitted across an adult’s shoulders and upper back, then drape all swingy-like down from the bust (yeah, no, I could not get a job writing for J. Peterman). If you’re familiar with top-down raglan construction, you really don’t even need the pattern, just this one-sentence command: “knit a top-down raglan using EZ’s gull stitch pattern, with a row of 40-45 increases just above the bust.”
Finally, some folks have emailed because they’ve had problems making the raglan increases work. The issue seems to be around the phrase, “mark the next stitch.” This is not the same as “place a marker.” Rather, you mark the next stitch you knit. You can either place a marker on either side of that stitch, or slide a split ring marker through the knitted stitch, so that you know to put a m1 increase on either side of it for the raglan shaping. If you’re good at reading your knitting, you don’t even need a marker–just increase on either side of the same stitch each time. Hope this helps! (I’ll also go clarify in the pattern itself.)
I do actually have other knitting projects, too! I just started a pair of Sandra’s Charade socks in some Wollmeise sockenwolle that Kris sent me a while back.
But I’m not sure I love the striping. Should I embrace the striping? Or frog it and find a better pattern/yarn match? I beg you, be ruthless in your advice
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June 8th, 2008 at 8:15 am
[…] woo, lady sweaters! a few notes on patterns, etc. […]
June 8th, 2008 at 8:18 am
To stripe or not to stripe. You can still clearly see the pattern, and it’s lovely! May just be a personal taste thing?
June 8th, 2008 at 8:27 am
I’m sure I DO love the striping, but that’s just me. I always appreciate a bit of order.
June 8th, 2008 at 8:37 am
It’s funny, I swatched the charade socks a couple weeks ago too,a nd found that with my yarn choice it totally drowned the stitch pattern. But I was having a reealyl close look at your picture before I read your comments, and I was in love with yours! I don’t mind the striping at all, I think the colours in the stripes are subtle enough not to detract from the stitch. I say keep it, it looks like a gorgeous sock in the making!!
June 8th, 2008 at 8:49 am
(1) must subscribe to your blog. you are funneee. (2) i did misread the mark-the-stitch instruction as place-marker and was baffled when i had four stitches left over at the end of that row. and then the second time i cast on, i apparently lost my ability to count to 11, or 16, or 30. i am dum. but i figured it out and am loving it! since i don’t like to put a marker in a stitch that i then have to carry up, i just put a marker on either side of the stitch. working like a charm! and (3) i love your sock! and thanks for joining our kal group. happy to have you!
June 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am
i love the charade pattern. embrace the striping!! it looks beautiful.
June 8th, 2008 at 9:48 am
The striping looks lovely to me; it seems really subtle, but that may just be my monitor.
Also, that sweater pattern is so great. And it’s spreading like wildfire! My “friend activity” tab on Ravelry is a sea of green; it seems everyone added it immediately to their queue (myself included!). There’s even a KAL on Ravelry already started. Congrats!
June 8th, 2008 at 10:01 am
These stripes are very polite. i’m curious to see what you!
June 8th, 2008 at 10:17 am
embrace it.
June 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I love the way your Charade is looking! LOVE IT. I can really only see stripes in the ribbing.
June 8th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Love the striping! Thus far I think Charade has been my favorite pattern for dealing with striping/pooling, because unless the stripes are teeny the textured pattern shows through nicely.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I think that the striping complelments the pattern in a very good way. But when you have serious doubts, you should frog it right away, because that will mean that you will never be really happy with the endresult no matter what all your groupies say.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Embrace the colors.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am
EEE!!!
Is that the “pfeffermint prinz” colorway? I dream of knitting up a whack of socks in colors that involve mint in all of its variations (peppermint, wintermint spearmint) etc. It’s part of why I knit a washcloth out of some Patons something-or-other-in-cotton — the colorway was spearmint! I didn’t even mind the pooling.
Also, I like sweet little stripes — perhaps I’m too fuddy duddy that way?
June 8th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I think the sock looks nice, and you’re going to have trouble avoiding the striping no matter what you do. Some colorways just stripe, and I suspect that this is one of them. Stripes aren’t always bad
June 8th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Embrace it.
June 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Regarding the sock - I vote for embracing the striping. I like contrasting a vertical pattern with a horizontal element (stripes). But if that doesn’t float your boat, then by all means rip…there’s nothing worse than knitting something bugs you with each stitch.
June 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Well, I like the striping, but I don’t think it’s visible enough in that pattern of yours. What about plain stockinette along with the stripes..?
June 8th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I am not sure that you are going to be able to avoid the striping no matter what you do. In this case it is very subtle and beautiful (at least in the picture) and I would keep working it. The stitch pattern still shows, and seems to complement the striping well.
June 8th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Embrace thy stripes! I am a total fan of stripes on socks
Your sweater is lovely btw - I can see why it is a new favorite.
June 8th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Were I you, I would embrace the stripes with a fiery passion.
June 8th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I usually think variegated yarn look like barf with a schmancy stitch pattern, but I think this is subtle enough that it works. Embrace the stripe! And might I add - sweet stitch definition!
June 8th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I love the striping but that is just me!
BTW I love that when I logged on to ravelry to queue your sweater no less than 11 of my friends (on my friends tab) had done the same! Very cool!
June 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Just from looking at the photograph, I think the colourway is subtle enough not to compete with the vertical stitch pattern. It may be different in real life, but at the end of the day, once the socks are the way down there on your feet, you probably won’t notice half the things that bugged you while you were knitting them! I say keep on truckin.
June 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I love the charade - period. Please don’t change a thing - except what colorway is that? Love it! Everything Wollmeise is so rich and awesome. Your sweater is getting queued all over the place by ravelers - I love that. I searched in vain at LYS’s today for my own worsted weight to cast on - now it’s time to get serious and find someting perfect online - soon - so love that sweater!
June 8th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Embrace the striping - it’s hardly noticeable, at least in the picture. And thanks for the sweater pattern–I can’t wait to cast on! I just wish I could get my hands on some Sundara!!
June 8th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I saw the pattern before I saw the stripe. I think it is actually a good marriage!
I am so loving knitting that sweater!
E
June 8th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I managed to get through the yoke yesterday without any major troubles. Yay for lady sweaters!
June 8th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
You’re embracing your love of green lately, huh? That wollemeise is gorgeous!
June 9th, 2008 at 12:40 am
I like the stripes! On my screen they’re even, subtle, jewel-like stripes. That’s a good kind of stripe. Up to you, though - but I think whatever you do with that yarn it will probably stripe on you, and I think the simplicity of this pattern works well with the yarn.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I like ‘em!
June 9th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Embrace the stripes - they are subtle enough that when you’re standing it will look more or less a solid (with umm…shading)
Coveting the yarn.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I’m not a big fan of stripes and patterns, but these are gorgeous! Continue, continue!
June 12th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Please embrace the stripes - the colours are amazing, and look lovely with the pattern.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I. Love. Striping.
Just thought I’d cue in my opinion.
The colors are amazing.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
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