Archive of Thread: My Sweater Preparing me for a Knit It Now Sweater - Peppermint Pullover Back

2 years ago

I have been working on a sweater from my Craftsy Class before I do the Knit It Now Peppermint Pullover. 

I have the front and back of the Craftsy Class sweater completed. I learned a lot while doing it. I am pretty good at undoing rows and setting my row counter back for each row removed, �. Even though I had to do that, only when shaping the shoulder, I learned what I did wrong, for one thing. But, my main issue was trying to keep track of which row I was on as far as how many needles to put in hold. The directions were not written in a way that it was easy to go by the directions. I actually rewrote them so each row was written separately and I checked them off. For instance, the directions said to place 2 needles in hold at the neck edge and kwk 2. Then it said to place 1 needle in hold at the neck edge 4 times. Wording similar to that. The row number was mentioned a couple times. I rewrote it.

After I got into my rhythm, I was fine. I was 2 rows short on the right shoulder, but the needle count was right. I just stitched 2 rows, being confident the left shoulder would match the directions. 😉. My left shoulder row and needle count dis end lut correct as per instructions, yippee! I actually discovered what I missed in the right shoulder, lesson learned. I think I discovered it in the left shoulder because I was familiar with what I was going to have to do.

Lifeline - I did the waste yarn lifeline at row 70, the place the neck and shoulder shaping started. It was a lifeline because of the number of times I had to undo the shoulder shaping part of the right side. I need to remember to add this lifeline wherever I think I will need it in a project. 

I wa able to rehang the shoulder edge, catching t stitches on each side and knit across one row, including all the neck needles, I did have the correct number of needles after adding the six on each side. I knit across and then scrapped off as the directions said.

I have to make the sleeves. I don't have enough of this yarn color, but I do have a different color of this same yarn, I will use that for the sleeves and collar. I don't think I have enough of this lavender color used for the front and back to add a wide or narrow stripe of it on each sleeve to bring the colors together more, but this is a practice sweater, so I won't worry about it. One of my little granddaughters is like a little Punky Brewster, she picks very strange clothing combinations, and mismatched socks, so this sweater will be right up her alley.

I am having fun, and learning a lot. I really love short rowing. I just have to remember to tighten the stitches at the neck edge when short rowing to eliminate gapping stitches there. I was able to tighten a couple up when I picked up 6 stitches, but they are still a little gappy, I will call them picots. They are a feature, not lose stitches. 

I will post a photo of the practice sweater when I am finished.

2 years ago
Cynthia,
It sounds like you are doing great! 
You are discovering that not all knitting patterns are created equal and you need to do what makes sense to you.

Once upon a time, shoulder shaping might have been written (4-2-5, 3-2-6)
Translated: decrease 4 stitches every 2 rows 5 times AND 3 stitches every 2 rows 6 times.

There were lots of variations on this, and there was no standardization. Plus, you might want to use automatic short row shaping which changes things a bit.

You are smart to make your own chart and plan your shaping BEFORE you start to knit. Visualize where the carriage is going to start and know what you are going to be doing ahead of time.

Keep up the good work!

2 years ago
Thanks. I have learned a lot here and find a lot of encouragement. 

These instructions are pretty much paragraph style, which does not suit me well. I have a note pad beside me. I will put my rewritten notes with the pattern because I like this sweater pattern and might try some patterning with it later. That will remind me to re-write.

2 years ago
I have finished the pre-Peppermint Pullover sweater. This is the sweater from the Craftsy class. It is a very good class and a wonderful addition to what I find here.

 

The line of tight stitches, upper right where the shaping starts is my issue. I pulled a yarn string when cutting all those dangling yarns, and it tightened stitches. I could  not loosen them up without doing a lot of stretching of the sweater. I decided to leave as is. It was the first row of knitting there and I had to attach a new yarn end. That is what I pulled. Live and learn. 

 

I like the combination of rolled and rib. 

As you can tell, I still have issues at the neck/shoulder. I can do short rowing, it is putting that into use in an actual sweater and adding the shoulder shaping and then adding the collar. I had no problem picking up stitches, worked beautifully. 

I also have issues stitching where the sides cross the armhole, and the shoulder and collar (probably related to issues I have in that area).  I did the mattress stitch on the side and sleeve seams. All sections matched up. Where the ribbing started on the front, it also started on the back. They all were the same lengths. 

These photos are after I lightly pressed, just to flatten the seams to take the photos. It is acrylic yarn and really, I can't tame it, too much pressing ruins it. I am going to wash it the next time I wash some sweaters.

I will do the Peppermint Pullover next, a small size, and use my better yarn. Some of my issues is this fuzzy slippery yarn, I can feel it, but the mechanics of the neck area are my issues. Those issues will, or might, be easier to tackle with my better quality Tamm yarns. They feel much better. I think yarn I used above, is better suited for blankets, but it is what was available when I blight it, that was not too skinny or bulky.

I was pleased that I had no jams or dropped stitches or a hard time sliding the carriage across. The new machine was much better. If I was more experienced and knew more about fixing up a machine that needs adjusting, I could have done that and continued with the KX350. I think that, for me, using a new machine to learn on was the best course. 

I did learn that instructions written in paragraph style are hard to follow. I rewrote them to be similar to the patterns we get here, on Knit it Now.

2 years ago

I need to make a correction about the sweater I am preparing to make. I stated I was making the sweater pictured above in preparstion to knit the Peppermint Pullover Sweater. I meant to say the Prickly Pear Pullover, otherwise know as You 2nd Sweater. 

There is a terrific course for this sweater, 

https://www.knititnow.com/challenge/64/course/your-nd-sweater

There are terrific videos for neckline, shoulder, etc with this course and the sweater, although looking simple, uses a lot of techniques beginners need to know. 

After we learn these techniques and can make this sweater with ease, this pattern will allow us to use other techniques, like patterning, change up the curled hems and cuffs to ribbing, picots, etc, or a combination.

So, I will be swatching my better yarn to make the Prickly Pear, or Your 2nd Sweater, not the Peppermint Pullover.

Sorry for the confusuon.