19-01-2022

This pattern is beautifully written and the cardigan construction is as efficient as can be. The finished object is quietly elegant but in a comfortable way.

I’ve opted to make a modified size 2 - Size 2 in the shoulders and arms (update - I changed arms to Size 3, see below) grading to Size 4 at the full bust (188st) and then grading back to the Size 3 on the body (under the bust) (178st).

Grading from Size 2 (Shoulders/Arms) to Size 4 at the Full Bust: I opted to do increases such that, at 7.25” in armscye depth, when I split for the sleeves, I had 172st on the needles:

• Fronts - 45 st each (this includes 4 of the 8 underarm stitches cast on)
• Back - 82 stitches (this includes 8 underarm stitches, 4 on each side)
• At this point I put 50st on holders for each arm.
• Note that, based on my row gauge, I had to work 4 more rows before splitting for the sleeves than instructed but I did not increase the sleeve circumference during these, as 50st creates the right circumference for my arms. In these extra rows, on the RS, I increased 10 st - 2 on each front and 2 on the back, which is how I got to 45st on each front and 82st on the back.

To get to 188st - 39.5” - I needed to increase 16 additional stitches within 2” because my full bust is ~2 inches below the split for sleeves. I did this by:

• Working 1 RS row with 2 st increased on each front - one at the band and one at the side body. (176st) - 47st on each front and 82st on back
• Then doing 6 more increase rounds on each RS - one row inc a stitch on either front at the band and the next RS row increasing a stitch on either side front body. In retrospect, I could have done both increases on a RS row and then left out one RS row but I was working this out as I knit so this was my best on-the-fly approach. (188st) - 53st on each front and 82st on back

I’ve opted to keep 82st on the back body (17”) because my back is narrow and I need the extra volume over the full bust. Arguably I might have stopped at 80st, the width of the size 3 but didn’t think of that and I was concerned about not having enough length from split for sleeves to full bust to simply do front body increases (on the front band and side fronts). The size 4 instructs 84st for the back body.

Waist Shaping / Grading to Size 3: Once I’d worked below the under bust (just above natural waist), I had to decide whether I wanted to do waist shaping for 3-4” before once again increasing to 39.5” OR to maintain the waist decreases to the 178st count (Size 3) from under bust to body hem. At the hips, I don’t want something super fitted but I also don’t want something that hangs away from my body because my bust is projected. Update: I opted to do the waist shaping but NOT to re-increase stitches after waist decreases because I feel there will be enough ease given the 4” of front band width that will be knitted on.

For future reference: As of 4” below the split for sleeves, I was ~1.5” from the under bust (holding the fabric/tape measure along the contour of my breast to ensure that length to accommodate projection was accurately determined. A top-down sweater gets heavier as it gets longer so some of required length will be achieved, in the end, by the overall weight of the sweater.

Shape waist as follows:

• When initially increasing to a full bust measurement of 39.5”/188 st, I added most of the stitches onto the front body panels - some at the front band and some at the side body (at the underarm once the sleeve spit occurred). As such, I’ll only do the decreases on the front body - and I’ll centre them so that they look like darts.
• At 5.5” from armscye, I’ll decrease about 2” / 10st and continue to work plain till the ribbing:

RS Dec Row 1: Knit to 2 stitches before first marker (at centre front), ssk, slip marker, knit to the fourth marker (at centre front), slip marker, k2tog, knit to end. (2 st decreased)

Next 3 rows - WS, RS, WS: Work plain

Repeat these 4 rows 4 more times (10st in total decreased)

Work even for till ribbing.

For future reference, should I need a quick primer on how to increase at the front centre panel, in accordance with and following centred decreases on a top down cardigan worked flat:

RS Inc Row 1: Knit to 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, slip marker, knit to next marker, slip marker, ssk, knit to end

Next 3 rows - WS, RS, WS - Work plain

Body Length: At 12.5” from under arm, I’ve decided to knit straight for ~1 more inch (8R) and then, as instructed, 2”/ 14R in rib on the smaller needles. That’s slightly shorter than the pattern instructs but I’m short and this will land at the widest part of my hips, the length I’m going for.

Body Weight (before sleeves and collar): 269g / 44% of the yarn I have. As the sleeves will be made in the Size 2, I esitmate that they will take no more than ~400y/180g (remember fingering yarn is being held double to achieve DK-weight or 180g would give me 775y of yarn). That’ll leave me about 158g for the collar (341 yards of yarn held double). I hope that’s enough!

Shawl Collar Short Rows: Since I wanted to knit the collar (it intrigued me) and I didn’t want to run out of yarn after doing the sleeves (which can be adjusted for length), I started with the collar rather than the sleeves. I opted to go for a collar that was midway between the smaller and larger - 5.5” achieved by short rows before knitting the final 2” straight. (Should be 7.5” at the neck, in the end, presuming I knit 2” straight, and I might go a bit less wide - Update: I went to 1.75” and it is in proportion). I wouldn’t want the collar to be any deeper at the back neck. For future reference, I had 56st from the end of short rows to the bottom of the hem on each side of the sweater fronts which hits about an inch below the full bust. Note that I did shorten the sweater by 0.5” and my proportions are likely different from the pattern, as written, given that I modified the sizing.

I wonder if I’d also like a longer but shallower (at the neck) collar. I think this could be achieved by going to 3st between short rows (vs the 2 recommended) after having done some of the first short rows with 2st between them.

In the end I used 76g of yarn to make the collar (see math below) - so I used less than anticipated. I now have 262g remaining to make the sleeves (131g per sleeve - 566y per sleeve but that will be held double so I’ve got 283y per sleeve). I think that will be enough but time will tell…

Math to determine yarn quantity used in the shawl collar: (Total Yarn) 607g - (Yarn remaining after collar) 262g = (Total amount used on body and collar) 345g - (Amount used to make the body) 269g = (Amount used to make the collar) 76g

Sleeves: I’m starting the first one with a ball of 69g (double stranded). Let’s see if this can knit a full sleeve…

Size Adjustment I realized, after knitting most of the first sleeve, that the size 2 (58st CO) was slightly too snug for my liking at the underarm and upper arm because I’ll be wearing a shirt underneath this garment. So I ripped it out and started again by picking up 12 st at the underarm (to get to 62st or the size 3 arm circumference). There was no difficulty finding the space at the underarm for the extra stitches.

I’ve changed the rate of decrease because, for the first time in memory, my vertical circular knitting has a different gauge than my back and forth knitting. As such, I’m getting row gauge of 6-6.5R per inch, not 7st per inch (and the pattern calls for 7.75R per inch so I’m very far from that).

To get to approx 14” before beginning the 4” garter rib cuff, I have 84 rounds to work with (and potentially a few more). I can choose either to go to a cuff of 40 st (aligned with the size 3) or a cuff of 36 st (aligned with the size 2). That doesn’t leave me a lot of wiggle room so I’m going to go with the version that takes me from 62st to 36st (26st decreased/13 decrease rounds) over 84R. If I want to stop at 40st, I can do that and just knit straight for a few extra rows. Update: I decreased to 36st and that got me to 13.5” in the end as my gauge was 6.75st per inch.

Sleeve:

CO 62st and work 84R (14” at my gauge) as follows:

• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (60st)
• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (58st)
• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (56st)
• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (54st)
• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (52st)
• Work 6 rounds, on the 7th round decrease 2 st (50st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (48st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (46st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (44st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (42st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (40st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (38st)
• Work 5 rounds, on the 6th round decrease 2 st (36st)

84 rounds = 13.5”

Then knit 4” of garter rib as instructed on the US 5 needle. If I need to knit more than 4” (~32R) to get to the desired length, then I’ll keep on. Update: In the end I did 48R of rib - almost 6” - to get to my desired length.

I appear to have used 55g of yarn to make the first sleeve - less than I would have imagined given that they are full length. That’s 238yards held double or 119y for the sleeve (if I’d used one strand of DK-weight yarn).

Measurements Pre-Blocking:

Underarm to hem: 16.25”
Circumference at bust (without band overlap): 39.5”
Circumference at hem (without band overlap): 38”
Circumference at cuff: 6.5” (block to 7.5”)
Circumference at bicep: 12” (block to 12.5”)
Armscye depth: on diagonal - 8” / vertically - 7”
Length of sleeve from underarm to cuff: 19.25”
Depth of collar at back neck: 6.3”
Depth of collar band below short row section: 1.5”
Length - back neck to hem: 23.5”

Measurements Post-Blocking:

Underarm to hem: 15.5”
Circumference at bust (without band overlap): 40”
Circumference at hem (without band overlap): 38”
Circumference at cuff: 7.5”
Circumference at bicep: 11”
Armscye depth: on diagonal - 9.5” / vertically - 6.5”
Length of sleeve from underarm to cuff: 19”
Depth of collar at back neck: 6”
Depth of collar band below short row section: 1.25”
Length - back neck to hem: 23”

FInal Thoughts:

• This is a delightful knit. It’s very straight-forward. It’s chic but simple, easy to wear, cozy and the instructions are great. I unreservedly recommend the pattern and my standards are high.
• I appreciate that it’s drafted in 11 sizes that are reasonably close in dimension to support incremental grading between sizes to optimize fit - and to give a greater range of body sizes the opp to look great in this sweater.
• I love the inclusion of a schematic. (At this point, if I know a sweater pattern doesn’t come with a schematic, I generally won’t bother with it.)
• The yarn I used is a terrific match for the design. It’s very soft (next to skin - though in a rustic way) but it holds its structure while not being stiff. The colour somehow actually radiates. Note that the fibre bled a lot of dye when wet-blocked. After numerous water washes, there was still enough dye in the sweater to transfer to a towel.
• Also, this yarn went a far way - though, in my size, I should have used (according to the instructions) somewhere between 1300y-1425y (given that I altered the pattern). But, held double, I used 1963 yards, which amounts to 980 yards of DK yarn to make something in the range of the 2nd or third size. The estimated yardage was MUCH higher than required in my experience. But I’m more surprised that I used so little yarn than that the sweater instructions may have vastly overestimated the amount required because this sweater is not small - just based on the depth of the collar and the full length sleeves.
• This yarn did shrink slightly in all ways which is in conflict with what all 3 of my swatches indicated should happen. This still fits, though the arms are snugger than I’d prefer. I’m pretty sure they’ll relax with wear.