I really need a sweater. This construction seems very interesting. I’m not doing the entrelac panel, I’m replacing it with this pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fair-isle-rapids

Originally I wanted to do this (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rustic-bodice), but it’s no longer available, so someone here on ravelry suggested I do this one instead.

2014-03-10
Swatching with Beiroa :)
Knitting flat with 3,25 mm, 3,5 mm, 4 mm, 4,5 mm and 5 mm. Then hand washing and drying and taking note of the gauge.

Pre-wash, knitting flat in stockinet stitch, 10 cm * 10 cm:
3,25 mm: 21 stitches * 30 rows
3,5 mm: 21 stitches * 30 rows
4,0 mm: 20 stitches * 29 rows
4,5 mm: 19 stitches * 27 rows
5,0 mm: 18 stitches * 26 rows

After-wash. The swatch was slightly wider and shorter after washing and drying
3,5 mm: 20 stitches * 31 rows (-3%)
4,0 mm: 20 stitches * 29 rows (0%)
4,5 mm: 19 stitches * 26 rows (-4%)
5,0 mm: 17 stitches * 25 rows (-4%)

2014-03-25 About 1/3 done

2014-04-07 One of the sleeves is almost done. I had to purl it (inside facing me), otherwise it would be too tight. It still is going to be a very tight fitting sleeve, I hope to improve this when washing and blocking. I added a “faux seam” on the body and the sleeves.

2014-04-11 I definitely will need another skein of red.

2014-04-20 Second sleeve almost done.

2014-05-03 Damn, the colour I need is sold out! Putting it aside and starting something new.

2014-10-27 I think I’m going to frog it. It’s too tight, and after the first wash, will probably be even tighter.

2014-12-21 Frogged. For two reasons. The colour I need is back but, as expected, it’s different from last year’s batch. And my row gauge was of by 3 rows so the yoke/sleeves insertion would never fit me. I’m swatching, again, going for a larger size, maybe M, and working part of the front panel pattern into the back and the sleeves, so last year’s colour will be hopefully enough (I’m using this year’s red to make the pattern).

Needle……. Prewash…..after wash……
3.50 mm: 20.5 * 30…..19.5 * 31
3.75 mm: 20 * 29.5…..19 * 29
4.00 mm: 20 * 27……..19 * 28

I’m going to use the n. 4 mm to make an S size.

2015-01-02 Almost done with the body. This yarn is great to work with n. 4 mm needles!

2015-01-06 Body done and work on one sleeve begun. I added a single white stripe on the sleeve, undulating, to mimic the pattern, as this: every second row I did an increase on one of the sides of the white stitch and a corresponding decrease on the other side. After 4 increases/decreases I knitted 4 rows without increases (securing always the white yarn underneath the red, intarsia style), and then the increases/decreases were resumed, to the opposite side, 8 times.

Body shaping: I did the decrease and increase only 4 times.

Sleeve decrease: I did the first 3 as specified, but then did the next 4 every 7th row instead of every 8th. Stopped there and only resumed the decreases when I had 96 rows of the sleeve, 3 times every 7th row. A total of 10 decreases. For the edging I changed to 3,25 mm needles and decreased until I had 36 stitches (one every five stitches, approx).

2015-01-19 begining the front pannel. To close the gap between the two sides I need 44 stitches (includes two stitches for sewing). That’s 3 repeats from the pattern, with only 2 white stripes between motifs, plus 3 stitches at each side, plus 2 stitches for sewing.

2015-01-20 washed and blocked the body today!

2015-01-26 front pannel sewed to the body. It only lacks the neck ribbing to be complete. I’m going to pick up 2 out of every 3 stitches/rows on the sides and knit it with 3,75 mm needles (smaller than that and the ribbing will be too far appart).
Also I’m going to sew up the faux seam on the body, as explained here, to reinforce the shapping: http://fringeassociation.com/2015/01/20/basted-knitting-o...
After some rows, I decreased the ribbing of the neckline on the corners, to keep the rectangular shape (double decrease, twice, on each of the four corners).

2015-02-09 I’m wearing it! I sewed up the faux seam of the body, but it still is too wide on the bottom side. I’m going to decrease the width by sewing up some of the body that is closest to the front pannel, beginning at the waste shaping.