October 11, 2017

My gauge for the lambswool using 2.5mm needles is 8sts per inch so I making a combo of the S and M sizes and making my adjustments for fit. I used the 2.25mm needles for the collar and inside hems.

I am making my front ribbing 21 stitches wide with the outer stitch on either side as a selvedge stitch. So, 1 selvedge and then k1p1 x 10.

I am knitting this from the bottom up in one piece. For that reason, I am also using the side seam detail that I used on the Special Dean to give the side seam a bit of an interruption and some detail. This involves two twisted stitches which are basically a 1x1 cable with each stitch knitted thru the backs.

I am also shaping this garment differently from the original and the pattern that was written for it. Just my preference, but I will do a slight waist shaping whereas the original starts off narrower at the hips and grows gradually with increases at the sides up to the bust line.

I started as such: Using provisional cast on (over a spare cable needle instead of spare yarn), CO 327 sts. This translates as 21 right front ribbing, 66 right front, 153 back, 66 left front, 21 left front ribbing. At 8 sts per inch, this translates into 40.875 inches but I know the ribbing sts pull in a bit more than this so I am pleased.

These 327 stitches were cast on using a 2.5mm needle and a spare cable. After cast on, switch to working needle 2.25mm for facing.
Work 10 rows stockinette with the first row being RS, knit.
Row 11 (RS): purl across, placing markers at side seams and if desired at front ribbing sections.
Row 12 (WS): Switch to 2.5mm needles and resume stockinette, purl across.
Row 13 (RS): Begin 21 sts ribbing pattern at front edges, making sure to incorporate selvedge st at beg of each row. Work 2 twisted sts at each side marker. Work a total of 9 rows in pattern, ending at row 20 (WS).

Next row, incorporate live stitches held on spare cable needle to work one stitch from each needle (like a three needle bind off but with no binding off) until all stitches have been incorporated onto the main needle. (This means a little fussiness with the ribbing and the twisted stitches but do keep it in pattern.)

Next row, WS, continue with 2.5mm needle. Work 2 rows and then work first button hole on right front ribbing. I worked 9 stitches, and used Barbara Walker’s self-reinforced, one row button hole, also found on p. 74 Poems of Color . In this case, I bound off 4 and cast on 5. My button holes are worked every three inches which is approximately the same as the original garment. The original has an upper buttonhole that is just before the collar starts. It is practically useless but I went ahead and added it which makes for a total of 7 buttons.

I started waist shaping after garment measured 5” from bottom of hem. Work across right front to 3 stitches before twisted side sts. SSK, K1, twist 2, K1, K2tog. Repeat this decrease at other side marker. Decrease for waist every 12 rows, 4X. After last waist decreases were completed I knitted 2 inches before making corresponding increases. I did these with a M1R and M1L which are practically invisible.

Completed 2 sets of decreases as of today; piece measures a little more than 6.5” from bottom of hem.

October 13, 2017

Making a little headway as I needed to start 2nd skein of yarn and have completed 3 button holes. Just at center of waist, approx. 8.5” from bottom hem line.

October 16, 2017

4th button hole completed. 12” from hemline and 4 more inches to go before armholes.

October 18, 2017

Completed 5th button hole, now 15 inches from hem. Looking more carefully at unusual raglan sleeve shaping and realize this is a combination of a set-in and a basic raglan that could easily be converted to a saddle shoulder situation.

October 20, 2017

Started first sleeve, bottom up in the round. CO 64 sts on 2.5mm needles. Change to 2.25mm and worked 10 rounds for hem, purl one round, change to 2.5mm needles and work 10 rounds with 2 twisted stitches in place of a “seam” which will continue up the under arm. Because this is in the round, twisted sts EOR. Begin increases every 10th round one stitch outside of the twisted stitches. After 6th pair of increases, increase every 12th round.

October 23, 2017

Finished first sleeve and attached to body with success. Started second sleeve.

October 25, 2017

Finished second sleeve and attached to body. Dealing with multiple needles at once to help span the connections of sleeves to body. Will work one WS row before beginning raglan decreases.

October 31, 2017

Finished the raglan shaping of upper body which was sleeves and fronts/back. Worked 1.5 inches of ribbing on existing ribbed areas as well as picked up stitches for fronts and back. I have great concerns about yarn quantity but crossing fingers that I will have enough to get thru the collar. Tried on and pleased with it so far.

November 3, 2017

Finished knitting last night but I left the weaving ends to the light of day as well as tackling the attachment of the shoulder section of sleeve to body. I was quite worried about the yarn amount for the MC but had exactly 23 grams of MC leftover as well as enough bits of colored yarn to not have been worried about that. I am very pleased with the outcome and will order buttons from Benno’s today.

I found two small errors in the chart/pattern which I will report to Pernille for correction.

November 9, 2017

Buttons sewn and label attached. After all of the knitting, these two tasks always seem more fiddly than the rest!