12-27-2024

Post Blocking measurements:
-Shoulder seam to start of hem: 25” (anticipating 3”of hem)
-Armhole Depth from shoulder seam to underarm cast on: 12.5”
-Bust measured flat 27.5” for a circumference of 55”
-Sleeve length from armpit to end of cuff: 21”

Notes on version 9 of the test pattern:

Gauge swatch:
I started using Fiber and co. Amble yarn
Long tail cast on 30 stitches, Knit 2 color brioche for 30 rows.
Normally I am a tight knitter and have to size up a needle in most projects. I didn’t make gsuge on US 5, 4, 3.5, or 3. 3 was certainly the closest to gauge but I decided to change yarns at this point. Amble is a thicker fingering weight yarn which I think was influencing my gauge. It also has a bit of a halo which made my yarn contrast a bit muddy.

After switching to Malabrigo Ultimate Sock I made gauge first try with US size 4. This yarn gave crisp stitch definition but was very slippery/superwash. Snags pulled easily and the final garment grew a lot when blocked because of being such a slippery superwash.

Gauge swatch weighed 6g using 25.2 yards of yarn

Construction:
In hindsight I wish I would have switched to in the round after armpits as I knit faster that way and all of the increases and decreases happen on right side MC rows anyway. Hindsight biased.

Charts:
the charts in the Raquette are different than other brioche charts Ive worked with. I found them visually challenging to read and follow. It helped me to highlight the Right Side MC rows every even number “A” row as that is where the inc and dec are happening. I also Highlighted the middle purl column on the chart to keep me oriented. (example main chart size 6-10 column 14)

Sleeve:
I messed up where I put my decreases slightly but the number of rows matched up with the patterns requested 8 repeats for my size so I didnt tear it out and redo it.
First sleeve dec after 15 rows x3, dec after 14 rows x4 brknit another 4 rows before switching to the cuff.

Cuff:
Downsizing the needle to size 1 made my cuffs very dense and heavy. I had to knit 60 rows to get the 4.5” requested in the pattern. If I knit this sweater again, I would use a 2 or 2.5 needle for the cuff.

01-01-2025

Natasha’s Measurements
140cm bust 55”
127cm waist 50”

I will knit size 7 which needs
1630 yards main
1180 yards contrast

Natasha’s sweater that she likes the fit of:
27” long top of shoulder to hem
27” wide when flat
18” sleeve length from armpit

03-13-2025

Pattern Clarity feedback:
Construction:
I found the note from the designer to be a little confusing. All of the increases and decreases happen on right side MC rows so I’m not sure why it would make a difference to be knit flat or in the round. Unless your purl side tension is different so you notice the change from having MC switching from knits to purls flat to all MC stitches being knit round.

Charts
I have worked with other brioche charts before, but have never encountered one like is used in the Raquette Pullover with all of the U’s. I found it to be visually confusing and busy. To make it easier to follow, I highlighted the right side MC rows, as they were the only rows that had inc/dec in them. It also helped me to highlight the center purl row of the chart so I had a visual reference point to orient my stitches around.

Sleeve:
The first note describes how often we decrease, for the larger size its every 14 rows. Then in the written instructions on the same page it has us work 15 rows then do the decrease on the 16th row. Were you intending every size to work the first decrease on the 16th row and then subsequent decreases every 14 or 15 rows depending on the size? It feels like the two instructions are contradicting each other.

04-04-2025

I’m a tight knitter and felt that the cuffs on a size 1 were too dense, so I did the Collar on size 4 and the hem on size 3. Bound off the hem with an icelandic bind off