2017.09.29

I keep starting this sweater over. Fourth time now.

For 2” ease on my 43” chest, key number for me will be 260. The pattern increases 12 stitches up both the back and chest, and decreases 6 stitches from each side panel (12 stitch total difference from waist to chest). I want a hem to keep the bottom from curling up.

I thought the expressed stitches might make a good detail to replicate, but my attempts have looked awful, so skipping it.

Construction Notes

Facing: Cast on 248 on size 5 needle. Knit 2-3 rounds for facing.

Turning Round: Change to size 6 needle, p35, pm, p89, pm, p35, pm, p89 (end of round).

Body
P35, k89, p35, k89. Repeat until work is 2.5 inches from turning round.

At 2.5 inches, begin increasing front/back (k1, Inv-R … Inv-L, k1) every 20th row (~2.25 inches).

At 4 inches, begin decreasing side panels (p1, ssp … p2tog, p1) every 36th row (~4 inches).

I like about 17-17.5 inches for the body.

2017.11.04

Body at 17+ inches, so time to set it aside and work on sleeves. Pattern does ribbed, but I like hemmed.

2017.12.03

In November, I fussed with the sleeves. Didn’t like pattern, so tried to adapt, and still wasn’t happy (much too big a cuff).

Target sleeve length is 20 inches cuff to pit.
Target bicep circumference is 95 stitches.
Target cuff circumference is 49 sts.

CO 45, join in round. Knit 4 rounds, then purl for turning round. Knit rnd, increasing 4 evenly. Knit 4 rounds; in next round, join cast on edge to close hem. Knit 9 rounds plain, then work increase round.

Increase: k1, Inv-R, k to last 2 sts, Inv-L.

Work increase every 6th round 23 times (95 stitches). Work plain until sleeve is desired length.

2018.02.10

Project went into hibernation when many of my sweaters do: at the point that I need to puzzle out working the collar as I approach the shoulder. Turns out I was working the yoke decreases all wrong for what I wanted. So after ripping back to sleeve join, new plan:

1. Decrease sleeves and body every round 5 times.
2. Decrease sleeves and body every alternate round 9 times.
3. Decrease sleeves only every alternate round another 5 times.
4. Decrease sleeves only every round 5 times.

I’ll need to start worrying about that collar decoration (which I love and don’t want to discard from the plan) at the beginning of sequence 3.

2018.02.19

As planned, worked the front collar decoration during sequence 3, then followed the general Drake instructions for neck opening, etc. Finished off with twisted rib collar and tubular bind-off (which, I should remember, is frequently tighter than I’m happy with).

Generally pleased. Sweater is a little short in the body, a little long in the arms, reconfirming that I should work harder at being happy with top-down constructions.