# First sweater...



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Some of you know I've been learning to knit. I started with hats, then scarfs. Now I'm knitting my first sweater.

I had watched a youtube video on making a "super bulky sweater" and thought I followed it strictly. However, when the front was completed I discovered the extended side of the sleeve was under the arm and, for some reason (have no idea), the entire front was small enough for a child when it was a pattern for a grown man. This told me somehow I missed something the video had told me to do. So I went back and re-watched it. Nope! I had done all it said as it said. The lady actually had the extended side of the sleeve under the arm.

Ok, so I drew myself a pattern, made some swatches with the yarn I'm using and took the entire thing out so as to start over!

I posted the specifics asking for critique in another thread...








The picture above is what I've done so far on the front of this new sweater. 

I had WATCHED *carefully *where each row was taking me and discovered I could get the extended part of the sleeve on the upper part of the sleeve (next to the shoulders) by simply tying off the thread and moving a new loop to the other side. (I'm using a 41-peg "round" loom.) By watching closely I was able to get the neck up next to the shoulders and looking quite well. Then after I was about 5 inches into the 2nd sleeve I discovered it was going to be attached to the ENTIRE "side"...(The video had not told me to "cast off" before starting the sleeve; and in my naivete I didn't even think of doing so.) Thus I had to take all those stitches out and put the entire thing back onto the loom. WHAT A CHORE THAT WAS! I did manage to do it. Then I started casting off the stitches, stopping back at the correct peg where the under-arm had started on the other side. Now I could work the sleeve. That is where I am now. I will "decrease" one stitch every 8th row (on the upper part of the sleeve) until I'm back at the original 12 pegs the other sleeve was started with. Then I will knit the back part of the sweater following these same steps only not making the neck quite as low.

With this pattern and this particular loom, I will need to make an addition to the bottom of the sweater as it will not be long enough. I will also need to put some type of "cuff" on each sleeve; and I'm wanting to put a similar pattern around the entire neck...once the two sides (front and back) are joined.

I'm in a quandary as to joining the back to the front and, thus, am wondering if the back is suppose to be knitted backward...ummmmm doing just the opposite as what I did for the front so, when I do put them together, the good side of the sweater parts will wind up on the outside of the completed sweater....if you know what I mean. OR can I simply knit the back of the sweater exactly as I did the front and, when completed, lay them next to each other with the same side up and then just fold one over onto the other. Will this work? OR Will I wind up with the good side of one of the pieces on the inside of the sweater???


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I vote to unravel it all and start over.

When you start over you will probably be able to see what went wrong the first time.

Trying to add here and dab there is only going to make a mess and you won't learn from it.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Here is the front and back of this sweater. I've put them together and they go together nicely. 

I will still need to complete one of the sleeves on the back and then I'll need to lengthen both the back and front. After that I'll find some way of connecting the front to the back.

Then I will create some type of cuff on each sleeve, a similar pattern to cuff on the neck and a similar pattern on the bottom of the entire sweater. ROFL 

Yes, Maura, I've taken this sweater apart several times....lol This has been quite a learning experience for me. I've learned NOT to follow instructions to the letter, to watch where I put the neck, to COUNT the rows. ROFL I've enjoyed every minute of this, even the unraveling.......*"I just love it when a plan comes together"







*


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I have a question about this sweater specifically; however, it could be considered a general question about all sweaters.

I used a different color of yarn and sewed the front and back together along the sides as well as on both shoulders so I could slip it on and see if it is fitting. I actually made it for a man; however, I love the way it fits me in that it is nice and loose without being baggy. Even the length is just right should I decide to keep it for myself because I could work in it during the winter without its interferring in whatever I'm doing. (The length as is comes to just below my waist.)

The only problem I found was the shoulders are too far apart. They are not too wide. Just too far apart due to the many rows I had to use to create the neck. Now I like the neck in that it is just right (not too low and not too high to feel good); so how do I bring the shoulders together without ruining the....ummmm circumference??.....of the neck (where it slips over my head)? Right now the neck is 32 rows with decreases and increases in the front every 3rd row and only 4 total of these decreases/increases in the back.

I don't want the neck any lower (meaning I cannot decrease/increase) and if I take out rows, it would make the chest area smaller and that would not be comfortable. So I'm thinking out loud now...brainstorming as I use to call it...What if I shortened the neck from 32 rows to somewhere around 20 rows, putting those rows in the shoulders? It would bring the shoulders closer to my neck and would not take any size away from the chest area. It would, however, make the neck "hole" of the sweater smaller. Thus, I'm wondering if I could then even get the sweater over my head......Yes right now it slips over my head with room to spare....any ideas???


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

Not sure how you are with math...but there's a few general someone already did the work formulas you can look at to try to sort things? For how many rows to shorten the neck...It should work, and if frogging isn't painful for you (sometimes its the way to go...other times oh how I weep when I realize I must frog something), you could try it and see how it goes?

http://tutorials.knitpicks.com/percentage-system/
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/FEATknitbynumbers.html
and I like this one by wool works http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/raglan.html


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thank you CH. Some good reading on those two links; however, I didn't see anything about "loom" knitting, which is the only thing I know even a little about.


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

So the nice thing about loom knitting is you always have the same needle size...the gauge will be different according to the thickness of the yarn. 

Someone else already explained it far better than I could, so here's the link

Your gauge will change according to the thickness of the yarn you use...but once you have that, even knitting with a loom, you'll have your gauge. From there you can plug in your numbers to say the link in the previous post on knitty. In theory, once you have the measurements for your desired finished object and your gauge (I'd use the 100% measurement as your starting point and then get all your others from there)...you should be good to go as far as calculating how many to cast on, etc...I don't have much experience with loom knitting beyond hats. They frustrate me for some reason, but it's great to see someone who knows how to use it, AND finish something other than a hat on it!!!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks CH. That link is helpful too.

Yes I've learned (the hard way, i.e. by taking apart what I'ld done) to make a little square first. The yarn may all say #5 or #6 but they don't all measure the same. The yarn I'm working with now creates 2-1/2" with 6 pegs and 8 rows; whereas the yarn I worked with before created only 2" with the same 6 pegs and 8 rows. And it was all the same number.

The sweater showing in this thread still needs about half a skein of yarn to complete. (I made the mistake of thinking I had enough to create a hat as well. This shortened what I needed to finish the sweater. Well duh! Should have finished the sweater first!)

The sweater I was smart enough to finish first is on the "completed" thread I started. I don't really like either of these sweaters even though they sure are warm. I simply don't like the "extension" at the bottom. Such extension had to be done because that 41-peg loom did not make the sweater long enough. Sure wish I knew what type of loom would! Guess I'll do some googling and maybe find out. Anyway both sweaters are promised to others so the next sweater I create maybe I will like. 

With summer coming on I suspect sweaters are not going to be worn much; so maybe I'll make a vest. (I'm enjoying *designing* these things and then seeing if I can knit them. ROFL)


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

Designing your own knits is super rewarding! Except when its frustrating...then I threaten my yarn and needles a great deal with life at the dump. I'm not sure if it works...but I do manage to work through it eventually...or scrap the whole thing and use the yarn for something else.

Wish I could be more helpful with suggesting a loom, but I don't have the experience with any particular style to say...hey! Try this!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well, I've done something different using the same 41-peg loom. My aim was to make a "vest" that was at least 31" long. Using this round loom meant I had to design the vest in several parts so, as I knitted, each part would get longer in order to reach the 31-inch mark.

I cut the vest into quarters (2 parts for back with extensions for arm hole and 2 parts for front with less extensions for arm hole). The parts combined needed to be at least 50 inches (for chest area ) and I wanted a couple more inches for a "loose" fit so it could be layered during cold weather. Also, I could not find a way to create a "round" neck so had to settle for a square one, which has turned out ok.

Here is the front half of this vest. Notice I had to seam it up the front. The last half I'm working on now and it is following the exact same design except the neck is not as deep and the arm hole has more extensions. It is 31 inches long.


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

I love the colors! Are you just stitching up the seams or are you grafting them together?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I don't know what you mean "grafting". What I'm doing is taking a knitting needle and going in and out the knits on each piece I'm connecting. I don't really call that sewing because of the way I'm doing it; however, I don't know what else to call it either. LOL

This first seam didn't turn out too badly either.


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

Grafting is just a knitting technique you use to make stitches less visible when you join two pieces together, its pretty much what you described. There's a few different methods, each produces a different look (some are better for stockinette and others are better for garter or purl) Your seam looks very nice and is almost invisible...so I was curious as to if you grafted, what technique you used.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks for the definition. I'll google that and learn more about "grafting". I prefer what I do to be "perfect" ROFL and it never is; however, if I can create a seam that does not look like a seam, that would be right nice.


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