Arggggh, bloody jumpers!
I had almost finished a lap-necked jumper. It was looking rather nice, in a burnt orange and chocolate, until I sewed it up.
Nope, not working. Not happy. Hate sewing in sleeves (still).
Gave up and frogged.
Humph.
I hate sleeves - or rather I hate the sewing in of sleeves. I don’t mind sewing up a garment, I can do so, neatly, but it’s just the sleeves that I’m never quite happy with. I’ve been looking at yoke-based jumpers etc. as a possibility - or even picking up stitches at the shoulder and knitting the sleeve down (surely someone, somewhere has done this?)
Anyhoo, I have got a few other things finished.
A cat hat (complete with ears). I’m not a fan of intarsia and a couple of lines are a little tight. The pattern also ends up being a little short on Ned’s head, a few more lines would be better - still, I needed some practice so have also knitted one for Nin in pinks and added a few extra rows to the pattern (which worked better) - it’s still tight across the same couple of rows as Ned’s though. I’m now knitting a stripy matching scarf for Nin and when that’s finished (imminently), some mitts. Once the set’s done, I’ll take a pic and post.
Another Ned pic.
It’s an old pattern and uses 3ply, but I just went ahead and used a regular dk (Sirdar Snuggly) and knitted a variegated stripe into the originally plain pattern and it worked really well and fits him with a bit of space to grow. I’ve also knitted a pair of matching mitts (no pic atm) and will also make a scarf (I find stocking stitch scarves deathly boring, but still…)
I’ve just realised I’ve not taken any photos of the corsages I’ve made recently (will have to remedy that).
(Slings'n'things)
Hi Nikki
It’s ages since I knitted a jumper, but I usually do the sleeves straight- ie, start with sewing the shoulder seam, then sew in the sleeve opened out flat, then sew the side seams and sleeve seams in one go. Then you are sewing the top of the sleeve in a straigh line. I remember doing this by not casting off the sleeve, but having a couple of rows of ’spare yarn’ in a different colour at the top. Then back stitch through each stitch, pulling out the spare yarn as you go. (This has got to be *called* something!)Of course it will only work if you have drop-shoulder, or straight sleeves, I think.
Otherweise you could undo body and sleeve pieces to the armhole and knit it all up together on a circular needle (in a yoke)- not sure how often to decrease with this one, but it sounds I great idea.
Have you ever seen “the Opinionated knitter” by Elizabeth Zimmerman?- it’s great for this kind of thing and has some really good patterns.
Comment by rosie — January 4, 2007 @ 12:21 am
I love seeing your creations. Very inspiring
Comment by Jules — January 4, 2007 @ 9:11 am
Awww, thanks Jules
I also sew sleeve seams flat and certainly dropped shoulders aren’t so much of a problem - but I like my jumpers to be more ‘fitted’ and that’s where the problem comes in, I can’t seem to get them to ‘fit’ the sleeve space.
I’ve recently bought a really helpful book which gives patterns for multiple yarns and gauges (so rather than get the yarn to fit the pattern, you can use what you have). It also has multiple sizes, from child (no baby sizes) through to large men - so it should cover most eventualities. It has some patterns for yoked sweaters which I think I’ll have a bash at.
One day I think I’d like to treat myself to one of Rowan’s finishing workshops (a nice residential weekend
) Not going to happen for a couple of years yet I think…
Comment by dottyspots — January 4, 2007 @ 11:02 am
you can definitely knit in the sleeves, off the top of my head I can’t *quite* remember how but yes, it’s a good way to do it as the seams are much, much smoother.
For raglans the other option is rather than decreasing for the shaping, just slide all the “decreased” stitches onto a circular needle then you can do a “3 needle bind off” with all your “decreased” stitches, actually it gives a fairly nice finish although I’ve not explained it at all well!!!
Final option (which seems a lot of work but I know a few ladies who swear by it) is to knit from the neck down as a sort of yoke increasing for your sleeve/armhole shaping either side of a marker then work the body and sleeves on circulars so there’s pretty much no sewing up at all. I’ve got a pattern like this on my “to do” list, I’ll blog it sometime in teh next few years honest….
Comment by t-bird — January 4, 2007 @ 8:38 pm