One sleeve down
This BPT sweater should be going quickly, given that it’s mostly stockinette, and I’m on a decreasing spiral, which means there’s less and less every round. I really should get cracking on this, given that I am travelling a lot this month and have tons of airplane, bus and train time, especially mindless movies to go with the long airplane journeys. But it’s taken me nearly two weeks to finish one sleeve, and am very bored with the second.
Why is this? Part of it, I suspect, has to do with the yarn, which is rather rough and annoying to work with, and I can’t seem to do more than a few rounds at a time. But part of it is, I realised, the awkwardness of working sleeves in the round on a seamless raglan. You have to move around the whole bloody sweater every round or two, and because of the small (and decreasing!) circumference, it gets very heavy and cumbersome. I don’t like carrying a nearly-done sweater around everywhere, but that’s the only way this thing is going to get done soon. Anyone else have that problem? Next time I do a seamless raglan, after I divide for the armholes I’m doing the sleeves first and then the body. Somehow it seems like two sleeves flapping merrily around will be marginally easier than the whole body pirouetting madly under the tube of a sleeve hanging by dpns.
At least it fits alright. Am not so happy with the sleeves above the armholes. I think there should have been fewer stitches to cinch them in a bit, but now the only way I can fix that is to undo the whole sweater – um, I think I can live with the tiny bulge at the raglans. It’s a clever pattern, though. I keep wishing I was knitting it in Cascade 220 instead. It’s also no-to-ri-ous-ly difficult to photograph clearly – I assure you it’s not felted, even though the photos make it seem like it is! It isn’t even fuzzy, really. I wonder why the fabric looks so matted, despite tons of focusing and adjusting in all kinds of light and angles. Ah well. Am soon going to have to wonder about two things – 1) hood or collar? and 2) pockets or not? I’m thinking hood and pocket just to go with the overall slouchy look, with mirrored cables along the diagonal pocket openings. Opinions?
Hmmm… The pockets sound fun, and you seem to like hoods a lot, so why not? I agree that they’d go nicely with the fit of the sweater–which looks good, as does the color.
And I completely know what you mean about that second sleeve problem when you have to turn the whole dratted thing around and around and around. Doing that always puts me off, too.
The solution to the flipping-the-whole-thing-around-the-sleeve problem, of course, is to work it bottom-up. You’ll still be flipping the whole thing around near the end, but since it’s the top you’re working on, it doesn’t feel so unbalanced.
I don’t like doing sleeves in the round in general. On all the top-down raglans that I knit that call for knitting the sleeves in the round, I just knit them flat and sew up the one seam later. I HATE fussing with any of the small-circular knitting options. It’s just so much faster to use long straights and just knit flat. (I know, I’m weird that way!)
Hi,
the sweater looks great on you! I think a hood and pockets would be really nice.
You needn’t flip the whole thing around if you keep changing directions while turning (hope this makes sense). I love to knit top-down sweater and this works for me.
Rukaya
Definitely do a hood! I’m intrigued by the possibility of pockets with diagonal cables too.
1–if you switch to 2 circ’s,(instead of DPN’s) its a bit easier, you can turn right, then turn left, instead of spiraling (cranking out a round)
2–too late now, but yes, a problem with raglan shaping is you get too big an armhole. Short rows–before the underarm (work front an and back (and increases) but not sleeve help.
3–working 2 sleeves (on 2 circ!) is better too, –when i was young, all my sweaters turned into short sleeved ones or vests.. i had second sleeve syndrome!
but its a pretty sweater…and will be beautiful when finished–and pockets are always a good idea!
i agree with rukaya.. would love to see a hood and pockets
That sweater is really coming along nicely. And I can see where it might not be all that portable of a project at this stage. Having never knit a sweater, this is good forewarning, and encouragement to reflect on various constructions. Someday soon, because your work with sweaters is inspiring, I am going to cast on the yarn I have for the ribby cardi. In the mean time, I think this one of yours is looking very nice. Very nice indeed.
Barbara Walker recommends knitting from the neck downwards. When you get to the bottom of the armholes, divide and knit the sleeves first. Knit the bottom of the body last, tucking the completed sleeves inside the sweater top. It works very well.
You are on the hardest part of the sleeve for turning. As it gets longer, you can let the whole thing sit in your lap, and turn just the sleeve, rotating -360 degrees between each round. Barbara Walker’s method makes this maneuver practically effortless.
Cute, cute. I really like the cable work. I would totally make some pockets.
I hear what you are saying about top-down. I recently finished a sweater with long sleeves, and I was all dizzy with the rotating.
I think I agree with most everyone else. I think a hood would look nice. I am not sure about pockets though, although I would likely put them in because I like pockets in pretty much everything. It’s looking really nice!
can the cable at the shoulders go up the hood? I say hood and pockets for this sweater would look great. It’s coming along nicely.
Hood and pockets- totally. I think I’m going to have a go at this sweater myself. With 2 young kids now, the prospect of mostly stockinette is appealing rather than boring.
Why is it called BPT? Do you know what that stands for?
hi, i dont know if u remember me but i wrote u an email when u posted abt panchgani and hilltop icecream..well anyway i must tell u i love love love ur blog everything first the knitting and then u always mention places ive known like ..nipani, pune etc my grandmom was also from thanjavur from the mohite family and i love it that u r doing a study on maratha history. i wish i could meet u, anyway if ever u find ur self on the flight to raipur pls let me know at my id kirti76@hotmail.com i so want to meet u.
A hood for sure. This design is calling out for one. Pockets too. I’m not sure about the mirrored cables along the edges, though. Might be too busy.
I always have exactly the same problem. I love knitting top-down raglan sweaters, but the body seems to take half as much time as either blinking sleeve. It’s like a time warp.
It’s adorable, and finish it any way you want. It will be great – your stuff always is
ooh, that looks scrumptious! i love the hood you did on your other sweater, and i’m a pocket freak; i would have them in saris ala zandra rhodes, if i could. now all you need to do is get back to berkeley so you can give me comfort through my first sweater project. i’m not selfish or anything.
)
Hi! I found your blog during my random searches on knitting. I’m a novice knitter and am trying to make sweaters for my two boys (4.5 yrs and 1.5 yrs). I loved your cables cardi and was wondering how I could scale it down to a kids size. any thoughts?
also where do you buy your yarn in Delhi? and do you have any idea where I can get circular needles here? I’ve tried in all the yarn shops around my area but no one seems to have them. any ideas?
thanks
dee