Back in September I posted about knitting this short sleeve fairisle sweater from a 1940s pattern. Here's the pattern I'm using:
I've knitted fairisle before but I've found this pattern particularly trying. The linear sections are fine and my tensions is even, but on the flower-like bits, you have to carry the coloured yarn along the back of the pale blue and I have really struggled with making this neat.
Here, the darkest blue flowers above the rib are knit too tightly while the ones above are maybe a little loose. I'm hoping blocking will help. A lot.
It didn't help that that sleeve pattern look distinctly suspect to me:
What do you think? The rib of the sleeve goes along the bottom here - with the little section at the top forming the 'puff' at the top of the sleeve. But the shape decreases so sharply I don't see how it could possibly create the nice narrow sleeve in the pattern picture. So, I've gone my own way with that too, with one sleeve knitted so far.
I feel like I'm more or less making this pattern up as I go along, staying only within the bounds of the pattern repeat and using the pattern photo for reference. I can't face having to rip out anything I've knit as fairisle takes so long, and I'm reasonably confident I can produce something that looks like a jumper.
Do you ever disobey the pattern and go rogue? It's a new thing for me, but sometimes you just need to call shenanigans on your pattern and use your intuition!
K x
Holy moly!! It looks AMAZING! coming from someone who would never ever even dream of attemping a sweater! I'll stick to hats and mittens thank-you-very-much. I have just sarted my first go at fairisle yesterday, on a beanie and have all ready strayed from the pattern! I'm just not a pattern person at all.
ReplyDeleteI bet your sweater will look amazing on! xx
Amazing!
ReplyDeleteWell, I"m only on my first sweater and I've only been knitting for 3 months, so I'm going to go ahead and say no, I tend to stay on pattern. But with sewing I've been known to confront a set of instructions and then just be like, no, foolishness, I will do this in the manner I prefer. So we all like to go off book sometimes, I guess....
ReplyDeleteYour sweater looks amazing. It's going to be gorgeous. Can't wait to see it.
I make minor adjustments to knitting patterns for fit (decreasing more or less to change the fit from A-line to straight or vice versa), but I don't feel confident enough to go patternless (say, draft a new sleeve).
ReplyDeleteThis looks great, though! Blocking often does wonders for uneven tension (and it really isn't noticeable at all).
I'm sure I have seen Tasha (TheRedHotKnitter on Ravelry) knit a similar sleeve top - I think it is to fit in the shoulder pad?
ReplyDeleteBlocking is a wonderful thing! This is going to be amazing!
I knitted the Placed Cabled Aran from a v old Interweave Knits and totally made up 90% of the pattern. It was strangely freeing, but one thing I forgot to do was write down what I did on one sleeve, before starting the other one about 8 months later. Oops. So I think it's a great idea as long as you keep copious notes! Like the colours you've chosen for this fair-isle.
ReplyDeleteLooking now at the chart, I think the increasing bit is the sleeve cap, which makes sense, as sleeve caps increase. There must be a missing chart 2 or something, from where the increased portion is continued straight to make the sleeve bit. When you count the strips of flowers in the sleeve and compare that to the strips of flowers in the chart, I definitely think that is the case... However, you already have a sleeve and it looks pretty great! Just had to share my inkling with you!
ReplyDeleteIt does make more sense to me too, that you would be increasing out to form the puff, but as you say, I think (hope) I have a functioning sleeve so am just going to go with that! Thanks for casting your expert eye over it :)
DeleteWow You can tell that a lot of work has gone in to it as it is a very intricate Pattern! I think it looks great! I have no idea about the sleeve, though I think the way you have done it looks grand!
ReplyDeleteI always struggle to keep to patterns, but that's more due to accident than design, I'm just bad at following instructions:)
It makes my head hurt to even think of the complexity of this make. I admire you so much! I don't think I will ever attempt a knitted project as challenging as this. Good luck with the rest!
ReplyDeleteLoOking awesome to me. So impressibe as it loOks extremely complex! You ask if I've gone rogue? Not knitting, far too scared, but then I haven't tested myself with vintage patterns!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great to me, but I am easily impressed by anyone who makes anything, I am so completely hopeless! Such a pretty sweater and lovely colours - can't wait to see the finished article! xx
ReplyDeleteIt is an amazing sweater. I am ot sure I can help with the patter, it is confusing me. I would stick to the pattern myself, but it is probably because this is so unlike anything I knitted before. Not really helpful, sorry...
ReplyDeleteWow, that jumper looks so much better in color! Good job you! -But regarding the iffyness of the pattern, do you think it would work out better in intarsia?
ReplyDeleteJust the flowery parts, of course.
DeleteHi Ingling, I did make a half hearted effort at intarsia on a couple of areas but it just involved too many pieces of wool and you're right , I think it might make the tension work a bit better, but just too many pieces of wool for me to cope with!!
DeleteI just got the pattern as a PDF from the lovely vintageknittinglady.co.uk, and it says that after sleeve ribbing you commence on the 42nd row of chart 1, and that chart 2 really is only the sleeve top - like "kristenmakes" suggests.. Maybe I'm just repeating what is obvious to everyone else.
DeleteHi Ingling, yes you're right, after reading kristen's comment I looked at the sleeve again and realised that you are supposed to knit a section before beginning chart 2. Never mind! As my gauge is now totally different from the pattern I'm just roughly following the chart. I'm still deciding if I can face ripping back a little to re-shape the sleeve top...
DeleteI read myself blind sometimes, and can't for the life of me understand something that turns out to be right in front of me in plain writing. It will probably be fine though, considering your photo. -I have previously disregarded this pattern because I found it to be plain, but seeing how great you color combination was I went ahead and bought it :) Good luck!
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