sweater knitting | PDXKnitterati

I had forgotten how much fun it is to knit cables, especially with bulky yarn.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the cables develop. I just finished Row 50 of the back. Yes, there are two row counters because the center cable has a 32 row repeat, and the side cables have a 24 row repeat.

I put the charts inside a page protector to give it some body, and I’m using my ribbon covered magnets from a Slipped Stitch Studios pattern keeper to keep track of which row(s) I’m on. Why not just use the pattern keeper? Because the magnets only work if the chart is printed in portrait mode, and I can read them better printed in landscape mode!

The next step in the sweater process is deciding if I want to modify the drop shoulder for a better fit for DH. I modified this favorite sweater for him (Sky Lights from North Island Designs, not on Ravelry because it’s THAT old), so I put it on the floor to measure it.

I’ve measured all the important bits: Length to armhole, cut in at armhole, armhole depth, neck width, overall length of sweater and sleeve. Now to translate it to the current knit…

We’ve had an ice storm on top of a snowstorm, so we’ve been cooped up inside. Perfect weather for knitting, and for baking.

Calvin helped me make blueberry muffins. He can smell melted butter from the other room.

The birds are puffed up against the cold, and hungry, so I put out bird seed.

I’m ready for the ice to melt. And I need to start getting ready to go to VKLive NYC next week. Must. Stop. Knitting. Sweater. For now at least! How are things where you are?

I finally have enough projects off my plate that I can begin to contemplate this KAL. It has a lot going on, and it’s definitely not for knitting on the go!

Bisquee and I worked 3 stockinette gauge swatches. I couldn’t get gauge, even going down two needle sizes. Did I wash and block my swatch? Nah, that would just make it relax, and make that desired gauge even more unattainable. So I just cast on with the smaller needles to see what would really happen. Sometimes you just have to jump in.

This bulky-ish yarn on US 8 needles wasn’t going to make my hands happy over the long run. And the width of the piece was much smaller than it should have been! I did some math, and the actual measurement over the cabled body is the same as I’d get with that stockinette gauge, and that can’t be true. Cables pull in, and stockinette doesn’t.

I went back to the original US 10 that was recommended and cast on for the 42” sweater. Even though my stockinette gauge is way too big, the actual knitted piece was very different. The 42” size was coming out at 39”, too small.

I cast on again for the 46” sweater and it is measuring 44”. (Well, really 22”, because it’s just the back.) That’s a good amount of ease on DH, but not ridiculous. And it’s better than being too small. The fabric has a nice hand, so far. If I were using a larger needle, the fabric would be too loose. So I’m ignoring the stockinette gauge, because there really isn’t any stockinette in this pattern.

I’m planning on using this cabled body as a jumping off point, and then adapting a few things. I don’t want a plain drop shoulder sweater, so I’ll bind off some stitches at the armhole for a better shoulder fit for DH. Then I’ll finagle the slightly set in sleeve, which I’ve done before on a sweater that fits him well.

We’ll see if I can get past my two skein attention span and actually do all those things I’m planning!

The yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Mineral Heather. It’s kind of a heathered gray with violet undertones.

Oh, about that cable hook: I usually do my cables without a cable needle, but for the 3 over 3 crosses, it’s not comfortable, so I’m back to using a hook. The 3/1 and 1/3 cables don’t need it. Do whatever makes you happy!

Tools: I printed just the charts on one page. Perfect for my knitting bag! The 12 page pattern can sit at my desk. This is definitely home knitting!