October Knitting Complete

This one has been a long term project due to all sorts of interruptions, however i am pleased to declare my October project complete!

lovely and warm on this very very cold day

a close up of my cable design

I am just in time as i have heard there is snow coming. this is exciting except that this weekend i am going to swindon and i know that trains and buses are not so good to rely on in adverse weather conditions.

Anyway. Would you like to know how i made this? I would like to make another for sure, although maybe not until next october, and maybe with some less fancy wool. And so, for the record, this was the procedure:

As this is a drop shoulder design, the shapes are very simple indeed. I used colinette skye for mine, but i am sure any aran weight yarn will be nice.

The Back:

Using number 9 needles (3.57mm), cast on 88 stitches and work 9 rows double rib (ie k2, p2, k2, p2 etc)

Row 10: continue rib but increase 9 stitches evenly across the row (on stitches number 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 and 81) so you have now got 97 stitches.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.

Row 11: *p3, k1, p3, k8, repeat from * five times until last 7 stitches, p3, k1, p3

Row 12: *k3, yf sl1 yb, k3, p8, repeat from * five times until last 7 stitches, k3, yf sl1 yb, k3

Row 13: as 11

Row 14: as 12

Row 15: (this is a cable twist row) *p3, k1, p3, sl4 onto cable needle and hold in front, knit next 4 behind, knit 4 from cable needle, repeat from * until final 7 stitches, p3, k1, p3.

Row 16: as 12

Row 17: as 11

Row 18: as 12

Row 19: as 11

Row 20: as 12

Row 21: as 11

Row 22: as 12

Row 23: as 15

repeat these rows 16 - 23 until you have completed your 13th twist.

Shape for neck and shoulders:

Next row, keeping pattern correct work 45 stitches and turn. decrease by 5 (as you like, i used a variety of methods really - either k2tog or casting off. k2tog might be the better 1 as fewer loose ends to tie up!) and work to end of the row.

Turn and work this row, decreasing six at the end,

Turn and decrease 4, work to end

Turn and work row, decreasing 3 at end

Turn and decrease 2, work row and decrease 1 at other end too (to give a slight shoulder shape too)

Turn and decrease 2 at start and 2 at end of the row

Turn and decrease 1 at start and 3 at end of row

cast off.

with the stitches you have left on the other side, shape in the same (but opposite) way.

lovely!

Front pieces (work two - ensuring they mirror)

Worked identically to the back, however this time only cast on 44 stitches (on 3.75mm needles), work 9 rows in double rib and on the tenth row increase 4 across the row on the 8th, 18th, 28th, 38th stitches (48 stitches) 

This time work the pattern until you have completed 12 twists. continue for 3 more rows,

next  4 rows, decrease 3 from the inside (collar) edge (36 stitches) (rembmer: include the cable row when it comes)

next  4 rows, decrease 2 from the inside edge (28 rows)

next 2 rows, decrease 1 from inside edge,

next row decrease 1 from outside (shoulder) edge and 1 from inside (collar) edge

next row decrease 1 from inside edge and 2 from outside edge

next row, decrease 3 from outside edge and 2 form inside edge.

Cast off.

Sleeves (make 2)

I was not all so happy with my sleeves really, but will note what i did. I think if i were to do this again i would start with more stitches at the cuff and increase more gradually to make wider sleeves.

However, my sleeves were worked as follows:

Cast on 40 stitches and using 3.75mm needles work 9 rows double rib, and increase to 44 stitches on the 10th row. change to 4.5mm needles and work the cable pattern, increasing 1 stitch at each end of every 4th row until you have completed 119 rows (29 increases or 15 twists and 3 extra rows) cast off.

Construction

I used mattress stitch to sew my seams, and knitted double rib bands around the collar and then for the bands. I used this technique for button holes, and they have come out rather pleasingly! (i like this knitting help series on youtube!)

I fear my knitting patterns are not very user friendly. but hopefully they give a good sort of idea of what to do. I would like to do some more cable, but perhaps for panels and details, rather than all over. 

Now i have started a tension square for my next project. it is something much different and i am going to follow a pattern rather than making it up. i think this is something i should try more often. although there is a pleasant element of surprise when freestyling.

Keep warm,

yours snug,

Emilia.

ps. i am dedicating this piece of knitwear to my mouse Audrey who passed away at the weekend. I wrote a real dedication to her on my mouse blog, but feel this isn't so much the place. I miss her very much.

it was difficult to have my picture taken with mouse because she was so small and quick