Cut-away

Put your hand up if you woke up this morning to lots of snow. Someone on the radio yesterday said, can't remember who, that April is all four seasons rolled into one, a day at a time. Yes, today it's winter again. The smudge is snow on the lens, it's still coming down.

My car is under a couple of inches of snow. And here I was thinking I wasn't going to have to scrape if off for a couple of months. Where is that scraper anyway?

But yesterday it was lovely and sunny so I took some pictures of my cut-away cardigan.

This is a prototype. The sleeves aren't done yet but I'll probably finish them when I figure out the changes for the body. I don't think that well, or at least I can't get see all the details clearly, off of the needles. So I work the long route of knitting and reknitting. This is an idea I have had for a while and it was fun to knit up.

I have a couple of areas to think about.

Does it need to be edged at the front. The pattern lays flat but makes an uneven edge. What kind of edging? I don't want to introduce another pattern so maybe some of the K2, P2 rib continuing down the outside edge.

The pattern on the Front is a type of basketweave with 8 rows + 4 rows = 12 row pattern repeat. In the prototype I started right away with the full 12 row pattern. But when I was writing it up I realized that if I started the Front pattern with the 4 row section of the pattern first I could use those 4 rows to write out the pattern and the raglan increases row by row (I could then put in numbers to assure the knitter they did it correctly) and then put the full 12 row pattern written out to repeat for the rest of the yoke. Much better. So that alone means I have to reknit it.
I like the back. It pulls it in nicely. The ribs start right after the Divide Row where the sleeves are put on spare yarn to be held until later, when I decide what the sleeves should look like that is. It comes to my waist. I think that's long enough because the points at the front are longer.

Hmm. I'm still thinking about the sleeves. Long, short, 3/4 length. I am leaning towards the 3/4 length, knit in stocking stitch to just below the elbow, with a 3" ribbed cuff (knit with larger needles so it's not tight) stopping mid-forearm which could be extended the full length to the wrist if desired. But I'm waffling. It could just be spring which has not sprung which is influencing my decision for shorter sleeves. This is my first sweater without buttonholes. And I LOVE IT. The stick is by AlanaB and we have them in our shop but I hadn't made any sweaters where I could use it. I love putting my sweater together with this. It's great. I can see doing more like this.

I have, as you can see, lots to mull over. Any suggestions?

-Deb

P.S. Commenters:

Yes, I am feeling better, Jed. Thanks. And I'm coming Tuesday.

Samm, I think wearing mismatched sox is a great idea. Just think, no second sock to knit and from one 100g ball you get to try two different socks in the same colour and see how they turn out. You wouldn't even have to turn on the light in your bedroom first thing in the morning, just put your hand in the sock drawer, pull out 2 socks and go.