Testknit sweaters

Testknitting for the 4-14 year olds Pullover book is moving ahead. Here's a Henley Top Down Pullover in the largest 40" size knit by Elizabeth (co-author) for her nephew.

Having the option to knit the sleeves a different colour was the reason behind this design. We're really having fun thinking up colourways for this. My next one will be a child's sweater with a rhubarb red body and denim blue sleeves. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Then Elizabeth and I both want to make one for ourselves.

I finished a Shawl Collar Top Down in teal Cotton Tweed for a 7 year old. The button is a Popsicle, ha, ha.

And there is one more, a Tuck Stitch Hoodie with stripes. This looks like lots of fun to wear.

The pile of sweaters is getting higher and higher every week.
-Deb

Broken Sleep

Not opening my email first thing in the morning is working great. I have the 4-14 year old Pullover book written.

Well, so I thought until early this morning. 2am I woke up to this thought: The fronts have to have an even number of stitches so the underarm cast on has to be an even number too, instead of the odd numbers I had to get the sizing I wanted. Can I get the stitch numbers to come out to the same sizes? @&%$. Do I get up? Can I go back to sleep? I finished at 3:30am. All 6 patterns now have better stitch numbers. I'm a happy book writer. ZZZZZ

Now it's time to nail down some of the technical details.

I think this tuck stitch edge to the hood would be easier to work in the round. Is it necessary to keep one of the rolls open so that you can thread a string through?

I wouldn't. Would you?
-Deb

I've test knit our Tuck Stitch Edge hoodie.

And it works. Yay. It sits well. The tucks give it colour and a firm edge. It feels good over my head and it's fun to knit with the Short Rows.
But I have some more work to do. We worked these tucks back and forth so they are all open tubes at the centre front.

Now I'd like to leave the first green tuck open so you could thread a tie through if you wanted and work the other two in the round. I think it might be easier to do the tuck pick ups that way. Time to cast on again to see.
-Deb

Hoodie Tuck Stitch Edge

My blogging is going to be somewhat erratic over the summer. I'm hoping to spend lots of time at my cottage where I don't have internet service. I'm wondering if I could figure out how to write my blog on my phone. Wouldn't that would be something!

I've finished the first testknit of one of the hoodies for the 4-14 book for kids. The edging is a Tuck stitch or sometimes called a Ruche (but there are two kinds of ruche techniques so that name is confusing).

 We used two colours which makes picking up from several rows below much easier. You know those little blips you get on the wrong side when you change colours? We're going to use them.

 Nice edge I think.

The shaping of the hoodie is done using short rows and is fun to work.
One hood done. Needs some more work on the details. But more on that later. I need to do a bit more on the body to see how this hood sits on the shoulders. Onward.
-Deb