silverwoods

 

Photo 2015-02-11, 8 01 11 PM

This is a remake of this crocheted sweater that I made a long time ago. I had been wearing it less and less frequently ever since someone commented that it looked like an armor :S (I think it was meant to be a compliment) so I figure I’d unravel it and make it into something with a more softened look.

I tried making the beautiful February Lady Cardigan a while ago but wasn’t successful. But I really like the lace pattern in the cardigan, so I tried to adapt the pattern into something that I could manage (i.e. without having to knit in the round).

And this was the result! The bulky lace reminds me of trees in the winter.

Photo 2015-02-09, 9 29 02 PM

 

It has a bit of a cowl neck. Or one could roll down the collar for a more sculptural look.

Photo 2015-02-11, 7 55 43 PM

(It’s been difficult to take good pictures in the apartment in the winter when there’s no daylight left when I come home from work, so I put this black & white filter on and hoped that it comes across sort of stylish…)

Anyway, here’s my pattern adaptation of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s February Baby Sweater, in the middle of February :D It’s a very quick make. Took me several weekends while watching Harry Potter movies.

What I used: 

Approx. 700 yards of Patons Shetland Chunky, in grey. (my sweater is kind of a cropped style, but if I had more yarn I’d probably make it longer)

7mm and 6.5mm needles

Stitch markers or pins

Needle for sewing

Finished size: bust 38″ / length 17″ / arm opening circumference 14″ / neck opening circumference 18″ (Size easily modifiable. Suggestions for modifying size in pattern below.)

What I did:

This sweater is knitted flat. The front and back are knitted in one piece with some stitches bound off and then cast back on to create neck opening. Then stitches are picked up along the sides to knit the arm bands. The sides are then seamed. And finally the collar is knitted.

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Gull Lace pattern, from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac, with slight modification (I just added a knit stitch in the beginning and end of each row):

Rows 1 and 3 (WS): k1, p to last st, k1

Rows 2 (RS): k1, *k1, k2tog, YO, k1, YO, ssk, k1* rep from * to * till last st, k1

Row 4 (RS): k1, *k2tog, YO, k3, YO, ssk* rep from * to * till last st, k1

**************

Body:

With larger needle, CO 58.

(The Gull Lace pattern is worked over a multiple of 7 stitches, so to make a larger size, one can add multiple of 7 stitches from number of CO. One pattern repeat or 7 stitches = 2.25″)

Knit 9 rows.

Begin Gull Lace pattern rows 1–4. Repeat Rows 1–4 until piece is 17 inches from beginning, or desired length. End with row 1 or 3.

Next row (neck opening): work 15 st in pattern, BO 28 st, work remaining 15 st in pattern.

(If you have added more stitches in the beginning, you can perhaps divide the shoulder/neck/shoulder stitches as follows:
Added 7 stitches — work 15 st in pattern, BO 35, work 15 st in pattern
Added 14 stitches — work 22 st in pattern, BO 28, work 22 st in pattern
Added 21 stitches — work 22 st in pattern, BO 35, work 22 st in pattern)

Next row: k1, p14, CO 28, p14, k1. (or adjust number of stitches as listed above)

Continue in pattern until piece is 17 inches from neck opening, or same length as the other side, end with row 1 or 3.

Knit 9 rows, BO.

Arm bands/sleeves:

On the side seam, find the mid point that divides front and back. Mark this point with stitch marker or pin. Measure 7″ (or length as desired) down the side seam from the mid point, mark this point. Measure 7″ (or same length as the other side) up the side seam from the mid point, mark this point. Remove marker at mid point.

With smaller needles and right side facing, pick up 44 stitches evenly along side seam from marker to marker (or more stitches if added more length; generally 1 stitch per row). Knit 6 rows, BO. Repeat on the other arm.

Sew side seams from underarm to bottom of sweater.

Collar:

With smaller needles and right side facing, pick up stitches evenly around neck opening. Knit every row until collar is 3.5″ tall (or desired length). BO, weave in ends.

(One could use circular needle or DPNs and knit in the round. I’m not really good at knitting in the round, but I inherited these flexible needles from my mom, so the collar is knitted back and forth and then seamed. Doesn’t look as great as if it were knitted in the round, but it worked out :D)

Photo 2015-02-07, 11 45 09 PM

 

This was a fun knit! And a cozy layering piece for February :D

Hope everyone has a good week!

 

12 thoughts on “silverwoods

  1. Hello, I’m a newcomer to your blog and I’m really enjoying it. Lots of fun and do-able patterns. Just need to more hours in the day to knit/crochet as much as I’d like! Will hopefully give this a go. Looks cosy!thanks

  2. Thanks for such a fun, quick knit! I’m not sure I’ll finish in a couple of weekends like you did but with the cold weather we are having in South Carolina, I should still have time to wear before it warms up!

  3. Happy 2015.

    Come to Singapore then — sunny and bright all year long.

    Thank you for sharing the pattern. Love it.

  4. Hi! I just cast this off, and I LOVE IT! I added an extra 14 stitches as I am a bit bigger than you… but your directions on how to adjust the size were so easy, and i thank you for that. Additionally, A lot of the parts that you knit flat and seamed I did in the round. Thank you for writing such a clear, simple, and impressive looking pattern. It’s totally wearable too! I can’t wait to knit up some more things listed on your blog, the knitting ones at least… I’m rotten at crocheting.

  5. Hi I love your pattern, but I can’t understand if 7 stitches (one lace pattern) is 2.25 inches wide, how can you only need to cast on 58 stitches for the total back and front all together? It seems to me that that would only be enough stitches for either the Back OR the Front? I am a new knitter, so maybe there is something I am missing?
    thanks

    1. Hi Deb, thank you for visiting and giving the pattern a try! The sweater is worked in one piece but folded at shoulder and then the sides are seamed, rather than around. If I were to draw a diagram, the finished unseamed piece would be one long rectangular piece with a hole for neck opening in the middle, then the piece is folded in half lengthwise, and the two sides are seamed from underarm to bottom edge. So the 58 st CO is just for either front or back, not both. Hope this helps, happy knitting!

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