Details

Wanted to post some details on my Autumn Cardigan before I head out to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Cleveland Clan.

The pattern I used was Schoolhouse Press #4 “Two Yoke Sweaters”. This cardigan is pictured on the inside photographed in 1958 (the year I was born) and so I felt especially drawn to knit it.
Everything about an Elizabeth Zimmerman design is encouraging and empowering. The “EPS” or Elizabeth’s percentage system makes sense out of all the measuring and calculating you need to do to get a sweater to fit. But individual bodies being individual bodies you still need to be willing to tweak things and perhaps to be the kind of person who would be excited about trying your go at another once the first is finished. All that said…..

My gauge was 7st per inch on a sz 3 needle
For a 42 inch sweater I would need 294 stitches
Originally cast on 265 (plus 5 for steek) 270 for ribbing on sz 2 needle
Increase to 300 for body (k9M1) and change to sz 3 needle
I used 6 balls for the body = 16 inches

Sleeves
Cast on 60 stitches on sz 2 for ribbing
Change to sz 3 and increased to 118
Made sleeves 17 ½ inches long
Reserved 30 stitches for underarm
Used almost 2 balls for each sleeve

After joining body and sleeves things got a little fuzzy…
There is an errata posted on the pattern page for the number of plan rows before the color work pattern (I didn’t see that and marched on measuring and counting rows)
If the yoke should be ¼ of the circumference I figured mine should be about 10 ½ inches deep. I had 10 rows to an inch. So- I needed 105 rows- 56 for colorwork pattern – leaving 49 plain rows that would include the 4 sets pf short rows for back shaping.
I used 2 balls from the join to the color work pattern.

In reality my color work gauge was different so it was 7 inches deep – not 5 ½. I ended up with a 12 inch deep yoke. All this made for lower armpits. Always wanting to look on the bright side this makes for more room in the arms so I could wear a blouse under the cardigan instead of just a T. I ended up with 121 stitches at the neck.

(Note there is a revised pattern chart on the School House Press site which I used. I also made my own adjustments with the colors and kept it to 2 colors per row.)

On trying the thing on it was too long. The longer yoke brought everything down. Decided I was ok with the fit up top and decided to shorten from the bottom. This would also give me the chance to add some color down there. Just so happened there was a Knitting Daily video on this topic the very day I was pondering it all.

In the meantime I did a crocheted steek- it ended up a little ripley but I just kept marching forward telling myself this was really all just a grand experiment and would NOT be the last sweater I was ever going to make.

After watching the above mentioned video several times, I plunged in.
Using a sz 2 needle on the front I picked up from yarn held below all the way across.
I purled a row. Knit the second row and changed the color on the front facing row, making about an inch of garter stitch. Then I did a sewn bind off- 2 stitches back one forward – very slow going but very worth it. The edge is beautiful!
Then 5 rows above the join I picked up the right half of each stitch per the video instructions. Then I cast off. Then I cut across – picked out the little bits- and miracle of miracles the thing held together. I was going to baste this edge down, but it hangs just fine – no rolling!

Lesson Learned- next time I will probably do a provisional cast on so I can adjust length and decide on the border latter.

I did a garter stitch button band to match the bottom- not the icord edging in the pattern. I just love the stripes! Did a 1 row button hole 5 times just up at the colorwork section and kept them small- just three stitches. There is a slight distortion in the stripes with the buttonholes but I decided I could live with that.

Lastly I went back and put in a new row of crochet and cut my steek closer which made for a neater- not ripley edge.

I still need to work out if I really want that much room up top. It probably could have been a little smaller. My sleeves could be a little shorter too. All things you don’t really know till you wear the thing. And wear it I will. But I am looking forward to trying my hand at another.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!