Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Break out the Bongos

I've finished my Down Beat sweater.


For some reason the arms which were supposed to be bracelet length have come out full length after washing.  No doubt they'll shrink again, they always do when you don't want them too.

I can't give you the pattern as such as it is still under copyright, but here are some notes if you wanted to adapt a basic raglan (stop reading now if you're not a knitter!):


  • Knit in bulky wool at 14sts to 4".  I knit size 34" - finished garment measures about 36", which is plenty of ease on the bust, not so much on the hip (if you're more womanly shaped than teenage) so I would suggest adding a couple of inches to the bottom and decreasing to the waist (personally I wouldn't give it in-out waist shaping, an a-line is much more in the 60s groove).

  • I converted the pattern to work in the round, as a seamless raglan, from the bottom up,  Front and back are identical, no shaping in the original pattern but I think it would be very flattering and still have a 60s groove if you made it an a-line shape as suggested above.

  • Sleeves are bracelet length with quick increases to just past the elbow, upper arms have plenty of ease.

  • Once I got up to the bit where the yoke dips down I worked the rest of the top back and forth in two halves - from the centre front to the centre back.

  • The shaping for the yoke is formed by casting off stitches (16 in this version) along the centre front and back, the decreasing every other row up the sides.  you want to end up with about 18sts at the top of the sleeve sections, and just 1 in each body corner. 

  • I picked up and knit stitches for the yoke, rather than knitting it separately and sewing it on afterwards as in the original pattern.  That just sounds like a hideous thing to do, sewing it on straight and neat would seriously challenge me!  But I guess the pattern was written with your average 60s teenager in mind, and they probably didn't have circular needles or do anything as old fashioned as use DPNs.

  • The yoke and hem pattern is a simple combination of garter stitch and twisted stitches: (k into front of the 2nd st on the left hand needle, leaving st on needle knit into 1st st on left hand needle, slip both sts off the needle together, k into back of 2nd st on left hand needle, leaving st on needle knit into 1st st on left hand needle, slip both sts off the needle together).  5 rnds garter, 1 rnd knit (or purl working flat), pattern round, 1 rnd knit (or purl working flat), 5 rounds garter.

  • The yoke is worked back and front - the edges and button loops are crocheted.  Could easily work the yoke in the round without the button placket, it is wide enough.
Well, I think that's all :-)

Look, it's reversible!

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