how to knit your first sweater???

wavy · 02-23-2012, 11:56 AM

Hi, i have already made my first Calorimetry once i got my head round short rows and i'm now making a lacy scarf which i'm finding really easy but, i want to knit jumpers (sweaters) as that was the main reason for wanting to learn how to knit so i can make them for myself and my children but i'm stuck.

This probably sounds really stupid do you knit the back cast off then knit the arms and put those on stitches holders until the end and knit the front because none of the pattens i've read tell you that?? i can understand the patten fine until it gets the the shoulder shaping part and it tells you to bind off so many stitches to start shaping the shoulders i'm so stuck!

I should be able to make one i think because i know how to knit,purl,yo,k2tog but i can't get my head round where it tells you to bind off each time it comes to shaping the sleeves i wanted to follow a patten like this

can anyone help? do you just do each part in sections i', doing this on straight needles .

Thanks in advance

suzeeq · 02-23-2012, 05:24 PM

Quote:

do you knit the back cast off then knit the arms and put those on stitches holders until the end and knit the front because none of the pattens i've read tell you that??

Sort of, there's all kinds of ways to knit a sweater and yes, the patterns do tell you how to do it. Some are done where you knit all the pieces separately, bind them off and sew them together. Some are knit in the round from the bottom up, doing the back and front together and the sleeves separately so you have 3 tubes, then you put all the sts on one circular needle and knit the yoke altogether, either as a raglan or just a yoked sweater, doing the decreases up to the neck. Or you can knit in one piece from the neck down, doing increases until you get to the underarms, then divide off the sleeves sts to holders, finish the body and go back to the sleeves to finish them. Others are knit sleeve to sleeve.

The BO a few sts are for the underam shaping at the armhole. You would BO at the beg of the RS row and finish the row, then BO on the WS row. The next RS row generally has a dec at the beg and end of the row and you do a few of them to shape the curve, then you work straight and BO part of the sts at the shoulder at the beg of the RS rows a couple times until all the sts are gone on the shoulder. How to put the pieces together are usually given at the end under Finishing instructions.

Do you have a specific pattern? If you give us a link we can look at it with you and help you out.

wavy · 02-23-2012, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

Sort of, there's all kinds of ways to knit a sweater and yes, the patterns do tell you how to do it. Some are done where you knit all the pieces separately, bind them off and sew them together. Some are knit in the round from the bottom up, doing the back and front together and the sleeves separately so you have 3 tubes, then you put all the sts on one circular needle and knit the yoke altogether, either as a raglan or just a yoked sweater, doing the decreases up to the neck. Or you can knit in one piece from the neck down, doing increases until you get to the underarms, then divide off the sleeves sts to holders, finish the body and go back to the sleeves to finish them. Others are knit sleeve to sleeve.

The BO a few sts are for the underam shaping at the armhole. You would BO at the beg of the RS row and finish the row, then BO on the WS row. The next RS row generally has a dec at the beg and end of the row and you do a few of them to shape the curve, then you work straight and BO part of the sts at the shoulder at the beg of the RS rows a couple times until all the sts are gone on the shoulder. How to put the pieces together are usually given at the end under Finishing instructions.

Do you have a specific pattern? If you give us a link we can look at it with you and help you out.

Thanks for your help, i was going to try easy pullover for babies on the purlbee .com it appears most of the pattens i''ve read that you do it in sections after shaping the shoulders and neck if i 've understood that right, it looks like you treat the shaping like going from the beginning of the row to the end and then turning your work and doing the same.

suzeeq · 02-23-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

it looks like you treat the shaping like going from the beginning of the row to the end and then turning your work and doing the same.

If there's a BO, yes, because you can't bind off at the end of a row, it's always at the beginning of a row. Here's a link to the pattern if anyone wants to see it. It looks like this one is made by knitting the back, then casting on stitches for the sleeves and binding off at the back of the neck. In which case you'd be binding off in the middle of the row.

GrumpyGramma · 02-23-2012, 11:06 PM

You might find this video and the ones that follow in the series useful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVTYPnXpW08 She covers a lot of things and for me, seeing things come together was helpful. I picked up some useful tips from her.

Jan in CA · 02-24-2012, 12:35 AM

I saw this recently, but not sure it'll apply. It's a raglan sweater so maybe next time if it doesn't work this time.
http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/N...L10071303.html

justplaincharlotte · 02-24-2012, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

If there's a BO, yes, because you can't bind off at the end of a row, it's always at the beginning of a row. Here's a link to the pattern if anyone wants to see it. It looks like this one is made by knitting the back, then casting on stitches for the sleeves and binding off at the back of the neck. In which case you'd be binding off in the middle of the row.

Please tell me if I've interpreted the rough construction correctly. Before seaming, the completed knitted piece will look like a cross with a V shaped hole in the middle for the neck, yes?

CO at the bottom waist, knit to armholes, CO one arm, work across CO the other arm. Work even to neck.

Work to neck opening, BO X sts, work to end of sleeve.

I'm guessing the front yokes (neckline shaping) is done using 2 balls of yarn, and the 2 sections joined on the next row after neckline completion.

Work even to complete sleeves, BO one arm complete row.
BO next arm ,work even on front to waist.

Did I get it?

suzeeq · 02-24-2012, 02:15 AM

Yes, that's right, it's like a cross or a T when folded in half where the side seams would be sewn.

And yep, you'll need another end of yarn to work the 2 fronts separately, then they're joined up again and knit across in one piece.

wavy · 02-24-2012, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by GrumpyGramma

You might find this video and the ones that follow in the series useful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVTYPnXpW08 She covers a lot of things and for me, seeing things come together was helpful. I picked up some useful tips from her.

Thank you for this

it was so helpful i think i understand now you knit across the back or front and begin shaping the arms so that when your finished your really just sewing up the side seams.