help! looking for a pattern similar to S'nB....

VictoiseC · 03-09-2005, 05:18 PM

Shoot. :( I've been looking for hours... ok start at the beginning.

Does anyone have the first Stitch'nBitch book? On page 142 is a gorgeous, simple light mohair sweater. I love the sleeves and would make the neckline a little lower I think.

I have some beautiful mohair but, at the ys they said use a size 8 needle. I just did a bit on size 8 and it looks good but maybe 10, 10 1/2 would work also. The thing is, the pattern in the book is for size 13! needles. I don't want it that airy! When you look at the picture it looks tighter too but maybe that's coz her yarn has some wool and nylon in it?

Has anyone seen a pattern similar to this, with those neat sleeves?
I'm dying to get started on this and just can't find one and am afraid to do my own although it does look easy. Sort of. ha

No no, I'm still too beginnery for that. Any ideas?

VictoiseC · 03-09-2005, 10:25 PM

P.S. I just looked at the person who designed the sweater, Martha Lazar. She says she has a ys in Brooklyn called urban knitters and I emailed her website but its GONE.

Would be nice to ask her how to adapt the pattern. but, where is she?

javede · 03-09-2005, 11:31 PM

I knitted this sweater and I used a different yarn too. Actually mine was even thinner(size 3 needle), so I doublt it and knitted with two skeins together. If you use the size 8 needle how much of is your gauge?

Well, if you find another pattern you can easily adapt the sleeves. They are quite easy.

VictoiseC · 03-10-2005, 05:10 PM

Thanks javede... wow a size 3 needle, that's so small.

I haven't done many gauges in my knitting life, only knit a few tiny rows to see what it looked like but maybe I'll do a proper guage now.
I just started knitting last year and have done scarves hats socks but no sweaters. Guess I better get into gauges!

VictoiseC · 03-10-2005, 11:33 PM

Well, this doesn't seem to be a hot topic but I'll forge ahead anyhow.

I did a gauge for the first time. The sweater in S'nB is done on Size 13 but I feel that would be too airy with my mohair so I tried Size 10.
It looks good.

Their gauge is 10 stitches & 14 rows = 4" in St stitch.

I got 3".

That's not a huge difference so what if I just follow the directions for the Large or Extra Large? Small is 48 cast on,
Extra Large is 58 cast on. Seems to me it will work.

Any experienced knitters here that think no?

Thanks for any help!

eggplant · 03-11-2005, 06:52 AM

You'll still end up with a somewhat smaller sweater than the SnB small size. Here's how you can do the math:

10 stitches divided by 4" = 2.5 stitches per inch

A 48 stitch cast on divided by 2.5 stitches = a 19.2" piece of fabric

A 58 stich cast on divided by 2.5 stitches = a 23.2" piece of fabric

You can calculate the row length measurements in the same way (14 stitches divided by...).

Now, 10 stitches divided by 3" (what you got with smaller needles) = 3.33 stitches per inch

A 48 stitch cast on divided by 3.33 stitches = a 14.5" piece of fabric

A 58 stich cast on divided by 3.33 stitches = a 17.6" piece of fabric

Those are sizes that would only fit a really small person (assuming you were doubling the measurement for a front + back, so you would have a 29" garment circumference or a 35.2" garment circumference). If you're that small, you might get away with making the extra large on small needles. You should calculate the *armhole* circumference, though, as well, and make sure it's big enough for you.

Otherwise, you would either need to use a size of needle that gives you the right fabric size, or you can recalculate the pattern based on the needle size you prefer.

PS - I'm not sure I qualify as a super-experienced knitter, but I like math!

KellyK · 03-11-2005, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by eggplant

I'm not sure I qualify as a super-experienced knitter, but I like math!

Im going to remember that! :P

VictoiseC · 03-11-2005, 04:26 PM

Oh my god eggplant, you are good! Those math figures always make me dizzy but I'm trying real hard to just get it and I think I have. You laid it out really nice. Hm. I used to have As B+ s in Math when I was little, then lost interest when I hit high school & boys!

I'm going to get Elizabeth Zimmerman's book so I can figure out how to make sweaters without a pattern ... someday I should be able to do it. theoretically

Thank you so much for helping me out. I might try a gauge in a larger needle today to see what that looks like.

eggplant · 03-12-2005, 07:43 PM

I'm happy to help! (Also, I keep a calculator close to my knitting basket!)

At least you're making gauge swatches -- you saved yourself a ton of trouble that way.

Happy knitting! :XX:

VictoiseC · 03-15-2005, 03:38 PM

Hi again! Well, weird thing. I was going to knit the sweater on Size 11 and try and do it eXtra large, etc. But I decided to cast on with Size 13 needles for a looser edge, then I thought oh, just go ahead and do it on the 13s like the pattern, it'll be simpler.

So I've got several inches done and as I suspected, it's big, loopy, airy and weird. I don't think I'll want to wear it.

Javede, do you like the sweater you made on size 3? Do you wear it? How much do we want to wear mohair sweaters I guess is what I'm asking? Should I frog or should I continue! Make it into a bag!
It's beautiful colours but,

How does mohair felt! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh