Sweaters!

[jess_hawk]

Hmmm for some reason my pictures won't attatch... lets try again.

[SandraEllen]

That's a bummer...

I hate it when stuff doesn't fit.

[Abbily]

That's a gorgeous sweater, I love the color! Maybe you could add some more ribbing to the bottom and sleeves? Or a pretty border, or something? Would you mind sharing the pattern?

[dewdrops]

Great !

[jess_hawk]

lol... I could add ribbing or some such, but I would have to add it to the sleeves, neckline, and bottom of the sweater, so I'm just calling it finished as is. Its a very basic top down sweater... I'm pretty sure the pattern is copyrighted but since I'm using the same concept with my own numbers on the other one, I'll explain the concept. you cast on (In the round) the number of stitches you want for the neck on a needle size about 2 smaller than your body needles. Do a rib (I used k1 p1 but any rib would work) for about an inch (if you like a high neck, do more), then place 4 stitchmarkers to seperate out "sleeve" stitches from "body" stitches. I used 80 stitches, and placed stitchmarkers as follows: place marker, k10, place marker, k30, place marker, k10, place marker, k30. This is the absolute bare minimum ratio, as far as I can tell so far (that sweater is unfinished) - using more body stitches and less sleeve stitches would work better. Every other row, you want to increase before and after each marker... I prefer leaving more than one stitch between the increases, but as longas you are consistant it looks good. Whatever increase you like. When you get the shoulders long enough that the rows of increases touch underneath the armpits, place all the sleeve stitches on a holder, and CO 8 more stitches. Knit to the other sleeve and repeat. Knit around and around and around until you have a sweater of the correct length. You can increase or decrease for a more fitted appearance - add ribbing at the bottom if you want, I didn't and amazingly my bottom curled up! bind off and go pick up the stitches for a sleeve. Also, pick up eight to ten stitches under the arms. Knit around and decrease at regular intervals to get down to the correct size for wrists at the correct length. do ribbing, BO, and repeat with the other sleeve.

Oh, and the yarn I used is Paton's Classic merino wool in denim something or other (sorry, threw out the label cause my boss has the number written down in case I need more).

[Abbily]

Wow, thanks!

[jess_hawk]

Update on my other sweater: I'm working my way down the "aqua foam" portion. Figured out I'm going to be no less than three skeins short (pitfall of making a sweater that you don't know how much yarn you'll need), and thats if I'm lucky. I called the store where I got the yarn originally and they have ONE skein of aqua foam left - and they don't carry it anymore. I'm going to pick it up this weekend. Fortunately, I found a store about an hour away that says they can get me some more. Wonder if I can get my friend Justin to pick some up for me (he goes to school there). Somehow, I have a feeling he'll tell me to get it myself.

OK on to the pictures. The first one is the sweater as it is now- I'm working on the sleeves as I go so that I make sure both sleeves have color down to the same point as each other and the body, so you can see I'm doing the second sleeve at the moment. Also included... all the yarn I have left and just for fun, a picture of the "pink icing" yarn I bought to do a hat for a chemo patient (friend of my roommate) - got two skeins and used just less than one. The girl loves the hat. I don't know what I'll do with the leftover skein. and, the grey "Dove" alpaca-silk-wool blend I bought to do a hat for myself.

[Abbily]

That is absolutely gorgeous!!!!! Good luck getting the yarn!

[AnotherBecca]

The first sweater is absolutely dreamy!
I can totally sympathize with you on a sweater that just doesn't fit properly!

[momwolf]

THAT IS GORGOUS