Adjusting pattern help

[mel.b]

I'm knitting this coat and have finished the back and sleeves.



Due to some wrong advice (not from here ) my tension is completely messed up and as a result the back of the coat is waaay too big. However it means I will be able to comfortably wear a jumper underneath it.

I'm now about to start the left front. If I keep the pattern correct I need to cast on 66stitches. I counted out 66 stitches from the back to get an idea of how big this will make the left front - and discovered that it will pretty much wrap right around to my right side under the arm when it should only reach more than slightly too the right of my midline. Does that make sense?? And of course then the right front will wrap right around the left which is just going to make it too bulky at the front.

So I obviously need to make the two front pieces smaller. How do I do this but keep the pattern correct so it will still work in with armholes of the back that I have already done? Can I take off 10 stitiches (as an example) but keep to the original pattern for the decreases? Or should I just knit it one or two sizes smaller following the pattern? How will this effect the arm holes?

Any help and suggestions are desperatly needed and much appreciated

[Ingrid]

I think I'd take the stitches off the front--that would be the easiest, anyway. This way the length nor the armholes will be affected.

[mel.b]

When you say the 'front' you mean do 56 stitches instead of 66 stitches (as an example) and keep the pattern for the armholes as for the pattern with 66 stitches?

Thanks,
Mel

[Ingrid]

Yes, I mean take however many stitches you need to from the front edges.

When you do the armholes, I imagine that you'll do decreases at those edges X number of times. That can stay the same regardless of how many you have on the front. The armholes will match the back this way.

The only real difference will be how many stitches you have left after each decrease.

[mel.b]

Ok, that makes sense, but I think I will run out of stitches

This is the pattern and I will put in brackets the adjustments...

Cast on 66 (56)
Cast off 8 - leaves 58 (48
Dec 1 stitch in every row until 51 remain (41)
Cast off 26 stitches - leaves 25 (15)
Dec one stitch in every row until 17 remain (7)
Cast off 9 - leaves 8 (I'm now 2 stitches short, -2)
Cast off remaining 8 (-10)

Ok, so I'm obviously doing something wrong here. I just want to make sure I get it right before I start.

Thanks so much for the help,
Mel

[suzeeq]

I think maybe you shouldn't use 10 sts less, but about 5 less; you don't want the back roomy and the front tight. At the decrease section

Dec one stitch in every row until 17 remain (7)

maybe you could dec on 3 rows out of every 4 rows (just knit the 4th row without decreasing) because you're going to need the same number of stitches at the top of the shoulder you have on the back shoulder so you can seam them together. Or maybe do the dec on only 2 rows out of every 3; that would make the stitch count come out a little closer.

sue

[mel.b]

Thanks Sue for the suggestions & advice. I don't think 5 stitches off either side will be enough though

I've just measured the back and it's 10inches too big according to what the correct tension/measurements should be. That's about 30stitches too big. I wish I had listened to my instincts with regards to the tension/sizing, instead of trying to explain something over the phone and them not understanding.

Urgghhh I'm starting to think the best & only think to do is start again but that's like 13 balls of wool and countless hours

How noticeable would it be if I went down half a size with my needles? At least then tension will be more accurate and I can keep the correct number of stitches. I guess it would only be noticeable at the side seems where the stitches don't match exactly. But that's what makes knitted garments unique and individual (or I keep trying to tell myself that anyway:rollseyes

Thanks so much,
Mel.b

[Ingrid]

I don't think that 1/2 a size needle would make all that much difference. It is an option, though, to go down in needle size and stick to the pattern.

You're right that the sides won't match, but if you don't care, I'm sure nobody else would even notice.

Are you sure you can live with the back being 10 inches too wide, though?

It would be as much of a shame to reknit as it would to finish the front and find out you're unhappy with it. Sometimes frogging and fixing it makes me feel better in the end.

That's your call, though.

[mel.b]

Hmmm, I'm still undecided as to what to do. Another thought I had, which i don't know if you can do with wool/knitted items to to put some like 'darts' in the back to draw it in and give in more of a tailored look? Would that work?

Maybe it will just be easier to start again (or gain 20kg)

[Ingrid]

It is possible to 'take in' your work. Kind of like doing a steek. If you run a few lines of machine sewing up the sides and cut between them, it should hold. I'm not sure what you'd do with the armhole, though. Maybe just bring it in at the waist?