ARGH! (Update page 4!)

[laikabear]

My sweater doesn't fit!

Here's a brief history: I took a sweater class in which we made a cardigan. The class was led by a yarn rep and we had to use his yarns (Trendsetter). The yarn for this sweater cost over $150 as it was 2 yarns held double. I hated the cardigan pattern and it fit terribly. I ripped out the sweater and made Stefanie Japel's Cozy V Neck from Fitted Knits. I like the way the sweater looks and am very happy except one thing. It pulls up and then bulges around my waist. I tried to block it and pinned out the ribbing even with the body, but I unpinned it today and it's no better. Although it is a little longer!

I would like to (actually that's a lie, I wouldn't LIKE to but I have no other choice) rip back and reknit the bottom portion (it's top down) to fix the bulge. My worries are - will it work, will I have enough yarn, and will it ruin the yarn, which is already "distressed" from going through frogging once. If I do rip it, should I just go above where it bulges and then add some decreases and then knit the ribbing with a larger needle size? I initially did the body with 11s and the ribbing with 10s. So maybe 10.5?

I want to love this sweater!!! And I don't want to buy $50 more worth of yarn to redo the bottom, if the store even has any more.

[laikabear]

Close up of the yarn:

[Jan in CA]

That yarn is gorgeous!

That style with the ribbing just naturally pulls up like that. Since your hips are larger than your waist it will tend to slide up a bit and therefore blouse out. It's the nature of ribbing really. You could do a different bottom, use a different size needle to make it looser, or a different ribbing that's not so stretchy.. ?

[suzeeq]

I agree with Jan, that it's more the style, however, you can do a couple things - knit more of the body in stockinette and less in ribbing, or keep the same amount of stockinette and ribbing, but make some increases about halfway down the ribbing so it's a bit larger as it gets to your hips. Or you can leave as is and make it a couple inches shorter if you don't mind it being a little shorter.

[prettylittlelie]

Heh.
Maybe its just me...
being lazy
and whatnot


but I'd just pin it,
turn it inside out
and seam up the sides

[laikabear]

Pin and seam... Would that work?

OMG, that would be so awesome. I'll have to check first to see if it just rides up more if I pin it.

[Jan in CA]

but I'd just pin it,
turn it inside out
and seam up the sides

I think I'd re-knit. I don't like the idea of seaming my hand knits.

[prettylittlelie]

I imagine it would.

You'd just have to watch the tension so it wouldn't pull too tight and bunch, unless thats the look you're going for
&&than you could work in a piece of elastic

Side ruching can be cute

[suzeeq]

Yeah, with a top down, it would be very easy to undo the BO and rip out to where you want to adjust. A lot faster as well.

[ArtLady1981]

I believe this style is supposed to 'blouse' like Jan said. You might be trying to wear it contrary to its nature. Have you tried "going with the flow"? Blousing it, instead of pulling it down over the hips? (I'm sure you prolly have)

Anyway, other than that, I agree with the suggestion to frog up to the st st, and reknit downwards using st st all the way, ending with a more conventional length of ribbing. The ribbing can still be ultra tall...but not ULTRA ULTRA tall.

This sweater style is fairly conventional anyway, so I don't think you'll ruin its overall 'look'. Besides, the tweediness of the yarn takes the front row anyway. If it was a solid yarn the 'style' of long ribbing on body and sleeves would be more pronounced, and ULTRA ULTRA tall ribbing on the sleeves would make the body need ULTRA ULTRA tall ribbing to balance it out, or carry the theme.

I covet your yarn! It is wonderful. It's too costly to let it linger in a sweater you won't wear. Been there, done that.

Join the club! Our question is: why do these dilemmas only happen on expensive yarn?