Archive of Thread: Would This Pattern and Options Be a Good First Sweater? Back

2 years ago
I finally have my machine set up. I was going to use my midsize KX350 with the plastic bed. But my husband set up KH881 standard for me. This one is actually easier to slide across the bed, and it will do the yarn weight I want. I should be able to leave it on the table he fixed up for me, so it being too heavy for me to put away is not an issue. 

Anyway, I am going to try to make a sweater, a smaller sweater than I need, to get me started back. I have probably forgotten what I had learned, and want to do a small size first. I also will probably brush up on casting on, increasing and decreasing and short rowing before I start.

That in mind, I was wondering if this KIN pattern would be an easy one to get back into this with. I think the KIN Misses Pullover with the following design options would be the best to start with:

Straight Shoulder
Crew Neck
Drop Shoulder for the sleeve option. 

I have never made a successful sweater for myself. I did make a couple little girls, but I did have to fudge them to get them to work. It was the neck area.

I have a big issue picking up stitches to do necklines and attaching sleeves. I think there was a neck lesson I took, I think it was a KIN. I am going to have to do a refresher. 

Any thoughts? 

I am happy I can use the KH881 instead of my KX350. It just feels better working with it. The yarn weight fits nicely. My husband adjusted the lip around our heavy banquet table so the the entire circle disc of the clamp is flat and secure under the top. I had to stop before using the machines because the clamp disc was not secure because the depth of the lip was not enough. I decided it was better to put it away until the issue could be resolved instead of risking the machine coming loose and falling. Even with checking the clamps periodically, it would shift super quick on me, The table is very sturdy and heavy, and in a room specifically for this, so I am all set to finally get into this. I just need a fairly simple pattern to start. I hope I can find the yarn I am going to use for the small size again, because it is what I had purchased to make a sweater, or try to make a sweater, before. I want to do the sample in the same yarn. 

Thank you. 

Cynthia

2 years ago
Sounds like a good plan to me, Cynthia.

I would suggest that you work through the tutorial on neckline shaping before you start your garment.  See  https://www.knititnow.com/learn/tutorial/601/tutorial.   You will probably be happier knowing that you have worked a satisfactory neckline in practice (even if it takes a few attempts!) before you attempt it "for real".  Note the link to the Practice Neckline Patterns.on the tutorial page.

Jenny

2 years ago
Thanks, Jenny. I appreciate the link, also. I did that but it was quite a while ago. I forgot to bookmark it back then. Your link led me directly to it. I will probably start work on that in a couple days. I stressed my bad knee in my excitement of swapping my rooms yesterday so the former card making room is my machine knitting room and the other room is my card making room. Figures. But, I will be able to watch the video a few times, and make notes, before actually doing it. Thank you.

Sue and this site's members are wonderful.

2 years ago
Hi Cynthia,
Yes, any drop shoulder sweater would be a great place to start.  There would be shaping on the sleeves and the neckline. only.

Jenny made an excellent suggestion to practice the neckline first.

You mentioned that you've never had success with sweaters for yourself.  We discussed offline: measuring something you wear and copying those dimensions and mastering gauge.

Please let us know how things are going with your knitting.

Sue

2 years ago

Yes, I will be doing some practice runs with the neckline tutorial. I am also going to brush up on the short rowing. I actually had a lot of fun when I was doing short rowing, although, I inevitably messed up and had to undo some rows, which was actually good practice. 

Now that I have a permanent room and my machine is set up to stay, I can really get into it. Unfortunately, a knee issue I put off dealing with has taken a turn, and I have to tend to that and a couple other things. I have printed off all material that is printable so I can read up, having difficulties with the monitors and my eyes and that is being taken care of in the next two weeks. I am doing everything I can now, though.

I have done a tension swatch, and will do others with other yarn weights that will fit my 881. I don’t have to read much to do those and I can stop and get up whenever I need to stretch the knee without being concerned about where I left off. So, there is plenty I can do as I take care of some things I put off so I did not have to go to offices and the hospital during the heavy COVID period. 

Thank you, everyone. This forum is so encouraging and motivating. I have my eye set on two particular sweater tops that are more involved than the one I will be doing first, so I don’t want to do either of them until I am completely settled with casting on, collars, necklines, sleeves, armholes, and casting off. Thank you all. I will post photos of my practice work as I move along. I am feeling much better about this. I do have to find some lightweight machine washable yarn while I am practicing. I want to use that for my final projects. 

Am I correct that stretchy yarns, yarns with nylon in with the wool, are more difficult to work with, or create their own problems? If so, I will stay away from those for now. I think the wool will not curl as much or will allow you to eliminate the curl better?

When I get to the point where I will be starting my actual project, I will probably be asking about a lightweight Summer applicable yarn. 

2 years ago
Hi Cynthia
Are you in the UK? 
Joy 😊

2 years ago
No, Joy. I am in the states.

2 years ago
It has been a while. I just wanted to let you know that I have not given up. I have had cataract surgery and just had the second eye done. I can't see close up good enough to be able to do the sample neck yet. I don't have my prescription for closeup yet and won't get it until my appt in a couple weeks. I just went in and tried, but it was frustrating to try to read the instructions and do them using a magnifying glass. Rather than try it while frustrated, I decided it is best to just wait. I tried to catch my typos here but am not sure I caught them all. Devices also give me a problem. Distance is super now, though. No more flashing light bulbs in my face. So your generous responses are not for naught. I have not given up, I just have to wait until I get the proper glasses. My old ones will not work for the closeup work.

2 years ago
Well, I have my glasses and I am starting the neckline shaping practice pattern. I cast on 98 stitches and worked up to row 99 (finished row 98). I will continue tomorrow as it is late and I do not want to get interrupted while forming the back neckline.



I did use my hold in my machine before, but m reading up on it again in the manual. I actually felt that was quite fun when I did it. I am looking forward to the shaping.

According to the directions, it said you can scrap off the center stitches. I seem to recall that I did do that with my second attempt because the center stitches seemed to be stretched with not adding rows to keep up with the shoulder stitches having rows added.

Now, I am trying to figure out how I did that. Do I just put the stitches for the right and left shoulders in hold and do the button on each side and remove the main yard from the carriage, add the scrap yarn ball and knit back and forth for a few rows and then removed that yarn from the carriage and run it across to remove the neckline stitches from the bed? Then I put the carriage back to the right, put that main yarn back in, Set it to only hold on the left, put the right stitches back into work position, and continue? 

I am assuming that with the needles for the right shoulder in hold position and the right side cam activated, when I put the scrap yarn into the carriage and move it across all those right shoulder stitches (the carriage is in the right edge), the right shoulder stitches will be fine and will not be knit into the scrap yarn on the carriage's way across those stitches to catch the center stitches that I am going to scrap off?

2 years ago
I have tried searching for the answer to the question I am going to,ask, but keep getting completely different info than what I am looking for. 

I am now working on my practice neckline, see above post with the photo. The knitting is getting long and I have to have my chair back. Can I removed the comb and roll the fabric up and find some way to clip it? It is going to hit the floor and that would cause it to push up off the needles, at least if I was making the entire sweater, not just a practice neckline.

What do you clip it with so it will not snag or stretch the knitting where you have the roll pinned, clipped, or whatever?

I will continue searching for an answer while I await a reply.

Thank you.

2 years ago
Yes, you can remove the comb and replace it in  the knitting.  Unless you are using a ribber cast on comb, just remove it and hang the teeth in your knitting. if you don't want to do that, use claw weights.

Remember your knitting weights a bit, so it will act as "weights", but you will still need to add some weights.  Maybe just claw weights will be enough.

2 years ago
Cynthia,
Your neckline ... 
I'm sorry I got lost in what you were trying to describe.  Have you worked out how to shape the neckline? I'll contact you directly.

I'm sorry to see that you have a sweater on the bed and so many stitches and you are trying to work out how to shape a neckline.  I always recommend knitting AT LEAST one sample neckline before you get to this point.

Let's take this conversation private and I can answer your questions directly.
Sue