Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

AngelaAlter — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:37:35 GMT

I just saw a great sweater, "Cotton classic stitch sample Pullover" by Rosemary Drysdale (free download at tahkistacycharles.com), knit up at my favorite LYS, Grandma's Spinning Wheel, here in Tucson, AZ. The sleeves on it are in an open lace pattern, despite the body being mostly rib or stockinette. Perhaps your three balls would stretch to accommodate something similar, perhaps using the motif around the yoke of your sweater. I also agree that the 3/4 sleeve is very flattering, it's my preferred length too!

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

AnneC@5 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:03:38 GMT

There is an alternative - replace the body and sleeve hems with another yarn; I think a black chenille would lovely with this garment. That will probably give you enough yarn to have full-length sleeves. If you want to, you could also add a little of the contrast yarn to the neck edge - maybe I-cord, crab stitch crochet, blanket stitch embroidery, or even a flower made from the black chenille, pinned to one side.

Good luck!

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

MicheleM@3 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:58:38 GMT

I think what you've done is so beautiful, my suggestion would be to finish the length, and make the sleeves cap sleeves if necessary. You could wear it with a long sleeved t-shirt underneath for the winter, and in the spring you could wear it alone. Good luck!

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

meganniekate — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:59:59 GMT

As a knitting instructor, I want to thank you for stories like these. Good lessons to learn, and for new knitters, a wonderful example of how, regardless of expertise, all knitters have to use the "Oops" word.

Hope I get to meet you at a conference one day... :))

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

chris@59 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:33:23 GMT

Beautiful sweater! The lace at the neck really adds a lot. I love the yarn you used. I also think the 3/4 sleeve length would go nicely on this sweater.

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

Oniya — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:49:36 GMT

I've occasionally done the 'I meant to do that' yarn change. In the case of the sweater, I would go with working the sleeves with one ball each, and then adding in a strip of a contrasting color before splitting the final ball of the original yarn between the two sleeves.

re: Planning yarn amounts for top-down knitting

Julie@7 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:39:22 GMT

Amy Herzog also recommends elbow-length and 3/4-length sleeves for bottom-heavy girls; the sleeve length emphasizes the waist and brings the eye upwards from the widest part. This could solve your yarn shortage issue, too.