sweater • The Knitting Vortex • Page 4

Wisterious

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Aug 132013

The pretty lace pattern and slightly boxy fit of this tee make a sweet yet modern sweater. Worked seamlessly from the top down, Wisterious has a simple dolman shape with special details including ribbed trim with invisible tubular edges, shaped sleeve ribbing, and a feminine I-cord finish with petite buttons and button loops. Over a matching or contrast tank, Wisterious is both girly and casual. Construction: Cast on at the shoulders, Wisterious is worked separately for the front and back with dolman shaping for the sleeves, then joined at the underarm and worked in the round to the hem. A wide band of ribbing pulls in the body, ending neatly with an invisible tubular edge, and matching the sleeve hems which are picked up from the body and shaped with short rows to eliminate bulk under the arms. The final embellishment is an I-cord finish across the neckline and shoulders, which are closed with petite buttons and button loops worked into the I-cord. Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, knit/purl, lace, short rows, applied I-cord, grafting; Wisterious . . .

Arcady

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Jul 122013

Highly textured lace and seamless top down construction give Arcady a simple and pretty appeal. A narrow applied I-cord edging at the front and neckline makes delicate button loops for small pearl buttons. The narrow ribbing flows smoothly from the lace, for refined sleeve and body hems with a tiny garter edge. Light and delicate, this cardigan adds whimsy to jeans or a romantic finish over a dress. Construction: Arcady is cast on at the neckline and worked in lace pattern with raglan construction to the armhole depth. The sleeves are divided and placed on hold, while the body is worked in the continuous lace pattern, with no shaping to the narrow hem. Stitches are picked up along the front edges and neckline, and a tidy applied I-cord with integrated buttonholes is worked to finish the edges. Finally, the cap sleeves are finished with a narrow rib and elegant slender garter edge, matching the hem.Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, easy lace, applied I-cord (cable CO); Arcady is both written and charted, and . . .

Aqueous

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Jun 062013

A lightweight lace cardigan knit seamlessly in one piece from the top down, Aqueous features frothing waves of lace which roll back and forth in slimming vertical lines. With minimal finishing, this simple cap sleeve raglan pattern is an easy and soothing knit, ready in no time to dress up a summer outfit. Construction: Aqueous is cast on at the neckline, and worked back and forth with raglan construction, in a simple lace pattern with garter button bands. Body and sleeves are divided at the armscye depth, then the body is worked to the hem. Short sleeves are then finished with narrow garter edges. Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, easy lace. Aqueous is both written and charted, and includes instructions for increasing in pattern. Size: 30 (33, 35, 37.5, 40, 42, 44.5, 47, 49.5, 52)” bust; sample shown in third size worn with no ease. Yarn: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering (50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Viscose Bamboo; 200 yards/183m/50g), shown in Manatee; 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8) skeins, . . .

Lithos

Featured, New Release, Patterns, Sweaters 3 Responses »

Mar 022013

Named for the Greek word meaning rock, Lithos is a structured cardigan in which the cable and garter elements of the collar are formed together with the gently shaped raglan body. The unusual construction begins by working the wide braided cable and garter collar from the center back neck toward each shoulder, then stitches are picked up around the collar edge and integrated into the cabled fronts, while being worked seamlessly from the top down in one piece to the hem. The organic cable appears to travel around the front edge and neckline from one end to the other, although each side is worked from the top to the bottom. A traditional cardigan with contemporary construction, Lithos is sturdy and reliable on cold days. Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, increasing/decreasing, picking up stitches, cables. Size: 30 (32, 34.75, 37.25, 40, 42.75, 45.25, 48.25, 51.25)” bust; shown in third size worn with 1” ease. Yarn: Knit Picks Biggo (50% Superwash Merino Wool, 50% Nylon; 110 yards/101m/100g); 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 9, . . .

Plixi

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Oct 182012

Plixi is a long and lean open front cardigan, with gentle waist shaping and a flowing ruffle at the front edge and cuffs. Worked seamlessly from the top down in a drapey fingering weight yarn on larger needles, Plixi uses the contiguous method of seamless shoulder and sleeve construction, with a picked-up ruffle along the front edge, and a simple purled hem finish. Long, slim, and elegant, Plixi works with jeans or a dress, for a sleek and chic style to elevate any outfit. Construction: Plixi uses the contiguous method of construction, in which the fronts and back are worked from the top down using increases along the shoulder line, then seamless sleeves are worked simultaneously once the sleeve cap is reached. Techniques & Skills Used: longtail and backwards loop CO, contiguous construction, knit/purl, short rows, increasing/decreasing, lifted increases, picking up stitches, simultaneous shaping; links are included to my short rows and contiguous construction tutorials. Size: 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 48)” bust; sample shown in second size worn with no ease. Yarn: RYC . . .

Jilted

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Sep 182012

Jilted, dropped, fallen . . . She may have been left ignominiously by that worthless boyfriend, but that just means her spirit is free. No more quiet evenings in, no more covered-up turtlenecks; she’s going out, and she’s going to wear something touchable and revealing, something imperfect and undone. And it’s going to be eye-catching, just like she is. Dressed up or down, Jilted is a simple sweater with a surprise – just like the girl wearing it. Construction: Jilted is a very simple, wide-neck blouson with a column of dropped stitches placed on each arm and asymmetrically on the front. Knit in sockweight yarn on larger needles, seamlessly from the top down with raglan shaping, the boxy fit hits at high hip with deep 2.25” ribbed hem, which echoes the rib cuffs on three-quarter length sleeves. With a simple purl neckline and stockinette body, the focus is on the dropped stitches, which are set up at the beginning and dropped almost at the end. There is no body and minimal sleeve shaping; instead the cuffs . . .

Blue Honey

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Apr 052012

Worked sideways in one flat piece from right to left sleeve cuff, Blue Honey is a long, open front cardigan with honeycomb stitch at the shoulders and a wide garter band finishing the collar and front edges. With just two sideseams, it’s a sweater that is easy to knit and flattering to wear, featuring long, lean lines and pretty textured stitch details that show off a beautiful variegated yarn. Construction: Blue Honey is cast on at the right sleeve cuff, then the right sleeve, front and back are worked flat to the center front/center back of the garment. Stitches are bound off for the right front opening edge, the back is continued, then stitches are cast on again for the left front, and the left front, back and sleeve are worked to the left sleeve cuff. Two long continuous seams from the undersleeve to the hem finish the sweater. In this sideways knit, row gauge determines body circumference, while stitch gauge determines length. Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, knit/purl, increasing/decreasing, picking up stitches, seaming. . . .

Sleeves, Contiguously

WIPs Comments Off

Feb 072012

The Contiguous cardigan continues, although beset by various little problems. Of course it’s been knit flat, back and forth to the underarm and for the body. And of course I KNOW that my flat gauge is typically larger than my gauge in the round.. Well this sweater proved to be typical; after knitting what should have been almost to the cuff on the first sleeve, with my carefully calculated rate of decrease, I tried it on and found that it was about 3″ too short. No good fix available, except to rip and redo. I decided first to do the other sleeve, using a larger needle and consciously looser tension – no pulling tight in a stranglehold around the Magic Loop! No excessive worrying about ladders! It came out much better, and true to desired gauge; see the difference: Â Â Â I was fairly immobilized on the couch with three separate balls of yarn attached, but happily managed to eliminate one by finishing the left cuff. It’s going to need a steam to stop . . .

River Union Cardi

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Feb 012012

Wide sleeves and a cropped silhouette bring stylish attitude to the River Union Cardi. Extended raglan lines and volume sleeves create a blouson shape, while deep ribbing defines the waist. The full sleeves are balanced by their three-quarter length and deep ribbed cuffs, which match the figure-flattering waist ribbing at the hem. Knit seamlessly from the top down, it’s a fast knit with a fresh feel. Construction: River Union is worked seamlessly from the top down in one piece with raglan shaping, in stockinette stitch with a deep, ribbed hem and cuffs. Stitches are picked up for the ribbed collar and buttonband, which finish the cardi with no seaming required. Instructions for working the simple, neat buttonholes are included in the photo tutorial with this pattern, and also appear in my video tutorial. Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, twisted purlwise CO, raglan construction, knit/purl, increasing, picking up stitches; pattern instructions include a photo tutorial for the buttonholes. Size: 32.5 (35, 37.5, 40.5, 43.5, 47.5, 50.5)” bust; sample shown in third size worn with 2.5” positive ease. Yarn: Berocco . . .

Stolitsa

New Release, Patterns, Sweaters Comments Off

Sep 262011

A multi-season dolman sleeve cardigan, Stolitsa transitions perfectly to suit the changing weather from autumn through spring. Worked from the top down with integrated sleeves, the front panels feature chunky lace scaled appropriately across the size range. Wide rib-finished hem, cuffs and a shaped collar that hugs the neck complete this versatile layering piece. Construction: Stolitsa is cast on provisionally at the shoulders, with back and fronts worked separately to the armhole. Sleeve stitches are put on hold and later grafted at the undersleeve seams; the fronts and back are joined and worked back and forth to the hem, with Vine Lace panels on each front, appropriate to match the size. Rib details finish the hem, cuffs and buttonband, and a few short rows softly shape the ribbed collar. Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, knit/purl, short rows, simple lace, grafting, picking up stitches. ZigZag Vine Lace is charted only; this pattern includes a buttonhole photo tutorial and link to my short row tutorial. Size: 33 (35.25, 37.5, 40, 43.5, 47)” bust; sample shown in . . .

Older Entries Newer Entries