Jumpers or sweaters that fit through the waist and fall just above the hips are very stylish among the young. Pullover patterns with 3/4 sleeves or longer and fitted waists for those who still have them. Knitnscribble has almost finished 'Stilwell' by Jared Flood, a two-color-stranded knitting pattern, which fulfills the fitted sweater design requirements and will keep you on your toes as an intermediate knitter.
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| courtesy Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed |
Stilwell is knit with two different size needles to prevent the bunching, sometimes associated with stranded knitting. Knitnscribble chose a size 7 (4.5 mm) for the smaller needle and worked the color work on a size 9 (5.5 mm), using yarn.com's Valley Yarns 'Cold Spring' in a purplish colorway purchased on sale,
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| copyright knitnscribble 2012 |
and for the medium size, two skeins of Elsebeth Lavold's Chunky AL for the coordinating off-white color. The pullover pattern calls for US 8 (5 mm) and 10 (6 mm), depending on correct yarn gauge. After swatching, the 7 and 9 circular needles were selected.
There's little or no sewing up, as the entire jumper is knit in the round, bottom up, including the sleeves. Short rows are used in the back on the shoulders and also in the collar. The pattern directions read expertly until the colorwork is finished for the yoke. It says "break yarn," and reads "Starting with WS of fabric facing you, join yarn to Left front and purl 1 row." Problem is, what does one do with the unworked stitches? After looking on the Ravelry forum and finding other knitters had the same problem with no answer from the powers that be, Knitnscribble searched for Stilwell errata across the web and found no correction or clearer wording. At a loss, decided to strike out. Pattern should read, "Work to placket shaping w/o decreases, then begin the back and forth, purling the next row at left front on WS." Do not break yarn as directions read.
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| copyright knitnscribble 2012 |
There is also an error in the sleeve color cuff chart. You'll notice in the photo, the left sleeve doesn't yet have the embroidered dot in the middle of the design on the last row, as the after-knitting right one does. All in all, Stilwell is a lovely knitting pattern and very enjoyable. Available on Ravelry or
Jared Flood's Brooklyn Tweed site for $6.25 USD.
There are two other knitting patterns planned for this summer's knitting. Both are fitted sweaters for daughter and granddaughter.
For the
Swans Island 'Katherine' Pullover pattern design by Michael Rose Orne, Knitnscribble is using
Cascade Pure Alpaca yarn in the ginger colorway, available on sale at Little Knits.com.
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| courtesy Swans Island Blankets |
The
Valley Yarns Cranberry Boatneck fitted sweater pattern was only $2.99 from yarn.com; yarn for granddaughter's sweater, still undecided.
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| courtesy Valley Yarns/yarn.com |
