At about midway through this post I’m going to ask for you to put your thinking caps on. I need serious KNITTY MATH help. You will be given fair warning. THANK YOU.
Thanks everyone for checking out my yarn and double thanks to those who purchased it! I’ve pretty much destashed everything I’m going to destash now – I’m getting much smarter about my yarn purchases. Everything I’ve sold off in the past few months has been impulse buys. No more impulses for me!
But that doesn’t mean I’m not buying yarn. No siree bob. I’ve got two sweaters worth of Beaverslide in the stash and yesterday I bought yarn for my Katharine Hepburn Cardigan. But first, some adventures in yarn.
Friday I was in the city to get my hair cut and colored (MAN did it need it!) and also I had become obsessed with the KH Cardigan and getting some Louet Gems Sport Weight (I guess they don’t call it Opal anymore) to swatch with. I had some yarn to return to Seaport so after my hair appointment, I trekked it all the way downtown to see if I could switch out the yarn – I was trying to return the Gems Topaz I sold yesterday. After the staff was particularly unhelpful and pissy about my return, I wasn’t able to find the needed amount in a color I thought I wanted. So I didn’t buy anything. Not even a skein to swatch with. I have a strict policy of not spending my money in places that treat me poorly. (I hear what you’re saying Ann, but the Post Office is a totally different story. YES IT IS!) I feel this is really the only way to get my displeasure across and I’m fairly good about keeping my policies in check. Okay. No yarn. I’m in NYC with about a million yarn stores. It’s Friday at 5:45. SOME STORE must be open AND have ONE FREAKING SKEIN of Gems Opal so I can AT LEAST SWATCH! Did I say I had become obsessed? After a few phone calls to G to check the web for me, I found out that Purl was open until 7. So I hightail it up there because I know that I’ve seen tons of Gems at Purl. Tons.
I get to Purl, out of breath and hot – it was WARM this weekend. (Although not as warm as the 40 people I saw wearing shorts thought it was.) I stumbled into the store and ask “Gems. Opal.” They pointed out the fingering weight. “Sorry. No. I mean the Sport Weight.” “Oh, sorry, we only sell that on the website.” WHAT?! Does anyone else think that’s weird? I mean, yes, Purl is a VERY small store, granted, but still – they can’t even have like a FEW skeins of the sport weight. For, like, you know, SWATCHING purposes?
I stumbled back out onto the street. MUST.FIND.SPORTWEIGHT. My weekend was starting to deteriorate. Friday night and I’ve got new hair, but who cares? Think, Cara, THINK! The Point! Don’t the Spiders knit there Friday nights? Hmmmm. It’s around the corner. It’s open. It’s a yarn store. There’s a chance.
I called up G again and asked him to look up the Spiders. He found their website and I told him to look to see where they meet on Friday nights. He didn’t find that info, but he did find the “rules” for joining and he asked if this was some kind of secret society or something and do we really need to give up our first born for me to find some yarn and I said they’re NICE girls, they don’t want our kid and then I passed Julianne Moore and her lovely family on Bedford (which was a little bit weird because I had just watched this movie the night before) and then I was there. At The Point.
Did I mention I haven’t eaten yet that day?
Gleek seemed genuinely happy to see me and I was genuinely happy to see her and sit next to her and hear her big pregnant belly laugh all night long and then Craptina showed up and was all like where’s Ann and Flair? And I said I dropped those bitches like a hot freaking potato and then Marie came in and gave me a great hug and there were lots of other Spiders there that I was introduced to but don’t remember their names and for that I am oh so sorry but you see I hadn’t eaten all day and then I had a cupcake so I was so sugared up I was actually about to fall asleep.
In case you’re wondering, they had Gems Fingering Weight and Gems Worsted Weight.
I left after a little bit because I had to go get my car and pick up G and I was super starving and tired and I didn’t have my fucking yarn and then, on Madison around 67th, there was a man lying on the ground in the middle of the sidewalk sort of crumpled up and looking very much NOT alive and people started gathering and I called 911 and then I had to wait for the ambulance to come and people in NYC are nice when there’s a crisis and the guy turned out to be okay, I guess, after the EMTs started yelling at him to GET UP. At least, he was able to stand up and when I came around the corner again with my car the ambulance and the guy were gone, so who knows. Hey Ginny! Don’t Stop Believing!!
Damn. This post is turning out to be long. Sorry about that.
Okay. No yarn. But the night was saved because my husband found me a very nice burger and more cupcakes. The next day I went and had lunch with my mom, who was in town for the opera, my sister and my brother. Family love! It was actually quite nice and then my bro and I head up to Knitty City because the QUEST HAS NOT ENDED! Luckily for me my bro had some time to kill AND his girlfriend is a knitter so he knows the drill. Knitty City didn’t have the yarn, but my brother buys his girlfriend a Lover Boy.
What to do, what to do, what to do!
You know, when it comes to yarn, policies don’t apply. Seriously.
My brother just happened to have to be down town to meet his friend and I KNEW Seaport had the freaking yarn – at least one skein in any freaking color so I could freaking SWATCH and the Japanese place right around the corner was probably open with my favorite chewy fruity candies so I got myself lots of candies and one skein of yarn. Although the subway ride down there almost made the whole thing very UNWORTH it.
A sort of happy ending is coming to all this. I FINALLY found some Gems Sport Weight and I swatched.
My swatch is perfect and I love it.
So I swatched on Saturday and I LOVE the yarn and it’s perfect for the pattern (imagine that – given that it’s the yarn CALLED for in the pattern) but I swatched in Willow and Wil
low isn’t the best green. I wanted Fern Green because I think it will look fantastic with this pattern and fantastic on me and I would’ve done the red, but all I do is red (although this will be the second green sweater) but G says I look great in green. I should wear more green, he says. Clearly, it’s not easy being green.
And of course now that I found the pattern AND the perfect yarn and identified the perfect color, well, you can imagine where this is going. Luckily for me it only took two phone calls to find enough yarn in the same dyelot to get my project going. Sheila, the owner of Stix-N-Stitches in Montclair, was super sweet to hold the yarn for me and she put me on some list to get me two more skeins. (I imagine the list is like the kind they use at car dealerships – I need a 2007 Red Camry with white leather interior. I can trade a Black Corolla with tan interior. Only, you know, with yarn. I need two skeins of Fern Green, dyelot 12, and I can trade you one French Blue and one Crabapple, etc.) Everyone at SNS was really nice – I’m sorry to everyone I met (some for the second time at least) that I can’t remember your names. I was holding them in my head so I could remember and then I started winding up my new yarn and all the names just flew out of my head like Scarlett O’Hara in that scene when she tries on her new bonnet. Please forgive me and shout out in the comments! Thank you! SNS is a beautiful store – TONS of yarns and accessories and I should really go there more often. Oh yeah, and they had my gorgeous yarn.
I cast on for the sweater last night…BUT…I’m having problems with sizing. I need help. And since this post is already a freaking novel, I’m going to talk about my size issues after the jump. But first, the title of this post refers not only to my body, but to my favorite short story – “The Fat Girl”, by Andre Dubus. It’s one of the best stories I’ve ever read in my life. And, also, Eve needs some help. She needs you to read comics for her and then, maybe, she’ll send you some yarn. Go help.
THINKING CAPS ON NOW!!! KNITTY MATH HELP NEEDED!!!
Hi! Thanks for sticking around to help me out. I am both math phobic AND math handicapped, so please be patient.
Okay. So I want to make this cardigan. I have a 40″ chest, which, even if I lose the 15-20 pounds I want to lose probably won’t be much smaller. And then, if there’s any luck in the world, I’ll get pregnant and the boobs will threaten to smother all of the tri-state area but let’s not worry about that right now. Let’s worry about the Katharine Hepburn cardigan.
40″ chest. Let’s look at the sizes: 40.5″ and 46″ chest/bust circumference, buttoned.
Let’s look at the models – hmmmm. Both are stick thin with absolutely no boobs to speak of.
Let’s think about my own personal style: I LOVE the cardigan. Perfect for the big boobish among us – stylish, but you can keep the sweater open so they don’t constrict the girls. I RARELY button a cardigan. I like things on the bigger side – I’m not really into the body hugging knits.
Initially I thought – okay. Do the 46″. But that seems too big. And the 40.5 just seems too small. I mean, sure, probably if I’m not going to button it I could get away with it, but I’ll be self-conscious and uncomfortable and not happy with my beautiful sweater.
Can anyone tell me why they sized it this way? With 5.5″ between the sizes?
I did, in fact, cast on last night for the 46″ size. But it seems big. So I took out the charts and my notepad and did some math. The charts have you starting at different places depending on your size. The way I figure it, if I start at the size below the 40.5 and then I add two extra repeats, I will gain about ten extra stitches (there are 20 stitches between the 40.5″ size and the 46″ size.) I will be casting on 159 stitches for the back (including two selvedge stitches) instead of 167 for the 46″ size. I can get gauge – I didn’t wet block my swatch, but the directions say to block lightly so I will be doing the wet towel thing to the pieces which I don’t see changing the swatch that much. So let’s say I can get gauge – 29 stitches to the 4″. Divide that by 4 and I get 7.25 stitches per inch. So I get about 22″ for the back. The 46″ size schematic says you should get 23″. So I’ll be getting a 44″ sweater – which seems like it would be just right!
So what do I do with the sleeves and the armhole/neck shaping?
I guess I could add the same number of stitches to the sleeves – I mean – I’m going to make the sleeves longer anyway so I’m going to be changing those all up.
According to the schematics, there’s only a 1/2″ difference between the 40.5″ and the 46″ size in the armholes and stuff – so probably I could just pick one and do that? Right? I guess I would pick the 46″ inch size and go from there. What do you think? Could this work? Should I mess with it or just do the 46″ size?
One more question: Since I’m going to need to cast on again, should I do the body in one piece up to the armholes or should I keep the back and fronts separate – please discuss!
ALL OPINIONS ARE WELCOME!!! (Well, that is unless you’re going to call me an asshole. Please refrain. Thank you.)
Thank you so much. I love you all!
ETA:
My row gauge was pretty good – off by a couple rows, but I know how to fix row gauge. I’m talking more about binding off for shoulders and arm holes and stuff like that – I know I mixed things up a bit. The horizontal shaping as opposed to the vertical shaping. It might not matter anymore anyway because I just soaked my swatch and it’s drying. Probably I’ll have to make either the 32″ size or the 50″ size. You know how it goes. I’m trying to learn PATIENCE. I want the sweater to look NICE.
Ohmygoodness, that is an epic tale!
All those fabulous knitters AND you saw Julianne Moore? JEALOUS. I love your swatch and neeeeed to get my hands on that book.
Also, I totally want a cupcake now. And Gems.
I would go with the 40.5″ size for the armholes. The boobies don’t really affect that area, from what my personal experience
That list that the nice lady in NJ is using to find your extra 2 skeins is called the Skeins list. Shop owners use it to ask each other for a few skeins in a particular dye lot to help out customers. They sell it to each other at cost plus ten percent, usually. It is a great service for them and us.
ok, super simple…measure your armscye (with a tapemeasure – go around the armpit and back up to the shoulder)whatever that number is pick that size in the pattern…then, make sure that your body armhole shaping matches. Simple. Nothing scary.
You mentioned you’re going to knit the cardigan in one piece. I’d like to do the same for a cardigan I’m doing, but I was wondering if you had any tips or knew of any place that had any tips on doing so.
Thanks!
Hi Cara — I’m glad you found some Gems sportweight to swatch with. Your initial post on this project sent me to my shelves, where I have that yarn dyed by Claudia Handpaint. I’m loving it. One word of caution, though. WASH YOUR SWATCH BEFORE YOU DECIDE ON A SIZE. Merino wool, especially in a stretchy pattern like this, can expand on washing. The tag says it’s machine wash and dry, so give it a go before you do the whole thing. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way.
Oh geez. It sounds like it will work as you’re describing. I’d knit the front and back and then worry about the sleeves later.
It really doesn’t matter. You might want to measure the width of your arm at the bicep and choose a sleeve size accordingly, then choose the accompanying armhole. Check the armhole depth of both and compare them to similar sweaters that you own, as well. That should make sure that you do not get any surprises, but it is unlikely that it will make much of a difference. Good luck!
*This* is exactly why i’m still afraid to try a sweater. Do keep us updated, though, and hopefully I’ll learn a lot from your sweater knitting!
(Sorry I’m no help)
Hooo-ee. Sounds like you burned a trail through that city. Speaking of which, I’m going to be in NYC for a wedding in May and am canvassing Those In the Know to find out which, if I can only visit ONE, yarnerie I should visit. J a r e d says School Products. Care to weigh in?
I would make the 40.5. I’m always in some state of believing that at any moment I could lose more weight and I want my knitted items to fit after I lose the weight. So, I’m not saying that it’s the best idea, it’s just what I would do 🙂
On another note … I ran into Julianne Moore a few years ago at a Haagen Dazs in D.C. and I couldn’t stop staring at her freckles. She’s covered in freckles! In her movies and photographs, though, she doesn’t have a single freckle on her. I don’t know if she gets coated in makeup or alterations are done photoshop, but I was surprised, regardless.
Shaping is utterly dependent on row gauge. You don’t say in your post, so I’ll ask….does your row gauge match the pattern?
wow, you totally lost me after the jump 🙂 i’m glad you got your yarn finally! it was the quest of a lifetime! and it was good to see you on friday. please stop by anytime.
yea you found yarn! there are like 3 yarn shops in Montclair… i find that fascinating! I haven’t been to Stixs yet. I LOVE the color you chose! I would so go with a green as well 🙂
as for the shaping, i’m not good at this just yet, i would say go down the size as most knits stretch? it’s monday, i have no brain on mondays.
I would go with thr 46″ for the arm holes. As you said you don’t like things too fitted and I know that I personally can’t stand to have the arm holes too tight.
I can’t stand rude yarn stores. That is why I go to one that is an hour plus away from me. I love them there so much it is worth the trip.
The list that you were put on is where yarn stores from all over look at (I can’t remember the name of it). If another store has what you need then your LYS will purchase it (I guess they could trade if something else was needed at the other store) then it will be there for you at your LYS. It is a really cool list. I have had my LYS find a few yarns for me.
Thanks for the link to Eve’s study! Being able to help while having fun? I’m all for it!
My thinking cap isn’t of much help (even to me) these days, so all I have to offer is a poor – but heartfelt! – good luck with the pattern modifications. I hope that all will go well, and that you’ll end up loving your sweater.
Have you thought about inserting a stocking stitch (or other less-stitch-hungry pattern)panel where the side seams would be? So just kind of expand the sweater by knitting it as written, but with say a 2 inch insert under each arm? Or even just either side of the front band (if it is a cardigan)? It might sound gross, but it could work… and it would be completely unique too!
Loved your yarn-search story! Obsession is a wonderful thing!
What an ordeal trying to find the Louet!! I had a similar day yesterday trying to find the new Interweave books. Glad your trips panned out better than mine!
Measure yourself, I’ll bet you fit into the 40.5 sleeve.
Overly big sleeves are so unflattering — they make a body look flabby and lumpy — and there’s no need to do that to your cute self.
However, will the patterns match up if you add stitches to the bust but not to the sleeves?
Having met you in person, and seen many pictures of you, I think you should knit the sleeves and armholes and neckhole for the 40.5″ size. The only finished measurement which is giving you beef is the bust size, right? So, you’ve figured out how to make it a tad wider. Generally speaking, modern knit designs tend to go loose with the sleeves and armholes, and I don’t remember you having gigantic shoulders or huge guns (haha). So, I’d just widen the body, but leave sleeves and armholes as in the smaller size. To make sure this is going to work, wrap a tape measure around the widest part of your bicep, and if you like your cardis on the looser side, add 2-3″. Look at the stitch count for the 40.5 size right before you do the sleeve cap, and compare. I’m betting it will be right on target :). Ciao for now!
I’d say stick with the smaller sizes sleeves, though maybe measure yourself and see how that may fit. Another thing I use for messing with patterns is gauge paper – there’s a site somewhere that lets you generate your own graph paper for whatever gauge you have. I’d use it to modify patterns when I wasn’t getting gauge (I’d color the called for gauge in and then put my gauge paper over it and trace) – if you know what measurements you want then you can use it to trace out the shape you want and figure stitches from there.
I think. I could be wrong about that… 🙂
Block the eff out of it till it fits!
You’re over thinking it…go with the larger size and stick with it.
Wow, that is an epic tale. Seaport Yarn is erratic in its friendliness and helpfulness. The Fern colorway is definitely the ONE. It was nice seeing you at SnS. I sensed you were on a yarn mission of some sort. CPH looked awesome! Don’t feel bad about forgetting names (I’m the one you met at Rhinebeck). I’m just awful remembering names. Sorry I am no help with the knitty math, although Grumperina’s comment (and many others) made sense to me.
So you only bought the one skein, for swatching purposes, at Seaport, right? I think that is acceptable. Especially if you loudly muttered “I’d spend more money here if y’all weren’t such bi-yotches” while you were there.
Joke: How do you perform CPR in NYC?
“Hey you! [kicks prone person] Get up before you f’in DIE!”
But apparently this is in fact SOP?
Also, you are wrong: I would take your baby.
Umm, what was the question?
Seriously, I don’t have the book here, but patterns often state what size the model is wearing and it often is a smaller size than expected. So, I’m not sure I’d go by the photo. The fabric looks quite stretchy and could take a pretty good block for a bit of ease. And see how much the swatch relaxes with a bath. All this to say, I think you should probably go with the 40.5 rather than the 46.
I like one piece up to the armholes, unless you need to carry it around in which case the pieces might be easier to manage.
Love the color.
Your swatch and yarn are lovely. I love Louets yarn. I recently had a need for Louet Gems Pearl and I bought it at Seaport Yarns in Portland ME. The lone male employee was kind and helpful without being pushy.
I’ve always knit my cardigans in one piece – and then picked up stitches and knit the sleeves down from the armholes. I’ve never found that I lose any structure to the garment by not having the side seams and the less finishing in a piece for me, the less probability that it’ll turn into an UFO. Personally, if you don’t want to whip out the tape measure, I’d go with the 46″ size sleeve, if there’s that little difference between the sleeve sizes. Or just measure against an existing sweater with a similar structure for comparison. Nothing worse than having slightly too tight armholes. It’s a beautiful sweater – can’t wait to see it develop on your needles!
Thank goodness you found the yarn you wanted!!! I was about to go check out the LYS and start googling for you. There is nothing worse than knowing what you want/need and not being able to find it. I’m looking forward to the math help. I’m totally challenged myself.
First of all, I’m glad you wet the swatch – it may matter! Second, you should be fine changing the sweater horizontally in the way you described – sounds logical, unless I am missing something. Third, pick a size for the arms, they shouldn’t change much. Use the same size instructions for the neckline. It’s going to be great – I just know it!
Can’t help on the math – I’m challenged also – but you should have asked Julianne Moore about where to get the yarn. She’s a total knitter, I hear.
OMG so many things to comment on. First of all, I wish I had this book and could look at the lace pattern. I pre-ordered it from Amazon about a million years ago and I STILL HAVEN’T RECEIVED IT.
Secondly, I have to do this to my sweaters all the time, usually change something from a 44″ to 46″, or from 46″ to 48″. I will look at the numbers more closely but the first thing I would suggest is blocking the swatch, because just a smidge on 4″ can add up to a couple inches on a whole sweater really easily.
And lastly, Dude! I lived in the West Village for 2 years and I NEVER saw anybody famous walking around!!
It looks like you’ve got the cardie all figured out!
It cracks me up that you think becoming a Spider is so tough! I just emailed Gleek, she told me where to meet up, and there you go, I’m a Spider. It was fun hanging out with you! I think next time we’ll force Craptina to call you so we can hear her song and giggle…
Rather than do knitty math, what about doing the back in the 40.5 size and the fronts in the 46 size? Will the sleeves work for that?
The whole time my daughter lived in Lyndhurst I kept trying to make it to some yarn store in Montclair, but every time we either got lost or something else came up. It must have been Stix-n-Stitches, unless it’s very new. I feel bad I never made it. Oh well. It turns out I’ve ordered from them online. And now she lives in Portland, and they have Knit/Purl so my life isn’t totally ruined.
dear cara.
sleeves are as follows. cuff/ribbing is 20% of the key.
upper arm is 33.3% of the key
underarm is 8% of the key.
hope this helps peg
Brain exploding now.. need coffee and chocolate..can not do math…
What a tale!
I’d go with the 40.5″ size – it’s a *really* stretchy fabric and that -1/2″ of ease isn’t going to constrict the boobs, it’ll just stretch a bit. As you can see from the pictures in the book, it’s designed to be fairly form-fitting, more than likely designed with negative ease in the bust.
When I knit this for myself, I’ll knit the largest size in the book, which is a full inch smaller than my bust measurement (assuming I haven’t managed to lose any weight or wean the nurseaholic child in the interim).
I think you talked with, met, etc., more knitters in this epic tale than there are people in all of Augusta ME! (well… maybe not). I’m with Jess, knit the 40.5 size. Or, did you try dropping down a needle size and making the larger size, or would that make the fabric too stiff or not make it small enough? Hey, at least it’s not like the Twinkle patterns that think everybody is smaller than 32 inches. Good luck!
I’d take a close look at the instructions for the sleeves and armscies for both sizes and see if there even is a large difference. Take a highlighter and mark whatever size you go by so you don’t get confused.
Also, you could divide 159 by 167 (it’s .95). Then multiply all the given numbers in the larger pattern by .95 and that will be the number of stitches you should cast on/increase/decrease whenever it says in the pattern for the 46. Of course you need to be creative in working that into the stitch pattern.
Or, even MORE adventurous: Use larger needles and knit the smaller size. Swatch first, obviously. 🙂 That’s how I personally like to drive myself insane.
Oh I don’t like all this recalculating business. Would it be impossible to scale down by a needle size or two, and knit the bigger size, or vice versa, recalculating based on your stitch gauge?
By the way, this is one of my favorite yarns, and I have never seen it in any store. I bought mine online. Willow, thank you, although I’ll certainly consider Fern for the next go-round.
sorry, no math brain here today but it looks like you are getting plenty of advice here. just wanted to say yum, gems; plus i want to go to nyc and meet you all! oh and i want a cupcake, too.
Ackkk! Don’t mention the pregnancy boobs. I’m only 20 weeks and I had to go bra shopping again today! Four inches and counting.
How about measuring the sleeves on your Central Park Hoodie which fits you so perfectly and then using whichever one is closest to that?
Now my hair hurts. Too much math.
But wowsa, did I learn a lot! Like, what a waste CPR classes were! And new ways to measure myself!
See, that’s why I come here. . . . .
In dressmaking if one is larger than a B cup one measures one’s “high bust” (that is around the back, under the armpits and then over the chest above the bust points, level -usually- with the arm pits) and uses that to choose the pattern size to get the shoulders and arms and back right. Then one adjusts the front pieces to account for however many additional inches one has when measured around at the bust point.
That’s a long winded way of saying go with the 40.5″ size (for shoulders and arms anyway) assuming it gives you enough ease when compared to your high bust measurement. I would probably make adjustments to the front for the extra bust past a B cup but that’s a ways for me. Of course, all the above is predicated on the pattern designer using the “standard” B cup (which, iirc, has actually been below average for a while time now) that dressmaking uses.
Funny, I was actually going to mention SnS as carrying that yarn . . . but now I don’t have to!
OMG – that totally killed me – I love the quest for yarn story!! Sorry I suck at math don’t ask me for help!
But, but, but… I’m the one that bought the Louet Gems Topaz yesterday — what were you doing trying to return it to the store in the 3rd paragraph of your post? I’m confused! Not that that is an unknown state for me.
Wow! That was quite a tale! My take on the sweater is to do exactly as you said: make a size in between. I’d make the larger sleeves and adjust the armholes accordingly. And I usually like to make a sweater flat if the pattern calls for it. The seams give it a little more substance so it isn’t all floppy. The pattern looks beautiful. I think I might put this on my must knit list!
Your insane mad cap search was worth it–the swatch kicks a**! BTW, I don’t do math, I’m a girl…(kidding!) I agree with the poster who recommended the cph measurement and working from that.
Have you considered knitting the back following the 40.5″ and the front at 46″? Adjust the neck stitches by knitting half at each size. The side seam will won’t be out of place since the girls will help pull the seam forward. It’s a trick that I learned from a LYS for these patterns with wide gaps in sizing. As for the sleeves, I’d say pick the size that most closely matches what you wear.
Can I ask a non-related question about this sweater? How are you doing the double decreases? I’ve started mine and your decreases look completely different from mine . . . I’m making the 36.5″ bust and I measure 36″, but I like things really fitted. And I’m adding waist shaping, too!
ok. no math in this comment.
Andre Dubus is my uncle. And of course that makes Andre Dubus of “House of Sand and Fog” my cousin.
thanks for the compliments about the story – ironically last week was the anniversary of his (my uncle) Death in 1999.
i ordered the book for that pattern – I fell in love with it from your blog… now i am going to have to get the yarn too… and then wait for the book – hope its not too long i want to make it!
I’m not even going to finish reading this post before writing this: the yarn–it stretches. I just finished a sweater that measures 36″ for my 38″ bust. It fits beautifully. I say go no bigger than the 40.5 size. Trust me.
Hey, ass– … Not. Love your blog, love your energy. And I love both of those colors, willow and fern — I’m making some Anemoi mittens with them right now! I agree with everyone else who says to go with the 40.5″ size for the sleeves, but really it depends on what the swatch tells you when it dries. I’m not familiar with the KH sweater, but I can’t wait to see what you make. The swatch is lovely.
I feel breathless just reading about your hunt. It was great to meet you on Friday at the Point, thank goodness they have those lovely cupcakes to keep you going eh? Glad that you managed to find the yarn in the end, they sound like good folk at SnS.
Sorry, I’m absolutely no bloody help with the numbers.
Sounds like an adventure and a half. I am with you about the snooty sales people. Cruel yarn fates, sometimes it can be so hard when you have that oh-so-specific need.
Hi, I would have to go along with making the 40.5″ size armholes and neck shaping, because it’s easier to stretch the sleeve a little to fit into the armhole than it is to ease in extra fabric. Or, as others said, you could do the whole sweater in the 40.5″ size and go up a needle size to get the extra width.
This is my second comment–I went back and read it again because I really kind of like the math–and I think I would do exactly what you are doing for the body. It sounds perfect. And I would do the 40.5 size sleeve like a lot of people said because it is merino, and lace, and you could easily stretch the heck out of it if it doesn’t quite fit.
Shoot! How I wish I’d made it to the Point last Friday! But I was sick so I’d have probably just have made you and everyone else sick too so better that I wandered home. I’m glad your epic journey ended well, although with Math (and Math Doesn’t Work for me, so no help here, good luck).
Gorgeous swatch.
Because it’s a cardigan and therefore, at least in my world, likely to be worn over other things, things that if you don’t like body-hugging stuff are quite likely to have some ease of their own, I’d knit the 46″ size. Alternatively, I’d substitute yarn of a slightly smaller gauge to get a 44″ (which is what it sounds like you want), eliminating the need to do pattern adjustments.
I also wanted to strongly concur with your findings on Seaport Yarn. It makes me mad/sad that I work a block and a half from a yarn store and it has to be that one. When I need a yarn fix during the week I always hop on the subway and head up to The Point. I’ve heard good things about SnS but not been there yet, and I also wanted to recommend my home LYS for when you’re shopping in the Dirty Jerz: Close Knit in Ho-Ho-Kus. Nice people, nice selection, decent prices.
Cara, I think you’re on the right track. Ronni mentioned sewing guidelines regarding high bust measurements, and that’s on the money. Assuming you’re not dealing with large upper arms (like I am). Here are my suggestions (for what they’re worth, but I’m a big girl who has to alter everything):
*check your blocked swatch against the original swatch measurements
*measure a favorite cardigan to check the bust+ease measurement. That’s probably the better indicator of size. 4″ is a standard ease; if you want something close fitting, you’d have less than bust+4″ — even something smaller than your bust measurement (known as negative ease — swimsuits and fancy gowns often have negative ease)!
*knitting a smaller sized back and the larger sized front could work if that’s how you’re proportioned. You’ll need to check the armscye, though, so you don’t have too much bulk in the front of the sleeve. You can make up for that by not picking up as many stitches (if doing top down sleeves) or changing the sleeve cap on one side a little. Also, check the measurements on a well fitting sweater. That will help you too.
*you could also go with the smaller measurement and incorporate short rows in the front to accommodate the additional fabric needed in the bust. I’d have to fiddle with the stitch pattern to see how much work this would be, though. It might be easier to go with the larger sized pattern for the front or a different solution.
*Avoid the tendency to go TOO big, especially with that weight yarn. You don’t need 5.5 inches of ease unless you like things really big and you’re going to wear a heavyweight top underneath the cardigan.
*LOVE that color! You do such lovely work and I know this cardigan will be a success no matter how you alter the pattern!