Friday, June 15, 2012

Contiguous Set In Sleeve


 The big new thing going on in the Knitting World is the Contiguous Set In Sleeve. It is accomplished with thoughtfully placed increases and resembles a real set in sleeve, without having to make separate sleeves or sewing them in. Fabulous! My friend Judy printed out the free Ravelry pattern for this cutie, Ambiente and the challenge to make it was mine. O boy! I loved the lacy edge, which is something I have wanted to do (all week!) and here was the perfect project, almost.


The pattern I must follow only offers a size 34 and calls for size 5 needles. Hmm. I am not a size 34 so I must begin by fudging. I chose a heavier yarn, this light blue merino and suri alpaca (so superbly soft) and size 7 needles, hoping the combo would increase the size of the finished product enough to accomodate my bazooms.
It's a very clever design, easy to follow, with lots of increases on the right and wrong side.
But I followed the pattern against my own better judgement. The neckline increases were made with KFB at the beginning stitch. This makes a messy edge. I should know better. The increases could have been neater with slip 1 and then kfb, or M1. I consoled myself by saying that there would be a picked up knitted neckline later, and it might hide this dog's breakfast. I am picky, from experience.

 But this set of M1 increases along the back also bothered me, since you can plainly see them. I got over it until I read the instructions to do the same thing across the front, right under the V-neck.
Nope. Can't do it. They show, and in the wrong place. Can't leave them out either, as this is already dangerously small for my body.
Another negative is the lovely yarn, which has very little spring on stockinette. It is great to knit, but needs to be used on a different project.
The great thing about being retired is that I can afford to spend an entire day making something that gets taken to the frog pond by dinner time. I learned A LOT by trying this contiguous idea. I'm glad I did it, and now I have one more technique under my belt, if not on my bod.



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12 comments:

  1. Another option for a neater increase edge is on rt side knit 2 then a make one. This gives you a nice knit column all along the pick up. The is a rt and left leaning m1 but I can't remember and need to look it up every time I do it.

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    Replies
    1. One trick to remember M1R from M1L is "M1R knits right" (aka: through the front loop like normal or "the right way" as some people call it. M1L is "right back" (pick up bar from front "right side" knit through back loop.) or "Left, I'll be right back". Hope that helps.

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    2. Very good tip!

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  2. I think one thing was lost in translation on her pattern too and that was she says the 34" was a loose fit and the 39" size was a tight fit. Huh? I think that was backwards, so how many other things about this pattern were not translated correctly?

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  3. Anonymous8:26 PM

    Ok, so how _would_ you incorporate this sleeve style? I personally do not make adult sweaters (no attention span to speak of:) ... but any sweater I do make has to be top down and not seamed.

    :) Linda

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  4. Anonymous8:26 PM

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  5. Anonymous10:36 PM

    Regarding the loose fit/tight fit issue, I think she means that since the sweater pattern is one size it would create a loose fit if you are a 34" bust,and a tight fit if you are a 39" bust. Of course if you are an over 39" bust an option would be to use a thicker yarn, as you did.

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