Good morning! I've added the pattern to the Raglan files at the spinfree
site at onelist.com -- if anyone needs any of the posts at any time, you can
ask me to e-mail them to you, or check out the archives at onelist.
Yesterday's post was on the advantages of top down sweaters, materials and
gauge.
Today we begin!
The pattern reads:
"Cast on 36 stitches. Purl 1, place a marker in the next stitch and purl
it,
purl 6, place marker into next stitch and purl it, purl 18, place marker in
next stitch and purl it, purl 6, place marker in next stitch and purl it,
purl 1."
For this sweater, we're casting on at the neck edge, but the edge will not
be seen. Sooner or later, we'll be knitting stitches up around this edge
for a ribbed or rolled neck, so beauty is not a consideration. For any neck
edge cast on, you'll want some elasticity, so I'd avoid a cable cast-on
unless you use larger needles, as it can be very firm. A plain old long
tail cast on is what I usually use.
Some cast-on methods are illustrated at these sites...
long tail or double strand cast-on: http://www.wonderful-things.com/knit2.htm
backwards loop and knitted-on cast-on: http://marketplace.xtra.co.nz/isroot/KnittingStore/knit/caston.htm
knitted-on cast on: http://learntoknit.com/instructions_kn.php3
cable cast-on: http://www.cuddlesvardhman.com/knit1.htm
Why 36?
I figured out the cast-on number using Barbara Walker's guidelines of back
of neck measurement times gauge(4.5 times 4), plus 1/3 this number for each
shoulder, plus 1 stitch for each side of the front, plus the four dividing
stitches. 18+6+6+2+4=36 If you know or can measure a back of neck
measurement for the sweater recipient, you can start with you own formula.
Back of neck size varies very little in small fry, so I often use this same
number for kids age 2 to 6.
And why all the markers?
The four marked stitches will be the dividing lines between the front,
sleeves, and back. Depending on the increase method you choose, they will
either stand out or fade into the background. Putting the marker into the
stitch (I usually pin a safety pin through the stitch or around the base) is
easier for me than placing a ring marker before and after each marked
stitch, though that's certainly an option. After a few increases, you can
move the markers closer to the working stitches if you like, but by then
your increase lines are fairly clear.
Next post: increases!
Back to the sock lessons