Alrighty, I'm back and I'm on my MacBook so hopefully this will all go smoothly in the way of updating this blog. Details of how I made this sweater below.
But let's focus on this colorful, rainbow sweater. This is the first sweater that I have successfully and fully finished knitting! I've attempted to knit sweaters several times, but I'd usually end up frogging them. I wasn't happy with how they were working up, or else I'd get bored and felt the yarn would be better used for other things. This one I was dedicated to making and finishing. I ended up using several skeins of acrylic yarn- good ole Red Heart Super Saver and the Mainstays brand from Walmart.
Here's a couple of pics I took while in progress for the Instagrams @nashvillegirl via my phone (the full sweater pics are via my actual camera, woo)
I don't have an actual pattern for how I made this sweater. However, I do have some notes. Usually when I make things, I keep notes of how I made it, just in case. I used a long tail cast on for this sweater, which a fitted cast on is my normal go-to, but I thought maybe it'd have a little more give or stretch to it by using the long-tail method. The bottom half is knitted in the round, then half placed on stitch markers to separate the front and back when it gets to the point where the armpits will be. I recommend keep track of tally marks for rows every time you make a project where there re separate pieces that would benefit to having match lengths (such as the front and back, as well as separate sleeves).
All the number of stitches and number of rows will vary based on each person's size and how they swatch (you better swatch so that you can figure out how to make your own fit the way you want it to!). I'm fairly small with long arms and a long torso, and since I wanted mine baggy with balloon sleeves, this is how mine went.
Cast on 124 stitches on size 5 29" (I think...) circular needles. Join to knit in the round.
Knit 2 x 2 ribbing for 10 rows.
The rest of the sweater is in stockinette stitch. When I say knit, I mean knitting stockinette in general. In the round, it will all be knit stitches. When the front and back are split, it'll alternate between knit and purl rows.
I had knit 51 rounds (switching colors whenever I felt, just so the stripes weren't even for each color) before splitting the front and back where the armpits of the sleeves were going to begin. I knitted 62 stitches, and then places the remaining 62 stitches on a long length of contrasting yarn as a stitch holder.
The first 62 stitches remained my live stitches, which I chose to be the front. I knitted 41 rows, switching out colors for stripes. Then I knit 18 stitches (for one shoulder, bind off 26 stitches (neck), and then knit the last 18 stitches for the other shoulder. I then knit 7 rows for the current shoulder, and bind off the 18 stitches. I reattach my yarn to the first shoulder, knit 7 rows, bind off 18 stitches.
Then I start on the back portion of the sweater by putting the yarn back on my needles and reattaching yarn. I knit 46 rows. Then I knit 18 stitches (shoulder), bind off 26, and knit 18 stitches (shoulder). I knit 2 row, then bind off. Reconnect the yarn o the other shoulder, knit 2 rows, then bind off stitches.
At the point, the body of the sweater is knitted. Stitch the front and back shoulders together. Now we're ready for the sleeves!
I used a 16" size 5 circular needles and began picking up stitches around one of the arm holes.
Pick up 77 stitches, join and begin knitting in the round. Knit 38 rows. On this next row I decreased a single knit stitch at the beginning of the row by knitting 2 together, which isn't necessary but the sleeves were pretty wide and I didn't really have a plan on how I was going to decrease. It at least saved a little bit of yarn, haha. I knit 29 more rows. The next 4 rows I decreased 1 stitch by knitting 2 together at the beginning of each row. These 4 decreases, plus the previous decrease, left me with 72 stitches. This is because I need a number of stitches divisible by 4 to create my 2 x 2 ribbing for the cuff. I began the 2 x 2 ribbing pattern and continued for 14 rows. I felt my sleeve/cuff was long enough at this point, so I loosely did a basic bind off.
.Sidenote: Just like the body, I switched colors whenever, making sure that none of the stripes were the same about of rows per color.
Now, do the same for the other sleeve. Pick up 77 stitches, knit in the round for 38 rows. Decrease 1 stitch, knit 29 more rows. Decrease 1 stitch each row for the following rows leaving 72 stitches on the needles. Begin 2 x 2 ribbing for the cuffs and knit 14 rows, then bind off.
Now, finally the collar. For mine I picked up 72 stitches (again, divisible by 4) on the 16" circular size 5 needles, and joined in the round for 2 x 2 ribbing. I did 8 rows and bind off. Weave in all the loose ends and boom! Ya got a finished sweater!
Another sidetone, it's best to work n the loose ends each time you change colors or finish stitched up seams. It just makes things so much easier and finishing the project more fun in the long run!
