Knitatation (Knitting Meditation): Bistort

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Bistort

After many long months, Martha has finished her beautiful,
complex Bistort sweater.

She took a little break while she went
to Grad school this winter.

She added a different neck.

Look at the complex. complex!! colorwork
in this sweater!!!

I asked her send me the notes in her own words so I don't mess
up any details. Take a second to read thru and see how
she had to make adjustments For whatever reason the pictures
she sent with her notes did not come thru . Problem at my
end, not hers

Here it is:

1. I used the carrying method listed on Ravalry. I just learned it on tube and it was very easy.

2. I did rip a lot.

3. I looked at the comments on Ravalry that said it was tight in the armpits, which it clearly is even in the pattern pictures. Plus I’m often tight in the arm pits which is where I add extra stitches for the best fit.

4. I added a color pattern repeat to the arms to make an extra room for the arm and shoulder fit. Probably if you look closely at the top of the blue part in the sleeves you can see the increase for the pattern repeat.

5. I used increasingly big needles to keep the gauge in the color work. For 2-3 colors I increased one needle size, when I had 4 going I used a needle 2 sizes bigger. This kept the over all size of the sweater consistent. I think the color work looks ok too.

6. I reduced the needle size on the grey color work to the original size 5, to decrease the ruffling but it didn’t really solve the problem. This is the thing on this sweater I regret. The ruffling. If you look on Ravalry you will see this is on the other sweaters too.?

7. At the top of the color work it is supposed to stay gray, but I ran out of the grey

and I had too much blue so I just said f it. I couldn’t wait to order more gray from knit pucks (ha ha knit pucks

) I finished it with the background in the blue thinking it’ll look good with my blue eyes.

8. Likewise, the wine and light blue colors in the yoke are different from the pattern and depended on how much yarn I had left in both colors.

9. I added short rows for the fit of the back in the yoke. I always do for yoke sweaters, it helps a lot. I added them at the top of the grey and in the upper back area. I’ll take a pic of that too. Here’s a pic of the back and front and you can see the added rows.

10. I don’t like boat necks. They’re sloppy and not flattering. I figured this sweater would be sooo warm I could put a high collar on it and love the one on my Ann Hanson sweater so imitated that one....

11. Finally here’s the mistake I did not fix. I kitchnered the armpit inside out so the purls showed up on the right side. 🤨 I just left it because no one would really know, it’s absorbed in the color work, and the stitches down there are loose and difficult to manage. PLUS I was done with this sweater!

12. I did not add that Latvian braid on the sleeves or neck line bec it was a pain in the arse.

I think that’s it.

Moral of this story? Don’t take a masters level college course in the middle of a difficult sweater. Lol.

My unprofessional thoughts on this sweater is this. This pattern is really designed for flat chested people. It’s not a flexible pattern for alterations. I should reserve my love for patterns until I read the Ravalry comments. Also carrying 4 colors is to be avoided at all times. Whatever benefit in design is lost in the increased bulk, difficulty, and pia in effort. Just change the colors and make do if you find this in a pattern. Finally, and want to bury this sweater... I have a ton of yarn left over... I could make a size 2sweater out of this left over yarn....??

Thanks, Martha!

She is working to finish her sock...I bet she is done by the time
this is published.

Ruth was able to get buttons on two of her sweaters.
She is a sweater machine. She started another one today.

And, she dyed more yarn. I love these colors.

I finished up the 2nd sock. Reminder I had one almost done
and totally ripped, so I have really knit three of these things..ugh!

Panda silk yarn
Size 0 needle

We had a birthday party today for myself and my
brother. It was so much fun. That is why the
blog is late.

I think dad looks good!

We deep fried a turkey. Joey's turkey he got from
work. We have only done one before and that was
ten years ago.

Everyone had fun

My little brother

Mark, son-in-law, came

Joey cooked corn on the grill

The turkey looks overdone, but it isn't...
it was perfect

Benny was here too

Tiffany made:
Lemon cupcakes infused with lemon simple
syrup topped with lemon cream cheese frosting,
sugar pearls and candies lemons
Brownie batter cupcakes with mini chocolate
chips topped with brownie butter cream frosting and brownie pieces