Re-Knitting the Autumn Alpine Neck

After the Autumn Alpine sweater was done – washed and blocked – I was not happy with the neck. It alternates with some colorwork and ribbing and for me, it ended up floppy and IMO ugly.

I suggest you DO NOT try this. It was difficult and I’m still not happy.

I began picking up stitches to rip back, but couldn’t find a good row. I began this 5 or 6 times. Unfortunately, as the sweater is knit top down, there are few places to pick up stitches from a simple knit around row. My choice of yarn was also not helpful.

Just below the colorwork knits and purls is some 1×1 ribbing. I found this video by Very Pink Knits showing how to pick up stitches to hold them while ripping back.

I did not follow this video, but I’m keeping it here because it’s useful.

I didn’t want to do this type of pick up. A simple knitting row would be best. But, beyond the neck stitches the knitting rows include increases and then short rows. In my opinion there was no good place to pick up knit stitches easily. My dark color yarn didn’t help either. My stitches were difficult to see, even on the knit rows.

I am not exaggerating when I say I tried to find a good row – picked up stitches part way around – and gave up —-So many times!

This was a big fat pain in my butt. I probably should have left the thing alone, and simply been unhappy, but I wanted to try. It became an obsession.

After many tries, I found my way around with yarn and completed a row of stitches. I inserted a smaller needle, and then needed to rip the collar back.

HA! That did not work at all. I couldn’t get the yarn to unravel, so I ended up having to cut the collar off —- and I tacked it down when the neck was done. This was becoming a complete disaster..!!!!!

In the photo below I had begun knitting around and around to make the rolled collar. See the old collar turned under?

I’m not going to go on and on about this because it’s too depressing. The end result is not great either and this sweater has so many bad knitting memories, I don’t know if I will ever wear it, but I do like that colorwork.

This one might make a nice topper over a long sleeve to wear one of the very few cold mornings we have here in Florida.

The nicest thing about this sweater is that it is now IN MY PAST, and it’s time to move on…. YAY.

Knitters welcome to continue reading