As we move onward to 2024, I usually take a look at the knitting projects I have completed over the last twelve months. I find the list at Ravelry, where I post all my knitting works. They can be found in my notebook, projects and challenge. Each year we can set a challenge number of knits we’d like to accomplish. I did not pick a number, but ended up doing 9 complete knits. This is not a bad number considering eight of them were sweaters!
Finished Knitting Projects of 2023
This list contains links to my blog page for each project. There you will find a link to the designer’s pattern page. Stars next to the pattern indicate something I enjoyed and would recommend.
January – *Goldenfern sweater pattern by Jennifer Steingass. A pretty colorwork pullover knit using fingering weight yarn.
February – *Arco Iris, V-neck pullover with short sleeves by Joji Locatelli. Good pattern, bad choice of yarn for me.
March – Easy V, pullover with colorwork yoke by Caitlin Hunter.
March – Joker pullover for my son. Knit in bulky Alafosslopi yarn. This is when I discovered that colorwork is not fun using bulky yarn!
May – Blue *Cobblestone Cardigan, my second one with changes made.
July – *Lakeland Tee, by Heidi Kirrmaier was knit as a summer top. It’s a great pattern, I just didn’t like choice of yarn.
August – *Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, by Thea Colman is a boatneck, 3/4 sleeve top knit in fingering weight yarn.
October – *Eva Cardigan, by Petite Knit is an oversize sweater with a v-neck and wide button band. I had trouble getting gauge, but finished up nicely.
November – * Aran Watch Cap, by Charlene Schurch with cables and folded brim.
Aran Watch Cap – yarn held double to use up some pink mohair.
Blueberry Vodka Lemonade sweater
Eva Cardigan
Of the nine knitting projects listed above, I was happy with most of them once they were finished. The Easy V sweater was a complete fail for me. It has a very wide, loose neck which makes the whole thing hang horribly. The bulky knit Joker sweater was a fine pattern, but tough colorwork to accomplish. In fact, I gave up after a few rows!
I already have four new sweater patterns chosen to knit in the New Year and I’m excited to get started! What are you planning to knit in 2024?
As usual, sweaters I knit by this designer end up long and big. After finishing the colorwork yoke of Autumn Alpine, I am looking at some options as I move forward.
The Autumn Alpine sweater pattern is offered by Caitlin Hunter of Boyland Knitworks. It is knit in a fingering weight yarn and has a floral, colorwork yoke.
Initially I purchased the pattern with plans to knit this one for my daughter. I chose the smaller size 2 for that reason. For some reason, although I do make a gauge swatch always, sweater projects from this designer always come out very big in the end.
I admit right off that I did not do a colorwork swatch for this pattern, only the stockinette stitch, but I did add a few rows of color. From experience, I go up a needle size for colorwork. As I knit this yoke, I kept thinking that it was getting quite long. Now that I am finished (with the yoke) and can measure it, the length to the split for body and sleeves is nearly 11 inches and not 8 as the chart on the schematic page of the pattern. (No measurement of the yoke is mentioned in the actual pattern pages, but I should have looked at that schematic page.)
Yoke finished
Am I going to end up with a droopy, oversize sweater once again? My Easy V sweater, by this same designer also came out long and large.
The Dilemma
Here is my problem. Normal stockinette swatched comes out right on target for size. I know that my stranded colorwork will be a bit tighter and the only option is to knit it with a larger needle or chance having it pucker when transitioning to plain stockinette on the finished garment.
A larger needle will also add length and apparently this is what is happening. Therefore, what can be done? I’m not a super experienced knitter when it comes to making my own gauge changes to a pattern…. so….I must go down a sweater size. Fortunately for me, I had begun knitting a smaller size anyway. Ordinarily I would knit a size 3 or 4 for myself, but I am following directions for a size 2. It is the shortest of the yoke charts and still came out very long.
Stitch Counts Comparison to Other Patterns For Body Width
Now that the body and sleeves have been split, I want to know if there are enough stitches to go around me comfortably. For this, I dug out two sweater patterns that I’ve already used. They are by designer Jennifer Steingass. I compared the stitch counts on the bodies to the stitch count I have for this knit.
My Autumn Alpine body stitch count is 240 (for the size 2). Goldenfern body stitch count is 252, and that sweater is plenty wide on me. Meadow Moon stitch count is 238 and fits me fine.
All sweaters are knit using a size 4 needle, but I knit various sizes of each pattern. If you notice, the small size 2 of the Autumn Alpine is close in number to the stitch count for Meadow Moon. It stands to reason that this current pattern will be large enough around for me. BUT, I used a different type of yarn.
The Yarn
I used Rauma Finnul yarn for both Steingass patterns. I love Rauma (and I love Jennifer Steingass patterns too). I’d have to say that Rauma yarn is one of my favorite yarns to date. I have lots of yarn yet to try, but both sweaters knit with Rauma came out soft and comfy and great looking.
Color “French Press”
This time I am knitting with Sonder Yarn company’s 4 ply. I bought it during a big sale and wanted to try it due to the gorgeous colors. This chocolate brown I am using (color way French Press) is pretty, but the yarn is alternating thick and thin, at times becoming very thin. Also, I’ve already had three knots in my first yarn skein. Even so, it is very pretty, and washes to become nice and soft.
Yoke finished
My color choices for the yoke are less than wonderful. It will be fine for me, but I would definitely have changed some things. I won’t rip this out, and consider it to be a bit bohemian and unique. I do love the examples (knit by others) where all one color, or close colors, were used for the colorwork.
Considerations
After browsing through the finished knits on the Alpine Autumn projects pages at Ravelry, I see that many sweaters seem oversize when worn. Helpful: **One knitter posted that she split for the sleeves before finishing the yoke patterning. This is a great idea if you want to figure out matching sleeves to yoke patterning.
Finishing Up The Sweater
In the end, I chose to do a corrugated rib on the body. Then I knit short sleeves to make this sweater more of a layering piece. I feel relief at getting this project off the needles. Currently it is drying and then I plan to see how it fits.
Short sleeve version
Fixing the Neck
I plant to pick up stitches around the bottom of the neck ribbing and then remove the current stitches. It doesn’t work for me.
LayeredYoke and NecklineMy addition of seed stitch at sides to widen the body
Planning some new knitting projects for the upcoming new year. I’m still on the sweater knitting spree and these four patterns will be challenging in their own way for me.
As we close out 2023, I’ve been gathering some sweater knitting projects to complete in 2024.
Ravelry has a “queue” area for us and although I have not used it much, I’m beginning to. When one project is not enough (always) it’s nice to have an accessible list of knitting patterns to view. Find it in the “My Notebook” dropdown, if you are logged into Ravelry.
How to Use the Ravelry Queue
The queue section is meant to hold favorite patterns to knit soon. They can be listed in order of importance with information and ideas for the project. Any pattern found on Ravelry can be added to the queue from the pattern page, purchased or not.
Each pattern added will list the suggested yarn with a space for the knitter to list the yarn that will be used. I find this helpful if I am buying yarn on sale (yay for year-end sales!) and need to match it up with my intended patterns. Also include any notes in a separate space.
Four Sweater Patterns in My Queue
This is my tentative list, in order of current interest, of patterns that have caught my eye over the last couple of months. Each section contains a link to the pattern page.
Number One
The first pattern in my queue is the Autumn Alpine colorwork yoke pullover by Boyland Knitworks / Caitlin Hunter. After knitting the Eva Cardigan in all one color, I had a hankering for some stranded colorwork. This project is in the works already. I’m knitting it along with my gold Calliope.
The pattern in the second position in my queue is the Rebel Cardigan, pattern by Ankestrick. It is a buttonless sweater with a unique shoulder construction. A worsted or DK yarn is used, or hold two yarns together for the gauge. I’m not sure yet which yarn I will use for this one.
The third pattern in my list is the Sunday Cardigan by PetiteKnit. I chose this one while searching for a use for my Alafosslopi yarn. This sweater is knit top-down with wide ribbing at the yoke area. It calls for a bulky yarn, or combination of yarns to equal bulky. There is a button band but it is “knit simultaneously with the rest of the cardigan” so there is no picking up of stitches for the band… hurray!
The last sweater in my queue is something completely different. The Clotilde Cardigan, by Pernille Larsen / Knitting for Olive, is knit in worsted weight yarn and is a lace pattern.
This one will be a challenge for me, as I almost never knit any type of lace. The pattern is charted only. The sweater is really beautiful and I hope it’s something I can manage. The New Year should bring a challenge, right?
More to come, including new yarns purchased for these patterns. Have you found any good yarn sales this December? Do you have some knitting patterns ready to go in January? I love to hear from fellow knitters, so please say hello.
Stumped while knitting the sleeves of my second Calliope sweater.
After I had knit my first Calliope sweater, I wanted to knit another one. The style is basic raglan, but it has some rib at the yoke. The sleeves also have an extra long rib. I ended up changing that on my project. (The pattern was free at one time, but no longer is.)
I have not altered the color on any of these photos, but lighting makes things look different. The yarn is a beautiful, rustic gold color.
The yarn is something new for me, and came from the Sonder Yarn Company. It is a pretty, golden color called “Toast & Honey”. I’m really enjoying knitting with it. Some skeins had more than one knot though. Thumbs down on all the knots, which I cut out and “spit spliced“.
Pretty Toast and Honey yarn color.Beginning of CalliopeYoke after washing
The sweater had some weird looking stitches as I knit, but after washing all things magically smoothed out and it looks wonderful!
An Easy Sweater Knitting Project
This sweater pattern is quite easy to knit and might be perfect as a first sweater project for beginners. It helps to know the basic construction of a raglan. Increases widen the front, back and sleeves as the yoke expands. The pattern says exactly where and when to make the increases. Stitch markers help to keep track of it all. I used removable stitch markers to mark the two sleeve sections, for my own preference.
The sweater designer used two yarns held together: a fingering weight with lace to make a DK. I did that for my first Calliope and used Superwash yarn. The sweater stretched and ended up very big and droopy – that’s why I now avoid this type of yarn for sweaters. This time I am knitting a smaller size overall, and using a single strand of DK wool.
My one concern is the sleeves of this sweater. I’m using a completely different yarn this time, but as I knit the long ribbing, it seems big around.
I considered doing the sleeves differently. I do like the unique long rib, but I’m not sure this yarn is right for it. Yarn can change a great deal once it’s washed and blocked which usually makes a sweater look much better. *Yes, this happened! I think the original ribbing in the pattern would have worked out fine.
Long ribbing on sleeveMagic loop sleeve knittingLong ribbing removed and shortened cuff
Sleeve changes: I ripped back to the beginning of all that ribbing on the sleeve. I did a few more decrease rounds to end up with 60 stitches on the needle. Knit to about 16 inches and made a 2 inch rib cuff. I’m not happy with the bind-off and may go back and do an Invisible rib BO. *Update: I am now knitting the second sleeve with a 1×1 twisted rib cuff that is about 4 inches long. Will go back to the first sleeve and re-knit to match! I’m happy with my ending choice on the cuff. See below.
Ribbing on cuff after washing
I used magic loop on the cuff but it was leaving ladders, so I changed to DPNs. The ladders are now gone and the cuff looks perfect – through the magic of washing! (Soaked entire project in Eucalan -Amazon paid link- for 20 minutes and put on boards to dry.)
A perfect fit
Making it a Split Hem
I decided to split the hem and do a twisted rib. I’ve never done this on my own, without following a pattern, but it’s simple enough. Divide front and back stitches in half. Make a nice edge at each side of the rows. I did have to learn how to knit the wrong side of a twisted rib because it’s different than going round and round.
RS – knit through the back loopWS: Purl through the back loop
Doing a Flat (Back and Forth) Twisted Rib
For the hem ribbing I did this once the stitches were divided between front and back of sweater: Right side: begin row with K1tbl, sl1wyib – then *knit through the back loop and purl one across to last two stitches and end row with sl1wyib, k1tbl. Wrong side: begin row with Sl1wyif, P1 – then *knit one and purl through the back loop, to last two stitches and end with P1, Sl1wyif.
Lost at Yarn Chicken (Knew I Would)
When it came time to bind off the back hem, I had only a small bit of yarn remaining. I did not make it, so had to wind up my last skein. I encountered two knots in that one skein and it was my one complaint with this yarn. Too many knots to cut out. I have nearly one entire skein of yarn leftover.
Yikes, just this much yarn left.Not quite enough yarn!Hem knit longer in back
Washed and Photographed
As is so often true, this yarn became soft and lovely after a wash. My sweater is plenty loose, long and comfy – just like I’d hoped it would be. I would have no trouble wearing this without a shirt underneath. But layering would also work. I am very happy with the finished project. On to the next…
End measurements: Total length from top of back to bottom is 26 inches. Sleeves are 18.5 inches, Body knit for 12 inches and then did a 3 inch twisted rib in the front, and a 4 inch rib in the back. I knit the size 3 Calliope using a size 6 US needle as my main needle. I used 4 skeins of Sunday Morning DK = 1072 yards (plus about a foot!) See notes on my Ravelry page.
Split hem
Have you knit the Calliope sweater?
Please leave a comment, as I’d love to hear if, and how, you changed the sleeves.
New England's Narrow Road 