Knitting a Sweater from Hand Spun Yarn

With swatches done and the size for my sweater chosen, it was time to start knitting. Using the size 6 US needle, I cast on and knit a row.  THEN, I remembered that it had been recommended to me years ago, to cast on with a smaller needle for the top down sweater and then change to your chosen needle. 

The weight of the sweater will put a lot of stress on the neckline of a top down sweater, so a tighter cast on is beneficial. In theory the neck line shouldn't stretch out of shape, as much. SO, I ripped out the row that I had knitted and my cast on stitches. I went and found the size 5 US needle, cast on my stitches and then used it for the first row.  After that row I changed to my chosen needle size, the 6 US.

I have my fronts, sleeves and the back marked by stitch markers. My "fancy" stitch markers are actually made from a thin cotton yarn. I fold the cotton yarn with an end long enough for making a knot and the fold/loop part large enough to go over the needle and slide nicely. Then I tie an overhand knot as tight as I can get it. 

On the right hand side of the photo, you will see coil-less safety pins along the neck edge. I am making a v-neck, so the center front edges are increased more frequently than the shoulder shaping is done. I am using the "make 1" technique for the center front increases and since they are almost an invisible increase, I decided to put a pin on each increase when it is made. It is much easier to count the pins, than the stitches and I usually don't forget to add the pin. There are others there to bump my hand to remind me. 😃

For the increases at the shoulders, I am using the "knit in the front and the back of the next stitch" increase. I like the look of that for that part of the sweater. 

So far I am loving this sweater and the yarn! I do enjoy knitting with my hand spun yarn!

Join me on a journey, knitting a sweater with hand spun yarn.

In my last post, I showed the finished hand spun yarn that I had just finished. I decided, after a great suggestion from Debbie, that I would make a v-neck cardigan with the yarn. 

I looked at several patterns on Ravelry and then remembered to look at my books! I had remembered that I had Top Down Sweaters, by Ann Budd. In this book are directions for many types of sweaters using many different sized yarns and gauges. She also has sizing from children through adults! 

I think this is a great plus when using hand spun yarns. Sometimes I will find a pattern and knit the gauge swatch and then not meet the gauge, so then I start rewriting the pattern. With this book, I don't have to do that. All the math is worked out for me. :)

Below is the picture of the book and the copies I made for my sweater choice. I have decided to make a v-neck cardigan and write about my journey on here. That way I will be held accountable to finish! Maybe.......

I am not sure if you can see it, but I have highlighted the numbers in the column for the gauge and size that I want to make. I make the copies, so that I can write all over them.

Here are two of my swatches.  I did three swatches, but ripped out the third one, to be ready to start the sweater. Using a size 6 US needle, I cast on 20 stitches and knit 4 inches.  My gauge is about 18 - 19 stitches to 4 inches. Since my yarn is hand spun, it is not perfect like mill spun yarn. I decided to use three separate balls of yarn for my gauge swatches. I fell in love with this yarn and just wanted to keep knitting my swatches.

If the sweater isn't enough to keep me busy, I am in the middle of writing a new shawl pattern. I spent a good portion of yesterday making a chart for the first 12 rows and another chart for the bottom lace portion of the shawl. So far, I have put the pattern through 3 edits and there will probably be three more, before it is released. 

Here is the shawl(and my Yeti cup), so far.