We are having fun with Baby Cables and Big Ones Too from Ravelry! Susan has to take the credit for finding this gem of a pattern, but Sally jumped right in and has almost completed hers. It helped that she already had the exact yarn called for in the pattern (Jaeger Extra Fine Merino — a discontinued yarn; she had several colors to choose from, no less 😉 ). Susan struggled to find just the right yarn and actually ended up knitting the entire yoke twice.
The designer of this creative and elegant pullover is Suvi from Finland. The pattern sells for $6 on Ravelry and may be available via her blog (?). The instructions are in English.
About the Sweater
The sweater is knit from the top down in the round. There are no seams. The yoke is done in garter and changes to stockinette for the body and sleeves. The sleeves are also knit in the round and have some garter stitch as well.
We did change a little bit of the pattern. Suvi instructs you to do the increases by using the backward loop cast on method on the purl rounds of the garter stitch yoke. We did our increases on the knit rounds of the garter because it is less visible. We also added some short rows to lower the front neckline in relation to the back. Susan also added 2 sts to the sleeve WITH the cable to account for the compression on that sleeve vs the non-cabled sleeve (and then decreased 2 sts once the cable was complete). There are no other accommodations for cables made in the pattern.
A word about the lowly “backward loop” increase method. Both of us have found uses for this lowly and unappreciated “make one” method recently. It is the increase of choice for garter stitch because it is virtually invisible when done on the right side of the garter fabric. It also works well when you need to make a lot of increases across a relatively small number of stitches: it does not draw yarn length from the nearby stitches, which can cause puckering. Who knew? This is an increase that people typically write off as the ugly stepchild, but it really does have some great uses.
Sally’s Baby Cables
This is a relatively fast knit. I started knitting it a few days before Thanksgiving, and only have one sleeve left to knit. I could have made it in light grey, but I have 20 skeins of Extra Fine Merino in that color and decided to save it for something that required more yarn. So, you ask, what color did I use? Well, if you are a long time reader of this blog you can probably make a good guess: red. It’s Jaeger’s EF Merino in Shade 920. Here are some shots of its progress from “necklace” to almost sweater. (The first photo is very true to color.)
When I was at the point shown in the above photo, I decided it was too large in the body. It’s hard to tell in that picture, but trust me. When I tried it on, it looked like an A-line sweater despite the waist decreases I had done. So I ripped it back to the bottom of the cable that extends into the stockinette, accelerated my decreases, and added a few more. It fits me (and Lucy) much better now).
Susan’s Baby Cables
After a false start with stash yarn (don’t ask!), I started over with a beautiful shade of Cascade 220. The weight called for is DK (5.5 sts/in) but Cascade 220 worsted can be knit at a tighter gauge, especially the Heathers which run a bit lighter weight.
I could not get a good picture — the color cannot be captured — but here is a better shot of the yarn:
Cascade 220 Heathers, Color #4009
I am not as far along as Surly, but I hope to make some progress this weekend. There are people on Ravelry who finished this in 5 days! Not me, I’m afraid 🙁 . Also, my sweater will not end up as shaped as Sally’s — I may even keep a straight profile. We will see when we get there!
Both sweaters are gorgeous. And I know that exact shade of C220. One of my favorites.
The photos do such a better job of showing the pattern, which I’d admired but not really gotten fascinated by, than the shots I’ve seen on Ravelry. I never realized it was asymmetrical, which always excites me.
Comment by twinsetellen — December 5, 2008 @ 11:49 pm
Beautiful. Both of them. But I succumb to the blue. I may just have to knit this one for myself.
My own “Lucy” is tucked away. I think I’m going to have to dig her out from the far recesses of the basement.
Comment by Pam/2muchfun — December 6, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Both are lovely! I have this one queued but haven’t started it yet.
Comment by Astrid — December 6, 2008 @ 7:56 am
I love your tips, and I will remember the backward loop alternative. Here is one for the dreaded HOLE when picking back up (e.g. sock heel, glove finger). I pick up the thread between the 2 stitches where old and new meet and make one, then immediately knit it together with the next stitch — presto, no hole.
Comment by Astrid — December 6, 2008 @ 8:51 am
Where did you insert the short row shaping to lower the front? I love the look of this sweater so much I had to pop over and purchase the pattern! Lovely knitting as usual!
Comment by Alison — December 6, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Both are just beautiful, although I must confess a partiality to the red…
I am planning to make this one once Christmas madness is over, but was wondering about the neckline – do you find it too open, like a boatneck, or is it a closer fit than that?
Comment by Deirdre — December 6, 2008 @ 9:18 pm
Yes, both are beautiful and I too am interested in where you placed the short rows. I remember the short row discussion from the tangled yoke cardi, but on this one did you place them in the garter stitch section of the back? I’m going to knit mine in Calmer, I think it will be more appropriate for a next-to-the-skin sweater in the southeast. and my LYS had it at 40% off as a door-buster after Thanksgiving sale last week! I got two bags, Calm and Slosh.
Comment by Linda M — December 7, 2008 @ 2:28 pm
i am thrilled to see this sweater on your blog. it is in my queue, and i have been scouting out yarn that would be appropriate.
i love the critiques you make for patterns; they are enlightening, and directed towards a positive knitting experience. and saving your readers, including me from trouble that we didn’t even know was out there.
both sweaters are lovely. (makes me want to move this one up on my queue.) it would be hard for me to pick between the red and the blue.
Comment by dana — December 19, 2008 @ 3:25 pm