Closing In

As happens all too often, I get immersed in my knitting and forget to stop to take photos. I’ve made terrific progress on the sweater for my son and feel that I’m in the final stretch now that I’ve started the second sleeve.

Start of second sleeve

I decided to work the body upward from the lower edge so that I could start knitting before I had fully planned the pattern details. It was easier for me to decide when to end the yoke pattern by seeing it in it’s entirety. I find it takes more energy to make these decisions when working from the top down when the neck and armholes have to shaped at the same time.

Once I finished the body, I decided that it would be easier to work the sleeves from the top down so there would no seams other than the shoulders. I don’t mind sewing sleeves into armholes, but there didn’t seem to be much point since I had already worked out how to work set-in sleeves seamlessly from the top down (for multiple sizes and gauges) in The Knitter’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters. The trick is to pick up just the right number of stitches around the armhole opening, then work short-rows centered over the shoulder seam to shape the sleeve cap.

My challenge was to figure out where to start the chevron pattern on the sleeve so that it would match the yoke. It turned out to be pretty easy to eyeball as I worked my way down the sleeve cap. I had to stop to think about how to center the pattern, but once I had it figured out, the rest fell into place.

The second sleeve should be a breeze!

7 thoughts on “Closing In”

  1. That is one fine jumper, just my colours I love the subtle shading…….your son should be delighted

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