The Front of Siena
Several projects drifted through my fingers over the weekend. All of them will eventually grace my blog, but since I am trying to focus on my Giotto cardigan, I'm going to start the week with my progress on Siena.
Front and Center
Both fronts are now complete. Here they are right before blocking. I didn't notice until after I took the picture, but it looks like the right front (from the perspective of the wearer, not the picture) has more blue in it than the left front. I was a little worried about that. I started the right front from two new balls of Giotto. Every skein of Giotto is a little different when it comes to exact coloration and depth of colors.
I know I said I was going to alternate between fronts and sleeves. I decided against this because I got a little pang of "not quite enough yarn" fear and figured that it would be a good idea to do both fronts before embarking on the sleeves, just in case I my worries were realized. After completing the right front I think I will be okay. But I also think it is going to be a little closer than I would like.
When I first talked about completing the back of this project, a number of people asked why I didn't do both fronts or both sleeves together to diminish some of the tedium of doing the same thing twice. I suspect that it is possible, but I don't think it would be easy, given the way I am working with the Giotto.
To make sure that there are no obvious areas of different color, when I knit with Giotto I alternate from two balls every two rows, and carry the inactive strand up the side. To hide this process, I made sure that the side I was carrying on was the side that would be pulled into the seam when I put the garment together.
I don't have much patience for carrying two balls of yarn around with me -- especially not two balls of slinky ribbon yarn that likes to get tangled. In order to do two sleeves or two fronts at once, I think I would have to juggle four balls at once. I don't think I could do that and keep my blood pressure low. So all the pieces of this sweater will be done individually.
To give myself a little break with the sleeves, I'll probably knit up the first sleeve, seam the shoulders together and knit the collar border and the button band, and then go back to the remaining sleeve.
One thing I notice a lot in patterns from UK yarn distributors/designers are the following finishing instructions: "Join side seams. Join sleeve seams. Insert sleeves". To me, this seems like the hardest possible order in which to attach sleeves. What I usually do instead is join the shoulder seams, attach the sleeve cap to the appropriate place in each armhole, and then seam up the sleeve followed by the side.
I'm curious if anyone can tell me if I am making some grievous error in construction or if the instructions are actually easier than I think they are or if that's just the shortest possible set of instructions to use for finishing and it saves space in a pattern publication. I know that patterns from the UK tend to assume a more thoughtful knitter than those you find in the US. Knowing the answer might not change my construction methods (especially if it's just a space saving measure) but I always like to try to understand the pros and cons of different finishing methods.
And while I'm on the subject of Colinette, has anyone out there tried out one of their cushion kits? I am really entranced by the Mahjong cushion in the opal colorway. I've never done any needlepoint before, but those pillows look like they might be fun to try.
I am also puzzled by the UK instructions I have come across. You are doing it like I do and I happen to think it is the easiest method. not sure why they do that but I would not want to insert a sleeve after it is seamed!!
I have also started doing sleeves top down, by picking up the stitches and working down..like the decreases better than increases I guess. Love the sweater and the colour...great job!!
I do my shoulders, sleeve and side seams the same way as you do. The other way just seems to be the hard way.
My theory on the sleeve instructions is that they derive from dressmaking. Modern (19th century onwards) knitting patterns seem to have been written by people with a garment construction background. Knitting was just another fabric as far as they were concerned.
They probably had no connection with traditional knitters. I reckon that the industrial revolution caused the dislocation.
I was just going to say something along the lines of what Kate said !
I never insert a sleeve that way.Who needs the hassle.I always try to find simpler and better ways to do things.
I think it's sloppy pattern writing.They're following a formula from the beginning of the last century instead of thinking things through themselves.Innovative and clever construction is thrilling,even exciting,when you come across it.
I'll e-mail you later.
Bag is totally FAB !!!
Seems to be something very british. ;) In German instructions (which are ways shorter than American - they expect knitters to know what to do) you always find the order shoulder seams, set sleeves in, side seams (body and sleeves).
i don't think it's supposed to be generically done one way or the other -- it's supposed to depend on the shape of the sleeve cap which way you use. if you look back maybe 2 rowans ago there was a lengthy article on sleeves and which ones to set in which way. i believe in one of my other finished books as well.
i tried setting in sleeves by the method you describe after reading the rowan article carolyn mentioned. i was surprised to find that getting a nice, even ease to the sleeve cap was actually easier, at least in my opinion. i think it's worth trying both methods to see which you prefer, but it might be a good idea to stick with the technique you're more accustomed to with a slippery yarn like giotto.
I also sew and most of the sewing patterns I use have you sew the sleeve caps in before working on the sides of a garment. I hate patterns that call for the sleeves to be set in after sewing the sides, it's too fiddley.
In knitting I have sewn sleeve caps in after finishing the side seams but will try the other way. It sounds much easier for knitting.
Hi Teresa,
Love your Sienna, I am currently working on Abruzzi in giotto and have found the same colour variation problem as you have. Mind you I am lazy and have only worked from one ball and just swapped when the feeling strikes me. Abruzzi is very loose so I don't think colour irregularity will show up as bad.
Correcto Mondo! Setting in sleeves after the side seams are done is a dressmaking technique.
Why do it this way? It allows the stress of the whole sleeve cap seam to be on the entire armhole instead of that one seam concentrated at the join point of the sleeve/side seam.
For knits this is important because when you constantly lift/use your arms, you are straining that one vertical seam, resulting in distortion and undue stretch on the fabric.
Although I've used both methods, I prefer the setting-in after the side seam is made because I believe it maintains the shape of the whole armhole/sleeve area better and longer.