My goal this year was to knit fingering weight garments. I’m finding it a slow go. So this is a short post to celebrate. I’m so happy to have it finished.
This is my first one. A vest version of the Build A Bigger V. There are fewer changes for the vest than I had thought at first. The biggest change is no sleeves, of course, so the final bit was knitting out to the sides to get the correct fit around the body.
It fits well, it’s light weight and did I mention, it’s Done.
I’m so excited. I just had to show you (over and over again, apparently).
Now it’s time to finish up some small things. They are soooo satisfying after finishing a bigger project.
Are you busy with small knitting or longer projects? I hope it’s going well.
As I have been knitting away on my vest version of the Build A Bigger V cardigan I have been thinking about the armhole. They are rather a big deal when knitting a sleeveless garment, right?
My other concern was getting some extra bust width on the front. Short rows to the rescue. The mods pages for the cardigan has instructions for short rows to make an A-line cardigan. I used the same idea except for where I began my short rows.
I want the extra width to begin high up so I get an outward slant to the line from the shoulder. High on the front (the top pine) and lower on the back (lower pin).
I worked the short rows with 2 ridges in between. I think it worked.
Progress is being made on my vest version of the Build A Bigger V cardigan, and yes I am knitting like a crazy person. The Front is knit as a pullover. Nice and easy since it’s just the Back again without the beginning triangle at the neck. Done.
Now I have to attach them together so I can knit out to the edge of my shoulder.
Both the Front and Back have a 2 stitch I-cord worked along each edge. I’m going to use those I-Cord stitches for the pick up. Hang on, it’s a tricky ride.
Ta, da. Phew, done. Not hard to do. It’s just lots and lots of stitches.
I’m working on the back panel of the Build a Vest with all those markers in place. What are they doing down the centre? I thought you’d never ask.
The first Build a V that I worked on was the baby version.
As you can see it also starts with a front and back panel, then is worked sideways for the sleeves.
The back panel looks like this.
See that nice little pointy V at the bottom? I didn’t want that pointing at my derriere on my vest. Would you?
So … all those markers. They indicate x number of ridges as I worked down the back.
This is my Build A Bigger V cardigan, and you can see that the point has been taken away, creating a rounded bottom to the back panel. At every marker I moved the increases further away from the centre marker.
This is my finished back panel of my vest.
The centre section gets wider and wider. As I approached the bottom I started widening the centre section a little more often.
I think this would work for a triangular shawl too, if you didn’t want that sharp triangle point. What do you think?
I am using several markers for this project. Only one is required by the Build a Bigger V pattern. That’s the white marker in the centre. The rest help me keep track of the shaping and remind me when and where to do things.
There are 7 more markers here which are all for me. Yes, there are quite a few. Yes, they are different colours and types of markers on purpose.
Marker for Right Side of fabric: That orange marker on the right is pinned through the fabric to tell me this is the beginning of the right side row. It is especially helpful at the start of the project when there aren’t as many other things to tell me I’m on the right side. It’s a removable marker so I can move it up as I knit.
Markers for length: The orange, green, orange sequence up the middle are for counting ridges so I don’t have to keep counting from the cast on. I am placing the first orange marker after the first 2 ridges, then every 8 ridges as I continue down this front panel because something happens every 8 ridges in this particular pattern.
Markers delineate: The two metal markers on either side of the centre marker (white) show me where the middle section is. You can place markers on either side of a stitch pattern or some section you need to keep track of.
Markers – do something here: The metal markers on either side of the centre marker also help me find where I need to work increases. The instructions say to work an increase x number of stitches before the centre marker (white). I don’t have to keep looking ahead for those x number of stitches if I put a marker in. I work one increase before the metal marker, knit across the middle section to the other metal marker and work an increase after it.
Markers – pay attention: I have a lot of trouble remembering to do things at the ends of the rows. So the blue marker on the left edge is telling me to pay attention and work a decrease, duh. I know it’s supposed to be there but I have merrily knit right past it so many times, I needed a marker to remind me. It’s a rescue marker.
I have collected several different types of markers for this very purpose. They help me reduce the stress of paying attention, cut down on the amount of ripping back I have to do, and therefore, make my knitting so much more enjoyable.
This vest, and the cardigan I’m modifying it from (Build a Bigger V), will be Gauge-Free. No swatch needed. No talk about gauge at all, none, throughout the entire pattern. How freeing is that?
How can it possibly work?
Start with a couple of stitches and build a triangle with increases worked on either side of the centre marker. Work until the solid edge of the triangle is the width of the Back of Neck. Mine is 8″ wide.
Width of Back of Neck is 8″.
That sets the number of stitches for the Back Panel. You need to count the number of stitches you set up with at this point but we don’t care how many stitches per inch you are getting here. Any number of stitches will work.
Now, I will keep the same stitch count as I knit the back panel.
The shaded part here is the Back Panel. The triangle begins at the Back of Neck and the Back Panel is knit down to the desired length.
The decision will be how long I want this vest to be. Lots of knitting for the next week.
Second one, same as the first. A little bit longer and a little bit A-lined.
Just a short blurb to say hello. I hope you and yours are doing well and that you are finding your knitting a comfort.
Today I clothes-pinned my Build a Bigger V together to see if the A-line shaping was going to be roomy enough in the hips. Yup. It measures 47″ around at the underarm and 52″ around the bottom. The A-line has done its thing really well.
This is a Back view, one sleeve done.
Now to finish that last sleeve. I’m so close to finishing. I can’t wait. Just in time for spring.
I have another test knit from BjH to show you of Build a V for little people. Cute, eh?
I have been staying at home and working hard, OK not really working hard since how hard can knitting a whole lot be, but my Build a Bigger V is finished, buttons and all. I love it.
I hit the publish button. It’s official, it’s a done deal, the Build a Bigger V is out there. Always a big moment. Now I need to take a walk because hitting that button always gives me the jitters.
If you’re looking for an adventure during these precarious times this cardigan might fill the bill. It starts with stash diving for yarn and needles. Remember that garter stitch takes 1/4 to 1/3 more yarn. Then work the Back and 2 Fronts separately. There is lots of garter stitch knitting which is comforting but not tooooo comforting because you have to work some increases and decreases and work the I-cord edging. Just enough to keep you on your toes.
Pick up and knit along the sides of the Back and one Front. Knit, knit, knit. Separate for the sleeves and knit down to the wrist. Fold it over to see half of your cardigan done.
As I was knitting I kept thinking of different things I might do with this pattern. I couldn’t knit them all but maybe you can. I’ve added Hacker Pages with more options to add to the cardigan. I added the Boxy style where you would add much more ease to the cardigan so that the width of the body reaches your elbow.
How about A-line shaping? I’m knitting this one right now. The Back and Fronts gradually widen toward the bottom.
You can also knit it as a Pullover. I love this. Thanks LK. She also worked the Boxy Sloped Shoulder option of working body and sleeve decreases along the top of the sleeve instead of along the underarm seamline. It gives you a sloped shoulder line and really works here.
Boxy style with shoulder slope
I haven’t included stripes as another option for the Build a Bigger V or 3/4 sleeves which could also be done (my orange version might get these) or colour blocking the different sections or … well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.
I’m really excited about this cardigan (can you tell?) and I hope you enjoy it.
Do you always know what you’re really knitting as you’re knitting it? Somewhere in whatever you’re knitting there is probably a place where you can wander away from the instructions if you are so inclined. It doesn’t have to be a very big wander, but it is still a deviation from what’s written.
While I was knitting the Build a Bigger V I had the thought that since the body is knit towards the sleeve I could make the body any width I wanted. The pattern is written for a regular width of 4″- 8″ or even 10″ of ease (10-20cm or even 25cm of ease) added to your actual bust measurement. But I could make it a Boxy style, 10″- 20″ of ease (25-51cm of ease) added. I have never knit this style of sweater before and am sort of intrigued. So I knit one side of the body my regular width and the other side a Boxy style width.Then I put it to my knitting guild members (via email), which one? Boxy width or Regular width?
The Regular width won. So I went with it because I was leaning that way myself. The Boxy style thought is still sitting somewhere at the back of my mind.
Have you knit a Boxy style sweater? Do you like it? Would you change anything if you knit another one?
Then I put it to my knitting guild members (via email), which one? Boxy width or Regular width?
Deb Gemmell: Top Down, Gauge Free and more 