Need Help With a Knitting Problem

Cafe Society
1

I’ve run into an error in a pattern for a baby sweater I’ve been knitting and I don’t feel like dealing with it tonight, so I thought I’d turn to the collective wisdom of the SDMB, especially since this isn’t the first error I’ve run into in this book. The cap I made from the same set had a few of them.

Here’s the situation. The pattern for the back calls for working until the back is 7 inches long, stopping on row 2 of the repeat before shaping the armhole. The gauge is 30 rows to 4 inches. Row 2 of the 2nd repeat puts me at 47 rows – it’s a 40 row repeat, preceded by 5 rows of stitching. Since I’ve been knitting close to gauge, at this point, the back is a little over 6 inches long. The main motif of the repeat is a seed stitch diamond which takes up just under 20 rows, followed by a reverse stockinette stitch band, followed by a lace tree pattern. In the photo, the top ends nicely at with one full repeat of the first motif. The sweater is being made for a new born as a baby gift. What would you do?

I’m tempted to carry on until the back is 7 inches long either stopping wherever that leaves me or at the recommended stopping point for the next larger size. I like sweaters to be a bit longer and roomier, given a choice. On the other hand, I know nothing about newborns. The baby is supposed to be a boy, I think. I’m also dealing with a fit of major depression for unrelated reasons and I don’t want to deal with this tonight.

I thought you might find this an interesting problem, or at least something not completely boring. If I’m wrong, this thread will sink like a rock. I am interested in reading your ideas.

CJ

2

Could you stop halfway through the diamonds? I’d otherwise suggest just doing the reverse stockinette band but that’d curl up on the bottom then.

3

Is it a pattern you can link to, by any chance? Or from a book one of us might have?

Frankly, I’d do the full repeat of the full motif and move on from there. A little longer won’t hurt any, IMHO.

4

I’m with BoBettie. Just remember to make the front pieces match the back at the side seams.

And if you can link to the pattern, that would be lovely, too. Or even just quote the pertinent section, which I do believe is allowed.

5

It sounds like they want you to end about 5 rows (~3/4 inch) short or about 15 rows (2 inches) long -

As a general rule, though, I’d go long - the last time I made newborn sweaters (two friends had babies within a month of each other) I made 3-6 month sizes. Apparently, each kid got to wear his sweater about twice before they were just too darn small. Worst case scenario with too big clothes is that the sleeves get rolled up for a while.

But another request for pattern details - if they’re around.

6

Aha! Here’s a link to the pattern book. The sweater I’m working on is the one shown on the cover, only in light green, not cream. I’m two rows above the garter stitch ridge above the tree pattern. I’ve also switched the right hand cable so that both curve in symetrically.

Right now, I’m planning on knitting to the full length at least, and them maybe fiddling about with a pattern for the remaining bit of top when I get to that point. Come to think of it, it may work nicely if I work until two rows above the diamond and then start shaping or until two rows above the widest point of the diamond. At any rate, it won’t be the first time I’ve improvised.

I do appreciate the advice. Last night, this was just one too many things to deal with.

CJ

7

On the Patons website they list corrections to the book…

Leisure Arts - Beautiful Baby Book # 3325: Thu, Jul 07, 2005
Leisure Arts - Book #3325 - Beautiful Baby - #3 Checkerboard Set - page 11 - near bottom of second coloumn - Left Front - 10th row: K5. P10. *(yo. P2tog) 4 times. P8. Rep from * to last 2 sts. P2.

Leisure Arts - Beautiful Baby Book # 3325: Thu, Jul 07, 2005
Leisure Arts Book #3325 Beautiful Baby - #1 Cables and Textures Set - page 3 - 2nd coloumn - Back - Inc. row: should read as follows: (WS) P0 (2-0-4). P2tog 0 (1-0-1) times. P9 (7-11-7). K2. *P1. Inc 1 st in next st purlways. P3. K inc 1 st in next st. P3. * continue with row.

Leisure Arts - Beautiful Baby Book # 3325:: Thu, Jul 07, 2005
Leisure Arts Book #3325 Beautiful Baby - #5 - Little Boy Blue Set - second coloumn - 4th line from top should read - needle on next and following 2 alt rows twice. 63 sts.

Leisure Arts Book #3325 Beautiful Baby - #5 - Little Boy Blue Set - second coloumn - 4th line from top should read - needle on next and following 2 alt rows twice. 63 sts.

Hope one of those helps.

8

Sort of. I’m working on the Cables and Textures set and the correction referred to is for one of the mistakes I found earlier and worked out for myself. The directions I have for the size I’m working on (6 mos) are:

Thanks for the advice so far. I should have thought to search on-line but, as I said last night, I didn’t feel up to dealing with it. Now, I’m looking forward to finishing it.

CJ

9

It sounds like you’ve solved it, but if we hadn’t been able to help there’s a great message board at www.knittersreview.com. All knitting, all the time! (well, and some spinning and other fiber arts, too.)