Finally I have finished! Hooray! I am possibly the slowest Knitting Olympian in the history of the sport but like the tortoise I got there in the end, and I am very pleased with the result.
Click on the piccies as usual to make them bigger, and admire the diamonds which increase in size to shape the sleeve, I am so proud of this shaping! I’m afraid anyone who has already been shown this sweater knows that I can bore for England on the subject of increasing the diamond size to shape the sleeve.
The pattern is my own and based on the modular knitting of Horst Schulz, Vivian Hoxbro, Maureen Mason-Jamieson and several others. The yarns are a couple of bargains I had in my stash. The navy background is a cotton approximately DK weight and the turquoise is an acrylic bargain cone knitted double that I picked up from Uppingham Yarns. In fact this is the cone that wont die, I have so far knitted this sweater, a scarf, a wrap, and a poncho with this yarn and I still have about half a cone left!
I enjoyed the fact that this design was relatively easy to alter as you went along, although I did have a rough sketch from the beginning of how it was going to work. Perhaps this is the moment to let on to the fact that there is actually a third sleeve in the bottom of my knitting bag which didn’t work out 🙂 A Learning Experience (TM).
Another thing I loved about the modular way of working is that you can knit the diamonds in different ways depending on how many sides of the square you have knitted already. Rather like a big jigsaw.
And of course the best bit is there are no seams at all. The U-shaped squares allowed me to join the sleeves into the body where the knitting is coming from two different directions at right-angles to each other. Then there are bulls-eye squares on the tops of the shoulders and under each arm (you will be pleased to know I didn’t photograph my armpits) to join the whole thing together.
Typically I have finished a nice winter sweater just as the weather perks up. To continue in this contrary frame of mind I am now going to go and make some nice hearty soup 🙂
Heather, that is just brilliant! I am completely in awe at that sleeve shaping, you should indeed be proud of it! Enjoy the soup… 😉
A very nice jumper! The colours go well together and enlarging the diamonds (without it being obvious) is a clever twist to shaping.
The loudest cheer goes out to you for persevering with this Olympian knitting!
That is GORGEOUS!! That’s the prettiest (and most flattering) modular sweater I’ve seen yet.
Heather! Wow! You really ought to have this pattern published, I mean for sale and not for giveaway. It’s a beautiful sweater, and the colours really look good on you. You are right to be proud.
Intriguing design and looks great on you! I came here from your comment to the Yarn Harlot.
Happy knitting
Tina in Pennsylvania (US)
I’d be happy to hear about that cunning sleeve shaping over and over and over again. Having see (most) of this garment whilst on the needles I have to say that you really should have photographed the underarm join too.
And Marsha is spot on: this is a pattern to publish (cos I want to make one). How about Knitty?!
Oh wow Heather, it’s a brilliant sweater, I love the multi coloured patchwork of Horst Schulz and knowing your love of colour, perhaps a second colourway is called for! Perhaps you should put the pattern in the sidebar…for a small fee, it is in such demand, and definately bring it next week so we can admire its construction upclose!
Just come across your blog…nice and interesting and the superb work in this sweater…brilliant.
Beautiful, beautiful sweater – you have every right to feel proud! whoo hoo!
Are you offering the patchwork class again?