Home › Blogs › MWK - Houston's blog

Butterfly Cardigan

MWK - Houston's picture
Sat, 2011-04-09 08:44 — MWK - Houston

Easy top down cardigan. No seams - no ends to sew in - was a breeze to do. First successful top down and I think I'm hooked. Next will be a top down cardigan for Mom.

AttachmentSize
Butterfly Cardigan 001.JPG257.75 KB

Comments

Thu, 2011-04-14 09:40 — TheKnittingMill
TheKnittingMill's picture

Such a cute sweater and it's

Such a cute sweater and it's in one of my favorite colors!

The Knitting Mill

Wed, 2011-04-13 05:43 — rick_townson

My thanks go out to daninaa

My thanks go out to daninaa for the suggestion about holding the bulk of the sweater under by left arm. I will give it a try as I have a few top-down cardigans patterns I would love to try.

Tue, 2011-04-12 23:21 — Spicemanknit
Spicemanknit's picture

This is adorable! John

This is adorable!
John

Mon, 2011-04-11 05:58 — rick_townson

Nice work but a cautionary

Nice work but a cautionary tale follows.

I made a few top down cardigans for babies and thought I would do an adult version. For me it was a big mistake. By the time I was finished my hands and wrists were in such a bad state from carrying all the weigth in my hands that I had to stop knitting for over a month to let them recover.

Someone who has done several of these sweaters says that the way around this issue is to do the following. Knit the pattern as it says. Usually to put the sleeves on waste yarn to work after the body is finished. Do this and start working the body. After about 2" (or the end of a pattern repeat if there is one) put the body on some waste yarn and pick up and work the sleeves. Once the sleeves are finished work the rest of the body.

She and I agree that the fiddliest part is the sleeve and this is where the greatest strain is put on the hands and wrists so it is better to do them with the least amount of weight possible.

Good luck.

Mon, 2011-04-11 07:53 — daninaa

Tucking the bulk of the

Tucking the bulk of the sweater under your left arm spares one this strain problem. I usually knit sleeves directly onto the body, even when I don't knit top down. Holding the weight of the sweater with your armpit enables me to avoid the problem you mention. Since the sleeves are knit in the round, one has to untwist the work every few rows.

Sun, 2011-04-10 14:34 — Joe-in Wyoming
Joe-in Wyoming's picture

Very nice. I designed a

Very nice. I designed a top-down V neck baby sweater that a friend is adapting for her husband. It has a shawl collar and I am considering one for myself, using worsted weight yarns. [His is in bulky spun.] -- Books, knitting, cats, fountain pens...Life is Good.

Sat, 2011-04-09 17:56 — Bill
Bill's picture

Top down was my first

Top down was my first sweater...an Ann Norling baby pattern. I love knitting top down.

Sat, 2011-04-09 16:54 — Kerry
Kerry's picture

Nice looking cardigan. I

Nice looking cardigan. I still haven't done top-down but it seems so sensible if you can try it on as you go.

Sat, 2011-04-09 11:03 — ronhuber
ronhuber's picture

Beautiful sweater. I really

Beautiful sweater. I really like top down patterns.