smackdown

Posted on | March 10, 2009 | 8 Comments

Things were going so well.

I knit my third Amanda sleeve.  It matched the second sleeve.  I joined the sleeves to the body and my stitch count was perfect.  It was a happy union. 

let us all join together

let us all join together

I knit 1″ on the body and started the raglan decreases.  One inch later, I began the neck decreases.  Approximately 20 rows later, I began to doubt the math.  Perhaps you can make sense of it for me – either I’ve done something wrong or the stitch count in the pattern is incorrect.

For the 43″ size that I am knitting, at the point of joining the body, the pattern tells you that there are 37 stitches for the right front (there’s the same number of stitches for the left front, but I’m using the numbers for the right front for the purpose of this example). 

You knit the raglan decrease row a total of 25 times for this size, which leaves 12 stitches for the right front.   (37-25=12)

The neck decrease row is knit every two rows 4 times (4 stitches decreased), then every four rows 11 times (11 stitches decreased).  A total of 15 stitches decreased.

See my problem?  The numbers as given in the pattern result in a -3 stitches for the right front. 

Additionally, if I decide to just go with it and knit on, by the time the appropriate number of decreases are performed, I’ll have 54 stitches, and according to the pattern, I should have 26 stitches left.

???

Yes, I’ve checked the errata – there isn’t one for this sweater.  Before I email the designer, I thought I’d run it past y’all to see if I’ve misinterpreted the pattern.  Maybe it doesn’t matter.  Maybe I can make the collar work with 54 bound-off stitches instead of 26.  What do you think?

Category: February, NaKniSweMoDo

Comments

8 Responses to “smackdown”

  1. Tami
    March 10th, 2009 @ 2:52 pm

    Have you tried it on as it currently sits on the needles? This is just the silly person who hasn’t knit a grown-up sweater but wouldn’t fit also determine how your numbers are working out?

  2. Carrie
    March 10th, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

    I dunno, I think I’d have to read the whole thing to see what was wrong, cuz yeah, negative stitches are harder to do than 11-stitch nupps on addis.

  3. Dianna
    March 10th, 2009 @ 6:11 pm

    Have you checked on Ravelry to find someone else who has knit this sweater? Perhaps PM’ing them will give you some clues as to what’s going on….

  4. Lynn in Tucson
    March 10th, 2009 @ 6:37 pm

    I don’t do math unless I have to (and especially not if Carrie’s already found it daunting) so I will just sit here and watch how it turns out.

    I could, however, open you a beer.

  5. Diane
    March 10th, 2009 @ 8:00 pm

    It’s been a while since I’ve done a raglan, but shouldn’t the raglan decreases be eating up the sleeve stitches and not the front stitches? If you do it that way, does it make the numbers come out right?

  6. Anne
    March 11th, 2009 @ 7:16 am

    I think I’d just email Lisa. She’s pretty good about replying. The collar is beefy enough as it is; I think trying to knit it over that many stitches will make it gargantuan.

    But um… yeah… I agree there is a problem with that math. 25 seems really really high to me. The size I knit only has 12 decreases total for the neckline. I know there are more stitches overall, but looking at the other sizes, it seems like that size has a proportionately larger number of decreases for the neck.

  7. Jen
    March 11th, 2009 @ 7:23 am

    I think this is why I make afghans.

    Sorry, I don’t have anything helpful ;)

  8. Paula
    March 11th, 2009 @ 3:19 pm

    Glad it worked out!