If you want to complicate your knitting life, it's easy, just follow these simple instructions when designing and knitting a sweater for your child:
- Find a sweater pattern for the yarn you have selected. Check the gauge, assume yours will be the same. Do not subject this leap of faith to any form of proof. Grab needles and cast on.
- Ignore possibility that the design as conceived may be knit in the round, or at least in one piece, so as to facilitate finishing. Proceed with knitting a raglan in flat pieces.
- Roughly calculate the number of stitches needed to fit your child's chest measurements. If you want to increase the excitement factor, omit actually measuring said child. Even if you do measure, leave calculation of sleeve length and armhole depth until later.
- Cast on without bothering to adjust starting point of stitch pattern so as to center the pattern -- in this case ribbing -- or to have the edges be symmetrical. Do not note what cast on is used.
- Knit back making up armhole shaping as you go, while hoping that armhole will be deep enough when there are still enough stitches for the back of the neck.
- Add pockets to front pieces without fully researching how best to construct desired slant style. Make second front slightly different from first, so as to refine pocket construction. Hope they look enough alike when done that sweater does not look silly.
- Start front neck shaping when the moment "feels right." Omit any pre-planning or calculations.
- Calculate the number of sleeve increases and decreases based on number of required raglan decreases based on body construction. Don't worry about ease.
- Decide the fronts and sleeves need to be ripped back 2-3 rows after seaming.
- Plan to finish with attached i-cord and a zipper since you've never installed a zipper before.
After all is said and done, realize that while it fits now, it will be outgrown within several weeks. In the meantime, post a gazillion pictures because you think your kid is so damn cute.
Sweater isn't too bad either. She loves it and swears she will wear it.
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Olympic update.
Voting as of 9:30 pm Sunday, January 29 has Lizzy winning by a nose.
But I'm going to knit Butterfly for the Olympics. Why?
Because, as Steph said, it's probably the biggest knitting challenge of the bunch. But, more importantly, my friend Lolly said she would knit it with me if I chose to do Butterfly. And a number of other friends may join in as well. How can I possibly turn down an offer like this?
If you voted for Lizzy, do not despair -- I've got 12 days before the Olympics begin. Let's see how much of Lizzy I can get done between now and then....
heh heh sounds kind of like "how to NOT knit a dog sweater" as well. Only mine didn't work.... Is that the amazing MInou fashion line artist? She is a cutie.... Birdie has been keeping me busy so I have been neglecting Minou's fashions... I better get back to it.
Posted by: Ang | January 29, 2006 at 10:03 PM
Wow, and yet the sweater turned out very cute! Must've been a knitting miracle or two in there...
Ok, now someone's going to have to design you guys a Team Butterfly button. :)
Posted by: Chris | January 29, 2006 at 10:33 PM
Em looks great in her sweater. Ahem, your design process sounds rather familiar.
I'll be Butterfly-ing too.
Posted by: Joy | January 30, 2006 at 02:01 AM
both daughter and sweater are adorable!!!!!
Posted by: vanessa | January 30, 2006 at 05:25 AM
The sweater is awesome! Good for you for just making it all up on the fly. It looks great! Love the stripes and the ribbing together. And you can tell she loves it too! Congrats!
Posted by: alison | January 30, 2006 at 07:44 AM
That is a fantastic sweater and Em looks great in it.
And the fact that you can knit by the seat of your pants and make something so pretty shows you're a kick ass knitter.
Posted by: Steph | January 30, 2006 at 09:19 AM
Beautiful job on the sweater! :)
Posted by: Carry | January 30, 2006 at 09:44 AM
I think it looks great, and what a fabulous model! At least with the flat pieces, there's more structure to the sweater.
Posted by: Lauren | January 30, 2006 at 09:55 AM
Your daughter does a great job modeling! Of course, that sweater looks way too good for having so many problems. I'm impressed. Your amount of FOs are slowly making me dizzy!
Posted by: Kimberly | January 30, 2006 at 01:16 PM
Daughter and sweater look fabulous. Who needs to plan?
Posted by: Carrie K | January 30, 2006 at 04:59 PM
What a great job you did on your daughter's sweater! And she looks so happy to have it, honestly! Always a good thinkg in my book.
Posted by: Wanda | January 30, 2006 at 07:51 PM
that would have been better if I said, good thing! oops.
Posted by: Wanda | January 30, 2006 at 07:53 PM
Not planning worked beautifully! Your daughter looks very happy with it.
Posted by: Michelle | January 30, 2006 at 08:51 PM
Beautiful sweater and a beautiful daughter!
Posted by: Michelle | January 30, 2006 at 11:27 PM
You designed it beautifully dahlink!
Butterfly is so gorgeous (but I was always concerned what I would wear under it?)
Posted by: Tracy | January 31, 2006 at 03:11 AM
What a hilarious post! I absolutely LOVE the sweater! And you're right...the kid is pretty darn cute too!
Did you need to remind that I haven't done a damned thing to finish my Lizzy!
Posted by: Shelley | January 31, 2006 at 09:53 AM
Great instructions. Great-looking kid (and sweater), too!
Posted by: Carol S. | January 31, 2006 at 10:04 AM
The sweater is lovely and she looks beautiful in it!
Posted by: Esther | January 31, 2006 at 12:15 PM
If you're not too bust with Butterfly, consider yourself tagged.
the subjects:
Four jobs in your life [best to worst]
Four movies you could watch over and over
Four places you have lived
Four places you have been on vacation
Four websites you visit daily
Four of your favorite foods
Four places you'd rather be right now
Four bloggers you are tagging
Posted by: elizabeth | January 31, 2006 at 04:17 PM
I wouldn't mind winging it all the time if my knitting turned out so pretty and fits so well too. I have problems even when I'm following a pattern :)
Posted by: erin | February 01, 2006 at 02:14 AM
Beautiful sweater! And the colors/ribbing/stripes go wonderfully together. (I've done Step 1 before. The sweater was wonderful, but it didn't have any resemblance to my husband's build. Luckily, it did fit my brother-in-law.
Posted by: Debbie | February 01, 2006 at 12:28 PM
What a great sweater! And your daughter looks so happy to wear it ... extra bonus points. Well done.
Posted by: Ruth | February 04, 2006 at 01:59 PM
Wow. Nice Sweater. Looks great on the kid!
Oh, and your yarn is on the way!
Posted by: Julia | February 04, 2006 at 05:02 PM