Dear Kay,
I am properly into it. I keep stitching on this sweater, and I’ve got more in me.
The fabric this creates is quilty, still quite flexible, and makes me want to do more.
It’s almost as much fun as a coloring book, but it’s keeping me in the category of knitting.
However, there’s one thing about this sweater that does bother me.
It doesn’t actually fit.
Here’s the sweater before I started stitching:
See? It is as wide as the mighty Mississippi. You could store hay in the sleeves. There’s a good two inches on each side of what we’ll call SIDE BONUS ZONE.
I didn’t stitch into the SIDE BONUS ZONE because I began to think I really, really need to take this thing in.
Two intrepid souls give guidance on how to edit a sweater:
Strategy 1: If you’re in the mood for some gripping armchair knitting, Julie Matthews really delivers the drama in her post, “Successful Sweater Surgery.” (Her entire blog, Knitting at Large, is a dandy—supersmart, funny, properly into it.)
Strategy 2: The Queen of Fit, Bonne Marie Burns, explains “How to Downsize a Completed Sweater.” Like all things Chicknits, it all makes perfect sense.
Stay tuned. This may be great, or not so great.
A Recipe for This Sort of Thing
In the interest of maybe doing this to another sweater, I made note of how much embroidery floss I used.
On the back: 68 strands, around 24″ each. Colors? Whatever artful or random mix you come up with.
On the front: 34 strands for each side of the cardigan.
Sleeves: to be determined, but my guess is 34 strands for each.
If you really want to crank this, get all the threads cut to length before you embark on stitching. I did this on the return flight from San Diego, using my FlossMaster2000TM (aka a dental floss box for cutting without scissors on a plane). In a few hours I’d done the whole front. Don’t bother weaving in the ends as you go—you may want to yank an unattractive shade along the way. I yanked some hot pink.
Off to Vogue Knitting Live
Needless to say, I’m sorry that Franklin Habit’s “Embroidery on Knits” class is sold out at Vogue Knitting Live this weekend. I could use his solid-gold advice. If you’re going to be at Vogue Knitting Live New York, Kay and I will be visiting the Knitty City booth 714 on Saturday, January 16, 2-3 pm, with A Coloring Book for Knitters available. I do believe there will be a coloring contest. Bring your Crayolas, and get ready to stop, drop, and color.
And it’s never too late to join the Walk in the (Central) Park on Sunday, January 17, 7:30 am. Details here. (Ticket sales have closed, but we’ll get you coffee and a carb one way or another.)
I’m bringing my sweater. You do have a sewing machine, right?
Love,
Ann
Would love to meet you in NYC! I’ve heard so much about your family!
Stop by our booth at the show –
Cindy (Dr. Fitz’s Mom)
Oh my goodness!!!!! This is such fantastic news, Cindy. Dr. Fitz is a hero to us–teaching math to our boy David was such a gift to him. I’ll track you down.
I love Bonne’s idea of using a sweater you love as a template. This seems like a stroke of genius. I performed surgery on 1 sweater because it grew 10″ after I blocked it. I still don’t wear it because it made me so mad. It now lives with my sister-in-law and I’ve become a gauge vigilante. “Yes, you must wash your swatch. Do I need to tell you again about the sweater that grew 10″ in circumference, again?” Ooo… There I go getting all ranty again.
I love this more each time I see it. I suspect Franklin and you will meet up even if there isn’t room in his class. Heck, he may invite you to come model this evolving piece of art.
Hope so!
I downsized enormously wide sleeves on a fisherman’s knit sweater in just that way on the sewing machine—and am now glad to see it is the prescribed method. It worked great and the sweater is wearable. Your sweater will be a “chic knit”!
I can’t wait to operate! The first sweater I ever knit was for my young adult daughter…we could have a small cocktail party inside it…it’s HUGE! I called many yarn shops…locally and nationally…to a person, everyone said there’s nothing I could do to make it fit her size 4 body. It’s sitting in a storage bag…but not for long! Thank you SO much for this post…and now I also want to embroider on something…anything… because you happily gave me another “bug!”
Well I’m glad to hear it started out too big. I was worried that the stitching was going to reduce the circumference and then it won’t fit the way you wanted it to. (Please Note: No, I do not think you require a sweater that wide. Just thought it would alter the drape. Wondered if you would like it that way.)
I did perform surgery on a bulky weight vest. I had tried adjusting things within the pattern but it just didn’t fit right. Rhinebeck was looming! No time or interest in re-knitting! What could I do? Out came the sewing machine and the scissors.
If the knitting police show up, tell them to go read “Knitting in the Nordic Tradition” by Vibeke Lind. No putsy shaping of a neckline. Get out the scissors and sculpt what you want. We make fabric. The whole idea is to cut fabric to attain fit.
It’s been energizing to read about this project.
You can take little scissors on a plane. The blades have to be under a certain size. The little fold up ones are no problem for security and are more versatile than dental floss containers. On your way back from New York, and I hope you have a wonderful time, security could tell you the sized scissors you can take.
Brilliant. Great idea to leave the ends, so you can yank at will if you don’t like the way the colours move together. I am enjoying the M-D posts so much (notifications right to me email!). It’s a great boost and inspiration to my day. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
I’m amazed that just those lines of floss would change the size of your sweater. I’m also curious how many strands of floss you used together on your needle. Since I’m on a diet (it is January isn’t it), I appreciate the tips on making a sweater smaller.
Also, I used all six strands because I was hoping for max visibility and also: too lazy to pull apart the strands!
Been there done that.
The sweater was too big since the day I made it! The stitching hasn’t affected the size–I am just feeling that I might as well edit the thing down, now that I’m stitching all over it. It’s a large, and I am maybe a medium at this point.
I have taken in ready-made sweaters by sewing new seams and trimming.
Is the best way to widen/length a sweater to block wet? I have heard superwash yarns often stretch beyond control. Ann I still covet your original-no-quilt cardi. You probably would get more style by nipping in the sides.
Loving the renewed blog! I left Texas early and am knitting in the Nashville airport on my way to VK Live. Can’t wait to get there and stop by for a wave and a coloring book. That sweater is becoming a work of art!
This is totally inspired . . . the sparks of color create a party on the grey. I’ve been following @dottieangel on IG and your sweater seems a sort of modernist take on her sweet embroidery work. Please show us more of this as you decide on the next moves!
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I altered a sweater by slip stitching with a crochet hook-seaming by crochet. It looks awesome on the public side.
Yes, love the evolution of this sweater. I remembered that you said it was too big, and wondered how that would factor in to the sweater’s new embroidered life. I had wondered about felting it slightly, but you would of course lose more height than width doing that, and I think that would make the sweater all kinds of wrong! I am intrigued by the sewing and (gasp!) cutting method of sizing down knitwear, as I have some knit pieces that are now too big. I will be interested to see what happens!
I’m still working on my homework for Embrodery on Knits. Surely, we could work something out?
Ann,
How have you been securing the strands? Are you simply knotting them at beginning and end? This is such a wonderful project; and, it’s so much fun to see the pics as your work of art evolves! Thanks for taking us along as you explore new territory.
LoveDiane
PS – with r e garden to taking scissors to an existing hand knit, have you read about “Swants” by Stephen West?
I haven’t fastened the ends at all yet–will likely knot them to each other and not worry about it. Definitely not going to weave them in–I think they might slip out, given the thinness of the floss.
Knot them to eacother! Yes, of course! Genius in its simplicity.
Oops, that was supposed to read “with regard”.
I could see this as a vest…or more like a waistcoat with the high buttoned front and wider shape. Then you could easily seam up the sides. If you google Sashiko vests there are some beauties.
Love watching this project. It gets more and more interesting.
I love the photo at the top, Cat with self-portrait pillow. I thing my dogs would constantly try to get a pillow of their likeness to play, like the go with the dog in the mirror!
Dear Ann,
It looks fantastic! You are spot on with using all stands of floss rather than separating. Keep going!
What is this “sweaters becoming too large” that you speak of? Everything I own is getting smaller! 😉
I love the picture of Kermit the cat next to Kermit the cat pillow!
Good luck with the alteration of the sweater. Looking forward to seeing the fab finished product.