Projects
Two Sweaters at Once?
Why the heck not? Why not work obsessively on two top-down sweaters at the same time?
I didn’t mean to do this, but here I am.
What happened?
The First Sweater
MDK March Mayhem left me in a fever to start Papa, Junko Okamoto’s doodly pullover.
I mean: I hit the ground at 80 miles an hour on this thing, after deciding on how I was going to attack the colorwork flower doodles. (Read about all that here if you’re wanting to see the Birth of an Obsession.)
The plan: duplicate stitch the doodles.
The yarn here is Lana Plantae Rambouillet DK, from the MDK Shop, in Cochineal and Sumac.
To do this, I had to knit the background first in order to create the fabric onto which I would stitch my doodles.
Pro Tips on Doodly Duplicate Stitch
- Baste the edges of the chart on your yoke. You need landmarks on the yoke as you aim for the proper placement of the doodles. Fifty stitches tall, 90 stitches wide. Four times.
- Cross off the flowers as you go. The complete randomness means you’re watching the chart often. You need to see what you’ve done and what remains, so draw through the flowers as you go.
- Make four copies of the chart. You’re repeating this 90- by 50-stitch chart four times around the yoke. Why not preserve your sanity and use a clean copy for each repeat? Shoot the moon! Wow!
- Do not attempt to watch TV while doing this. An audiobook might even be too much. I’d go with music—no lyrics, honestly. (Book 7 of the Patrick O’Brian nautical series is a little challenging, but at least they’re stuck in the Toulon blockade of 1813 which means a lot of dreary ship life.)
- Related: the earlier in the day you do this, the better.
- Also related: have another project nearby that is actual knitting. Why? Because [whispering] duplicate stitch is not at all like knitting. Nothing makes a knitter crave knitting more than being near knitting yet not actually getting to knit.
- Which brings me to . . .
The Second Sweater
I started Isabell Kraemer’s Bottom Line Pullover as my official Great Isabell Knitalong project.
It’s Spinach, Mohonk Light. Fingering weight wool, on a size 3.
Green is my favorite color, so this thing is bringing me greenjoy on a regular basis.
I did a modification, and I don’t know what happened, but my decision to do the little lace bit twice has left me with a weird effect.
I’m not about to go back and undo it, but if anybody can figure out why my yarnovers are so tiny on the top part of the lace work (where I turned the chart upside down), then normal sized on the second part (where I followed the chart as written), I’d love to know.
One kind person said it looks like acanthus leaves. Well, it doesn’t look like Kelley Dew’s, I’ll just say that. Semi bitterly.
Also: these pictures do not capture the deep, rich glory of this Spinach. It is incredible.
Emphatic Part
Does this sound like I’m not enjoying my Papa doodle stitching? That my weird lace on my Bottom Line is bothering me? NOT TRUE! I am loving every minute of this double feature. But it’s a question of dosage. That’s why I’m glad to have a fingering-weight stockinette sweater to divert to when the doodles have worn me out. It feels like I’m flying.
And it means I can watch another episode of Scandal without missing a single glare from Olivia Pope.
You mad woman, you.
Thanks for this! My favorite color is green too, and I love that Spinach Mohonk Light – might just have to order some. And the tip about outlining the duplicate stitch chart is so welcome; the Papa sweater is on my list too. Are you really making it to the huge pattern size?
I am in the throes of knitting two sweaters at the same time too. I had to knit the second one as a pallet cleanser for the first (husband sweaters are like knitting umteen baby blankets). You go girl!
It looks great! I love how yours looks like leaves! The tension on my repeats is different too, no explaining that. But I plan on some fiddly blocking to even things up. And knitting is supposed to be fun, and we got to do it twice! Win, win.
Wonderful and detailed recommendations for duplicate stitch! Thank you so much, Ann.
Fair warning from a fellow two sweater knitter, try to stagger your arrival times to sleeve island. Four sleeves almost did me in.
PS. Yeah for green!
Thank you for the warning! I clearly need to get a few more projects started so I can survive sleeve island…
Such a good point! I reached sleeve island on two cardigans at the same time. Almost worse than sleeve island for me, however, is picking up stitches for the button bands. The thought of picking up for two button bands in quick succession made me cringe! I also love green.
I’m a very non-monogamous knitter for this reason! Got a huge, never-ending project on the go? Knit a hat. Too much fiddly lace on that shawl? Switch to the faded one with miles of garter! Want to feel like a bada**? Knit a fingering weight sweater on size 3’s! Both of your WIPs are enviable. ❤️ Thank you for letting us all knit vicariously.
bottom line is in my projects to do list now and I have yarn to do it with.
I completely overlooked “Papa” during March Mayhem but, after reading this and your previous email regarding this pattern and it’s inherent challenges, I’m very intrigued. I may need to visit Ravelry and purchase this for my ever expanding library. Wndering if a stash of patterns is as guilt provoking as a stash of yarn?
I’ve discovered, it is!!
A stash of patterns gives promise to the stash of yarn!
It’s kind of fun when a modification takes on a life of it’s own 🙂
I have happily knit while listening to the Patrick O’Brian novels too! Because it’s baseball season now, I’m knitting to Red Sox games on the radio, an unhappy experience until very recently.
I love your sweaters and am in awe of anyone who can knit anything in fingering weight on a size 3, let alone an entire sweater!! I’ve got 3 wips right now; my first time being a non-monogamous knitter;) 2 are from March Mayhem bracket! CardiZen, in super bulky garter stitch; Iqaluit Shawl, in DK (fun watching the pattern emerge); and Dangling Conversation scarf, in Euro flax linen mini skeins (this yarn is not user friendly!)
KC, try whacking the yarn around really hard (like, against your countertop) while it’s still skeined. I made a Dangling Conversation (which I love) and I really brutalized the yarn before working with it. It helped a lot, and I promise it will get softer with each washing/drying.
Thanks for the great tip, not heard of that one.
Thanks much for the tip Judy!! I’ll whack the crap outta it; show it who’s boss!! I’m also gonna need to buy sharper, pointier needles. Having a difficult time with pfkb and p2togtbl. Fiddly maneuvers
Thanks for the ‘brutal’ tip! I think that will double as stress relief!
I haven’t started my dangling conversation yet – trying to stay committed to my Bottom Line and wips I had when it came in and demanded to be cast on NOW.
You go, girl! I am also in the middle of doing two sweaters at the same time. I am test knitting (and helping promote) a couple of designs by Kristen Jancuk (Mediaperuana Designs) Both fingering weight, one colorwork, one held with some yummy mohair/silk. I am enjoying the difference in concentration required between the two. Glad to know there are others in this world as crazy as I feel about taking these both on at once.
I usually have two garments (or more) on the go at the same time to alleviate that endless stockinette on fine gauge items. One is usually a heavier quicker knit which rests the hands, and the finer knit is for the car, hospital visits etc. I find that way gives me a fingering weight garment that I prefer to wear without the boredom.
Your enthusiasm (and beautiful sweaters) are such an inspiration.
What a fun rabbit hole this is turning out to be, Ann. Can’t wait to see how your Papa turns out!
I did Papa and did it as colorwork, intarsia..it was my absolute favorite sweater this winter! I did the sweater in a a faded mustard, and the doodles in a rust…pair it with a navy button down underneath, a pair of jeans….my favorite “wear to the Mexican cantina for dinner” outfit! Have fun with it!
Your duplicate stitch looks a lot better than mine— mine is pretty much all from the initials on many a Harry Potter Weasley sweater, as in, “Gah, why does my husband’s name have to start with an M?”
Okay, I’ve printed 4 copies of the Papa chart on legal paper. I am so intrigued with duplicate stitch! I love color work but after half a row in, Papa went into the WIP gulag. You are giving me life!!!