the blue blog archives: island breeze

Finished the FRONT of the Jo Sharp holiday island sweater. Yes, you heard right, the front.

For some reason they have you do the front first, with the whole complicated neckline and everything. I would just like to go on record as being con this idea. I like knitting the back (or the simplest piece) first so I can get a sense of the overall shape that the other piece should have before I tackle its additional shaping/patterning.

Another issue, there is a pretty blatant error in the pattern. They messed up the instructions for the armhole decreases and wrote all the WS decreases as if they were at the neck edge, which you can tell from the picture is not what's going on. Jo, jo, jo....

And another issue. All the patterns in this book seem to be the kind where neck shaping calls for plain-old K2tog and then "reverse shaping for other side". Using the K2tog on the first side creates a little border at the neck edge (you can see it happening here in this pattern pic). And if you don't know how to reverse the decreases, you don't even get that same border on the other side. In fact, you can tell in this version of the Chaise shell that the two edges of the neck are different. I wish patterns would help a bit more with these sorts of things (for example, the ChicKnits Ribby Cardie pattern gives suggestions for paired decreases that will form neat raglan lines. Thanks, Bonne Marie!). It looks like even the knitters making the samples for the Jo Sharp book did different things, since some of the sweaters have these borders at the neck and some don't, yet all of the instructions either say "K2tog...reverse shaping" or simply "decrease at neck edge". Hmmm.... For the record, I went with a left-slanting decrease on the first side and K2tog on the other. No two-stitch wide borders at the curve of the neckline for me and I'm happy.

I really do like this pattern and the book, but after finding little annoyances and errors together, I worry that the average knitter may have problems with the pattern (like we all did with smooch) or not be satisfied with the resulting sweater. Which would really be a shame.

At least I now have the luxury of looking forward to the back. After this, it should be smooth sailing!

posted by alison at 7:47 am | in holiday island

Comments

Decreases and increases are one of those things that people should never take for granted. There's just too many different kinds! Going through all of them to get the right look going in a different direction is hard, I did that with the blue tank I'm working on. What a pain! :) (the front looks really good though, wanted to let you know!)

Posted by: Amber at August 27, 2003 7:55 AM

Have you gotten a knitting machine and just not mentioned it? You are working so quickly lately! ;) And, I love the color of this sweater.

Also, not trying to be a brat, but...is there a reason you didn't do the back first anyway?

Posted by: michelle at August 27, 2003 8:08 AM

Alison,

I am doing Rebecca from the Jo Sharp Silkroad book, same deal. Front with cable first, odd decs, etc. Must be an Australian thing!

BTW, her website has a list of erratas, and she takes nominations!

Posted by: Kristine at August 27, 2003 8:25 AM

Thanks, Amber!

Hey Michelle, no knitting machine just yet. I think after working so much on native, I just got into the swing of knitting a lot more in the evenings (and I haven't been sewing at all!).

I didn't do the back first, because there was some line about 'start shaping back neck x number of rows after the start of neck shaping on the front'. I don't see why they couldn't have written it the other way around like most patterns do. Anyway, instead of doing more math (I already refigured the entire pattern for my gauge), I just went with it. And now the back should be easy peasy!

Thanks for letting me know about the erratas, Kristine. I'll check out the Jo Sharp site right away!

Posted by: alison at August 27, 2003 8:25 AM

I am thankful you are tackling Chaise before I do! Although I need another work in progress like a hole in the head (Milano tank, Dune cardie, Grace cardie), I think I might cast on tonight for Chaise just so I can knit along with you. Or at least one or two steps behind. Keep sharing, please! I appreciate the insight.

Posted by: Nora at August 27, 2003 8:35 AM

Happy to help, Nora! It would be fun if you could knit along now. And it's nice to have someone a few steps ahead. I know it was a great help to those knitting Smooch later to have the advice of those who already had it underway. If I had it to do over again, I would start with the back first, but it wasn't overly hard doing the front first. I just find it confusing to pay attention to neck and armhole decreases all at once. If I've done the back already, the armhole decreases aren't new and I can concentrate on adding the neck shaping. I wrote to the company about the error. I'll let you know what they say.

Posted by: alison at August 27, 2003 8:55 AM

I have been thinking about making this Jo Sharp sweater also. Thanks for working out the bugs ahead of me! I'm still an average knitter and haven't quite mastered changing the pattern when it doesn't make sense, or the gauge doesn't work.

Posted by: Anita at August 27, 2003 9:44 AM

It's annoying when there are so many errors, isn't it? Especially obvious ones that they don't correct before printing.

Posted by: Kathy at August 27, 2003 10:41 AM

I get irritated with patterns are put together in haste to represent the design. The Ribbie Cardi is the fourth Bonne Marie pattern I am doing and I really appreciate the thought that she puts into her designs. I really like Jo Sharp but it sounds like you have to be as careful with her patterns as you do with some of the Rowan designs.

Posted by: Melissa at August 27, 2003 10:48 AM

I was beginning to think it was just me. I can't believe the number of errors I'm finding in patterns lately. Reputable knitting magazines are filled with errors. And we get lots of privately printed patterns that are just unusable as written. This is particularly difficult for new knitters who don't yet have the confidence to fix or change patterns.

That does seem strange that the Jo Sharp patterns are having you make the fronts first. Maybe we're just used to the convention of making the back first but I think your point about dealing with the armhole decreases on the back first and then only having to figure out the neckline on the front is quite valid. When I start a new pattern I usually go through it thoroughly to see what I'm getting myself into. I like to figure out if there are changes I can make that will make the job easier or better looking. Most of the time my changes are limited to doing a three needle bind off with short row wraps but once in a while I make a more significant change.

Oh, the top looks good!

Posted by: Larry at August 27, 2003 11:38 AM

I just bought the Alice Starmore children's book BECAUSE of a page that begins...many knitters have trouble with this particular decrease sequence BECAUSE of the way the directions are written (I am paraphrasing here oh defenders of grammar:) And then lo and behold, on the facing page are clear, easy to follow sketches...YAY.
I may never knit any of the little sweaters, but I intend to sit down with this helpful bit and practice it. BONNE MARIE has made me a believer. WEll written, thoughtful patterns ARE POSSIBLE.

Posted by: greta at August 27, 2003 11:59 AM

Anita, if you decide to make this sweater and would like some more details on the changes I made, just let me know. I'm happy to help!

And Larry, you are absolutely right about looking through a pattern thoroughly first. I usually just skim ahead to see if I have to count rows or watch out for really unique techniques. Next time, I'll listen to Knit Dad and do my homework first! ;)

I have to admit that until I read the stuff about neck decreases, I had just assumed I was doing the back! And although the WS decreases are blatantly in the wrong place, I didn't notice it until I actually started that row. So I can see how it could get overlooked in editing. It shouldn't, but I can see why it might.

Greta, thanks for the tip on the Starmore book. I had only looked at the patterns in it, but next time I see it in the store, I'll check out that page!

Posted by: alison at August 27, 2003 12:15 PM

I confess I waited for the paperback version and then used my half off coupon :) This page alone is worth the ten bucks. LOVE the shaping on this front, you are quite the inspiration!

Posted by: greta at August 27, 2003 3:18 PM

I am having the exact same trouble with a men's sweater pattern from a back issue of Interweave Knits. It's knit in the round from the top down, and I'm doing increases along the saddle shoulders, and obviously some have to be left-slanting and others have to be right-slanting. I had to get out a store-bought sweater of similar design to figure out which were which and then draw myself a chart so I do them the right away as I knit around the sweater. It's so aggravating - it would take something like two extra sentences to explain this in the pattern. Aaaauurgh!

Posted by: karen at August 27, 2003 6:41 PM

Hi Alison!! I'm in a big black hole of work, but I hope to be around more (and at Knitsmiths!) after Labor Day....YAY RIBBY! OK, maybe you didn't have as much left over as I predicted, but you made it. whew. All your work is looking fab.

Posted by: claudia at August 27, 2003 8:18 PM