Sunday, June 8, 2008

The "Rescue" Pullover

I'm working on a pullover now from the worsted weight Mardi-Gras-Overdyed-Indigo yarn. After 16 rounds of 2 x 2 ribbing, I've settled on a pattern of moss stitch and diamonds and even a couple of cables. The trouble was that I didn't plan it particularly well so the ribbing doesn't necessarily match up with my cables and such, but I've decided that it's not a big deal. I'm not knitting this for submission to a publication.

This a pullover for my brother-in-law Ron who has been working on cleaning up a Toyota knitting machine I'd purchased last fall from a widower. I don't know how long it had been since his wife had used it, but it was kind of crusty in places. So, Ron is patiently cleaning it. Thus, I am patiently (really) knitting a pullover for him. The stitch gauge is 5 st/1" in stockinette on US 7 needles. I cast on 256 (I'm knitting it in the round) and worked the above-mentioned ribbing. It has a center diamond (in purl stitch on a field of knit stitch). In fact, it goes (from left to right): K 17, Diamond (over 14 sts), K2, 5-stitch moss, K2, P2, C6B, P2, K2, 5-stitch moss, K2, center Diamond, K2, 5-stitch moss, K2, P2, C6F, Ps, K2, 5-stitch moss, K2, Diamond, K17. And then it repeats on the other side, and it's a 12-row pattern. I'm not sure whether I'm going to work it as a drop shoulder or a set-in sleeve. I'll think about it.

The first few rounds are a little difficult. I increased 4 sts on each side in the set-up round after the ribbing in order to account for the cables pulling things in on rounds 3 and 9. I have a zillion markers in it all to give me a cue when things start, but I expect I'll be able to pull them out once the overall pattern becomes clearer. Right now it looks like a dark mess of ribbing with bright markers in it.

If you want the stitch pattern, I have it set up in an Excel spreadsheet and I will be glad to email it to you if you send me a note requesting it.

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