Nostalgia

The last one of “12 Men’s  Character Sweater”!

Number 12! HURRRRRAH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The name of this voluminous jacket is Nostalgia, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the sweater recipient. Charles is a helicopter pilot and a true hero, whom I admire. He and his wife Ruth are dear friends of mine, and they probably will wear this thing in turn :-)  And then… I will make me exactly the same sweater out of white or bright red yarn… More likely out of festive red to celebrate our friendship and the completion the 12-sweater project!  

What is “12 Men’s Character Sweater”? I started this  long ago, and I wanted the last one to be based on the first one,  Macedonian sweater. This is the only reason it has such a sentimental name. Even the yarn is of the same color and the same company, but chunkier (the Macedonian one was made of Elann Peruvian Highland Sierra Aran, and this one is Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky).  I also like that the whole idea about 12 sweaters was born in the plane, and by a coincidence my last model is a real pilot!

Size M-L
Full length of sweater is approximately 28" (71 cm), width – 25.5'' (65 cm).
Materials:26 skeins of Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky wool/alpaca blend: 1.75 oz (50 g)/91 yards (83m)
Needles – US 10 (6mm) or size needed to obtain 14 sts in 4" (10 cm) gauge in stockinet stitch, and stitch holders.

The body of the sweater is made of 2 front central panel and one back central panel (all 3 are identical), 2 very long symmetrical side panels without shoulder seams, and 2 identical small under-arm panels with pocket pieces, worked in Rhomb pattern. Central panels are worked in Trinity stitch pattern. Side panels are worked in Right and Left Oblique stitch patterns with Butterfly cables. The sleeves are worked in Rhomb pattern. All the 2 x 2 ribbing is finished with Italian cast off.

Note about selvage stitches: I always slip the first stitch in the beginning of each row and purl the last stitch in the end of each row. In such a way I will have a chain of edge loops, - one vertical loop for each 2 rows - on each side of a knitted piece. They will be used to simplify rows count and later, when assembling this particular sweater, edge loops will play an important role: because I use inside-out seams, edge loops will form the nice rows on the right side of the sweater.

Trinity Stitch (worked over 4 rows):
1r and all the r.s. rows (right side rows) all purl
2r (ws) into the same stitch k1, p1, k 1 - all into the same stitch!, then p 3 stitches together. Continue the same way to the end of the row.
4r (ws) p 3 stitches together, then k 1, p 1 and k1 all into the same stitch; continue this way to the end of the row.

Central panels are all worked in Trinity except for 2 first and 2 end reverse stockinet stitches adjacent to selvages sts.

For the BACK CENTRAL PANEL cast on 34 sts (including 1 edge st each side) and work as follow:
First row (right side): 1 selvage st, 2 p, 28 “trinity”, 2p, 1 selvage st.
Second row: 1 selvage st, 2 k., 28 sts Trinity, 2 k., 1 selvage st.

Continue to work this way until the piece measures 23.5’’ (96 rows or 48 selvage sts). Don’t bind off, place all sts on a stitch holder.
2 FRONT CENTRAL PANELS: identical to Back Central panels. Don’t bind off, place all sts on a stitchholder.

 

  Brushing central panels:

Spray their wrong sides with clean water and lightly brush them (see photos, unbrushed- on the left, bushed - on the ight).
Let them dry completely.




SIDE PANELS

Stitch Key

  Stockinet Stitch:  Knit 1 (k) on right side rows, purl 1 (p) on wrong side rows.

  Reverse Stockinet Stitch:  Purl 1 on right side rows, knit 1 on wrong side rows.

  c4b:  Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit the next 2 stitches, knit the stitches on the cable needle.

  c4f:  Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Knit 2, knit the stitches on the cable needle.

  t3b:  Slip next stitch to cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit 2, purl the stitch on the cable needle.

  t3f:  Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Purl 1, knit the stitches on the cable needle.

  t2b:  Slip next stitch onto cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit the next stitch, purl the stitch on the cable needle.

  t2f:  Slip next stitch onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Purl 1, knit the stitch on the cable needle.


Butterfly cable (rows 1-2)
 
Row 1 (right side): c4b, c4f

Row 2 (wrong side): all p.

Left Side panel

 






Cast on 50 sts. First Row: 1 selvage st., 3p, 8 sts of butterfly cable, 2p, 8 sts of butterfly cable, 1p, 16 Right Oblique stitch, 1p, 8 sts of butterfly cable, 1 selvage st.

48 stitches x 8 rows

Rows 1 - 8 

Row 1 (Right Side): p3, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, [p1, t3f] 4 times, p3, c4b, c4f.

Row 2 (Wrong Side): p8, k3, [p2, k2] 4 times, p8, k2, p8, k3.

Row 3: p3, [c4b, c4f, p2] 2 times, [t3f, p1] 3 times, t3f, p2, c4b, c4f.

Row 4: p8, [k2, p2] 4 times, k3, p8, k2, p8, k3.

Row 5: p3, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p3, [t3f, p1] 4 times, c4b, c4f.

Row 6: p8, k1, [p2, k2] 3 times, p2, k4, p8, k2, p8, k3.

Row 7: p3, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p1, t2f, [p1, t3f] 3 times, p1, t2f, p1, c4b, c4f.

Row 8: p8, k1, p1, [k2, p2] 3 times, k2, p1, [k2, p8] 2 times, k3.

  Continue to work in this way until the piece measures 96 selvage sts (twice as long as a central panel). Bind off. This is a left side panel.
The Right side panel is worked as mirrored right side panel with Right Oblique stitch:

Right side panel

 

 

48 stitches x 8 rows

Rows 1 - 8 

Row 1 (Right Side): c4b, c4f, p3, [t3b, p1] 4 times, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p3.

Row 2 (Wrong Side): k3, [p8, k2] 2 times, [p2, k2] 3 times, p2, k3, p8.

Row 3: c4b, c4f, p2, [t3b, p1] 3 times, t3b, [p2, c4b, c4f] 2 times, p3.

Row 4: k3, p8, k2, p8, k3, [p2, k2] 4 times, p8.

Row 5: c4b, c4f, [p1, t3b] 4 times, p1, k1, p1, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p3.

Row 6: k3, p8, k2, p8, k1, p1, [k2, p2] 4 times, k1, p8.

Row 7: c4b, c4f, p1, t2b, [p1, t3b] 3 times, p1, t2b, p1, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p3.

Row 8: k3, [p8, k2] 2 times, p1, [k2, p2] 3 times, k2, p1, k1, p8.

  When finished, spread them and lightly iron wrong sides of both panels through a wet cotton cloth, without pressing. Let them rest until totally dry:

Underarm panel with a pocket piece (2 mirrored details)

Rhomb
6 stitches x 6 rows

RHOMB, rows 1 - 6

Row 1 (Right Side): k5, p1.
Row 2 (Wrong Side): p1, k1, p3, k1.
Row 3: k1, p1, k1, p1, k2.
Row 4: p3, k1, p2.
Row 5: k1, p1, k1, p1, k2.
Row 6: p1, k1, p3, k1.

Cast on 35 sts and work in Rhomb stitch pattern adding in every 14^th row 1 st on the right and working straight on the left. After 14 ss (28 rows) in the wrong side row bind off 27 sts. Continue to work the piece making increases on the left exactly in the same row as in the right. Work this way until the piece is 31 ss long from beg (15 sts on the needles), then in the right side row work 5 sts, bind off 5 sts and work 5 sts to the end of the row. Turn, work 5sts in wrong side row. Turn, bind off 2 sts in the beginning of the right side row and work to the end of the row (3sts on the needles). Turn, purl one, purl 2 together. Knit 2 together and bind off. Finish the other side (5 sts) the same way.

Sleeve (worked in the same Rhomb stitch pattern)

Cast on 40 sts.

Work in Rhomb pattern increasing 1 stitch each side in every 6th to obtain 58 sts on the needle. Continue to work straight until the piece is 33 selvage sts long. Shape cap: At the beginning of 2 next rows bind off 3 sts, then at the beginning of 2 next rows 2 sts, and then in the beginning of 8 next rows decrease 1 st (until you obtain 40 sts on the needles), then bind of  2 sts in the beginning of next 2 rows, then 3 sts, 4 sts, and 5 sts. Bind off the remaining stitches. Cast 43 sts on the sleeve bottom and work 2x2 rib stitch (I worked twisted rib stitch) – 8 cm or 3” and finish with Italian cast off.

ASSEMBLY

 

Start with attaching of central panels to the side panels.

When making ordinary mattress seam we sew on the right side and obtain the seam visible only on the wrong side. In our case, to make an inside-out mattress seam we work on the wrong side of the sweater and from time to time admire the chains of selvage sts that show off on the right side. Start in the bottom of the sweater and proceed towards the neck. Sew loose, make these decorative seams as stretchy as possible and checking the seam often making sure that they are as stretchy as the knitted material.
Then attach the under-arm panels. Leave the pocket openings and attach the pocket pieces to the wrong sides of the side panels with invisible seams:

Collar Place 102 sts of the neck line (34 sts + 34 sts + 34 sts) from the stitch holders to the cable needles and work 2x2 rib stitch 3” long, bind off with Italian cast off.

Braid on the base of the collar (on the wrong side of the back central panel)

Pin and sew on a piece of a sturdy non-stretchy ribbon along with the lower collar line and sew on a 8” long butterfly cable to hide it (see photo). This will pull together the whole sweater, which otherwise may be too stretchy and shapeless around the neckline.

Ribbing on the bottom of the sweater. Cast 184 sts on the assembled jacket.
Work on 2x2 rib (I made twisted rib but it is optional) and bind off when the ribbing equals 8 cm of 3”.

Sew the long seams of the sleeves with ordinary mattress seams. Reinforce the top line of the under-arm panels with 15 crochet stitches (optional).

Mark the top of the armhole and the top of the sleeve (1/2) with colorful yarn or stitch markers. Start sewing a sleeve into an armhole from the very bottom. When finished attaching the sleeve to the under-arm panel, begin to sew the sleeve deeper and deeper under the braid (not to its immediate edge). The top part of the sleeve should be attached to the inner edge of the braid and slightly eased in. The seam curve should be smooth (see Picture), and the free edge of the butterfly braid should rest loosely on the sleeve. The top marks should match. The photo is taken from Macedonian sweater description that is why the sleeve stitch pattern is different:




 

On me, as always:

 

 

Mission accomplished!!!