Autumn Rose Musings, long ...and no photo!
This design is different than any other Fair Isle out there -- except Eunny Jang's other fair isle Venezia which appeared in Interweave Knits (pause while I run downstairs and get it...) Winter 2006.
To allow for shaping, Eunny designates a side stitch that is purled throughout, to provide a line that subtly disappears into your knitting, but provides a marker for your side shaping.
In the case of Venezia, the sleeves were knit in the round to the underarm point, then a steek was established to enable you to continue knitting the sleeve cap in the round. The sleeve cap steek is cut open and the sleeve is sewn into the body to finish.
In the case of Autumn Rose, the sleeve is knit to the underarm, and is joined with the body at that point to enable you to knit the top of the sweater in one piece. Think of those icelandic sweaters we all made -- with the big patterned yoke.
Autumn Rose has raglan shaping between the body and the sleeve. The sleeve top is straight and becomes the shoulder.
Michelle was so excited when the Simply Shetland 4 book arrived because I had all of the yarn to kit up Autumn Rose for her -- and could have it in the post and in her hands in time to go on vacation. She left Shetland Black at home by mistake and is stalled in her actual knitting, but she's thinking about Autumn Rose and has questions that I thought I'd share with anyone else out there knitting (or contemplating knitting) Autumn Rose.
Michelle asked? "Okay, Honest professional opinion here... on a knitter's scale from one to ten ... how challenging would you rate autumn rose. I'd consider myself an advanced knitter... not a beginner, not an expert. I LOVE the pattern and design... it is something I would definitely wear... I'm just looking at the sleeves and thinkin' huh?! :)"
My opinion, professional or not :) .....well, here goes. How challenging is Autumn Rose? Well, if you're an inexperienced fair isle knitter, yes, I'd say it was challenging BECAUSE while you're watching your pattern to work the stranded design, remembering what shade to use where, you're also watching for the side shaping decreases, etc.
But on the other hand, because it's totally charted out for you -- you are following a chart, line by line, and the shaping is shown on the appropriate lines for you, and that makes it so simple.
So honestly, if you're an experienced stranded knitter, I think the fact that it is all charted out for you actually makes it easier to do.
For example........You know when you get to the part in the pattern (any pattern) that says, continue neckline shaping while at the same time dec l st at either side of the underarm x number of times until you have xx number of stitches on each front shoulder???
These kind of instructions always give me chills and I have to completely chart it out to make sure I'm on the right track. I love charts -- I guess I'm a visual person -- and since fair isle is an allover pattern, to make a sweater with a chart like this is a dream come true. I've often used Stitch Painter to do a full chart for myself to see how the patterns fall on the body, how the neckline and shoulders work out, everything I would want to do to ensure that the sweater fits the way I want it to. So I usually just take the motif and knit it my way.
Michelle is questioning the sleeves. She also asked....
"Do you find the sleeve cuff a bit on the large side? What kind of cast on do you suggest?"
I tend to use cable cast on these days....I like the finished edge it gives. Yes the bottom of the sleeve is large -- because it has to sit just under the elbow. The fit across the bust, and at the shoulder has to be close or it would gape and fall off of the shoulder. If the sleeve "cuff" were tight, it would pull on the shoulder area. It needs to be a bit loose to provide for arm movement.
Autumn Rose is the type of sweater you'll wear indoors, over a camisole, and it's totally feminine in fit. You could just as easily take the motif, and make a traditional pullover or cardigan of it -- the motif and shades used are fabulous and would suit either a man or a woman.
As usual, all of the above is IMHO of course! LOL!
To allow for shaping, Eunny designates a side stitch that is purled throughout, to provide a line that subtly disappears into your knitting, but provides a marker for your side shaping.
In the case of Venezia, the sleeves were knit in the round to the underarm point, then a steek was established to enable you to continue knitting the sleeve cap in the round. The sleeve cap steek is cut open and the sleeve is sewn into the body to finish.
In the case of Autumn Rose, the sleeve is knit to the underarm, and is joined with the body at that point to enable you to knit the top of the sweater in one piece. Think of those icelandic sweaters we all made -- with the big patterned yoke.
Autumn Rose has raglan shaping between the body and the sleeve. The sleeve top is straight and becomes the shoulder.
Michelle was so excited when the Simply Shetland 4 book arrived because I had all of the yarn to kit up Autumn Rose for her -- and could have it in the post and in her hands in time to go on vacation. She left Shetland Black at home by mistake and is stalled in her actual knitting, but she's thinking about Autumn Rose and has questions that I thought I'd share with anyone else out there knitting (or contemplating knitting) Autumn Rose.
Michelle asked? "Okay, Honest professional opinion here... on a knitter's scale from one to ten ... how challenging would you rate autumn rose. I'd consider myself an advanced knitter... not a beginner, not an expert. I LOVE the pattern and design... it is something I would definitely wear... I'm just looking at the sleeves and thinkin' huh?! :)"
My opinion, professional or not :) .....well, here goes. How challenging is Autumn Rose? Well, if you're an inexperienced fair isle knitter, yes, I'd say it was challenging BECAUSE while you're watching your pattern to work the stranded design, remembering what shade to use where, you're also watching for the side shaping decreases, etc.
But on the other hand, because it's totally charted out for you -- you are following a chart, line by line, and the shaping is shown on the appropriate lines for you, and that makes it so simple.
So honestly, if you're an experienced stranded knitter, I think the fact that it is all charted out for you actually makes it easier to do.
For example........You know when you get to the part in the pattern (any pattern) that says, continue neckline shaping while at the same time dec l st at either side of the underarm x number of times until you have xx number of stitches on each front shoulder???
These kind of instructions always give me chills and I have to completely chart it out to make sure I'm on the right track. I love charts -- I guess I'm a visual person -- and since fair isle is an allover pattern, to make a sweater with a chart like this is a dream come true. I've often used Stitch Painter to do a full chart for myself to see how the patterns fall on the body, how the neckline and shoulders work out, everything I would want to do to ensure that the sweater fits the way I want it to. So I usually just take the motif and knit it my way.
Michelle is questioning the sleeves. She also asked....
"Do you find the sleeve cuff a bit on the large side? What kind of cast on do you suggest?"
I tend to use cable cast on these days....I like the finished edge it gives. Yes the bottom of the sleeve is large -- because it has to sit just under the elbow. The fit across the bust, and at the shoulder has to be close or it would gape and fall off of the shoulder. If the sleeve "cuff" were tight, it would pull on the shoulder area. It needs to be a bit loose to provide for arm movement.
Autumn Rose is the type of sweater you'll wear indoors, over a camisole, and it's totally feminine in fit. You could just as easily take the motif, and make a traditional pullover or cardigan of it -- the motif and shades used are fabulous and would suit either a man or a woman.
As usual, all of the above is IMHO of course! LOL!
Thanks for the summary about the sleeve width. It makes perfect sense now that I consider your points. I can't take credit for the first question though - you actually have two different Michelle's commenting. I'm Michelle B. I can say that so far this Eunny patter is very well written. I've done a number of Alice Starmore and Dale stranded knitting projects and it's a nice repetitive design to me.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just bought the Simply Shetland book 4 because I love Eunny Jang's Autumn Rose Pullover. I have experience with Fair Isle and Chart patterns. Since you have knitted the sweater I was wondering how you figured out what color to use and how many rows we knit with each color? The chart in the book is gray and white and only lists the two yarn colors to use.
Thanks,
Beth