Terry, I love all the details you gave for the swatching with different yarns. I also need to downsize the sweater. I am swatching the rowan aran scottish tweed. I love the yarn but it just isn't showing the stitch definition because although it is basically solid it has flecks of other colors. I am a little discouraged because I don't have a lot of stash yarn to try. I can't wait to see which one you chose and what color.

Susan

Questions, Questions, Questions!

I've sent Cara a note saying I'd like to join in but have not heard back yet. In the meantime I guess I'm stuck with just adding comments, hope someone reads this and can answer....

I'm swatching too, with Rowan Magpie Aran, I decided to use one of the front as my "swatch" and I'm stuck already. Two problems...

1) The tubular cast on gives you a lovely k1 p1 start to your ribbing, but that's not what the pattern calls for is it? I've interpreted that I need two knit stitches at the start of the button band. How did everyone else handle this?

2) are there also two knit stitches next to each other where the button band meets the body? That's what I think I'm seeing but I'm not 100% positive. Written out here's what I think the frst row is reading chart from right to left: k, ktbl, p, ktbl, p, ktbl, p, ktbl, k, p, ktbl, p etc....

And a question, the small chart above the button band, what's that for, and why does it appear to increase one stitch on the left after the cast on?

Hi Anne,
I'm sure Cara will get back to you, she has a lot going on right now and is keeping up as best she can.

As for the first question, I am not sure as I haven't used the tubular cast on for my swatches. I'll let you know when I get there, but I imagine that I will just knit it and hope it isn't too obvious looking.

Second, I think I see what you are seeing. The small chart above the buttonhole band is the button band for the left side. So as you are looking at them the extra knit stitch is the edge stitch. No extra knit where the band meets the body. The Japanese characters in parenthesis above the band charts represent right and left (or at least I am guessing based on matching them to the right and left cardi front charts). So I think that answers both of your questions. Because I haven't tried the cast on, I can only guess that the appearance of increase is what happens when you work your tubular cast on.

Thank you so much for all the swatching Terry! They all look so beautiful!

Anne - I just sent your sign in stuff. Sorry for the late reply. Terry's right - I'm insane right now. ;-)

Um, Anne, I just fudged that first little bit by sewing a stitch in that missing bit when I came back on the next row, making it look like its neighbor.

The characters for "right" and "left" are the box and the I with the horizontal line above and a stroke connecting on the top left, found also on the right and left fronts, page 70, above that bit in the parentheses. Thus the sleeve diagram below that is the right sleeve.

I like how an apostrophe is used to designate a left-right inversion of a stitch sequence.

Oh these looks like the swatches I prefer. I hate those squares. By knitting a front or a sleeve as a swatch you get a feeling for the fabric you produce, the stitch definition, the color, the pattern, the drape and so on. They look beautiful. All your friends can have their own Am Kamin:)

I worked with the tubular cast on last night as I haven't used it before. I am not sure I like it. It doesn't have the give that I would like so I think I am going to go with another cast on. I'm going to be doing so many changes,(up-sizing, button bands done after the body and not at the same time, circular above the under arm bind off, perhaps guage difference depending on how my swatch dries)that I don't think it will be a problem.

Anne, look at the diagrams on page 83. They show how to create the extra k sts while doing the tubular cast-on, I think (!?). Maybe #1 would apply to the back, #2 and #3 are the fronts, and #4 the hat. Someone chime in here, please!

to Sue:

If your tubular cast on doesn't have enough give then something is not right, it is just about the most stretchy cast on in existence and should expand to the width of your knitting easily. In fact it's often advised to go DOWN 2-3 needle sizes when doing it because it is so forgiving!

On a related note I've now found 3 completely differnt ways of doing the cast on, one is in the book, one on the Little Purl of the Orient blog and one on craftster, all give a very stretchy edge, just a matter of which you prefer doing.