Feb 2014 CAL: Amy Cardigan by Jenny King (official)

[Amy]

Of course you can post photos of your progress!

For anyone who thinks this size may not end up being large enough, think about going up a hook size or two, to see if that makes a difference.

For many garments, that would not get a great solution. But since this design is open, airy, and drapy, I think it might work.

Also, be sure you are doing a gauge swatch. Or, if you don't want to take the time to do an actual gauge swatch, after you've done the first 8 or 9 rows, check your gauge. In fact, I need to take my own advice. So let's work through the math with what I'm getting.

Gauge:

 

3 shells = 4" and 6 rows = 4"

 

Jenny crochets more loosely than I do. I am not getting her gauge with my G hook. I am getting 3 shells = 3.75" and 6 rows = 3".

 

Back Width Before Sleeve Shaping

 

24 shells = 32" at pattern gauge

 

24 shells = 30" at my gauge

 

Now, this is my unblocked gauge. I really need to go block what I've done so far to have an accurate measurement. If I lightly stretch it out by hand, I easily get 4" for my 6 rows.

Remember, this type of garment is probably also going to stretch a bit in height as it's worn, due to the weight of the garment.

To check your gauge, I would recommend damp blocking: just spray your first 8 or so rows lightly with water and see how the cotton/rayon will relax a bit and stretch out.

If you're a much looser crocheter than I am, you may also want to grab a pants/skirt hanger, and hang your completed 8 rows or so for half a day or so to see how much it grows in length.

You may find that after blocking/hanging, you're fairly close to gauge and won't need to make any other adjustments.

[kittyloverdeb]

Okay Amy I hope you find this as humerous as I have but....think I had it upside down when I said there was no way it would fit a size XL!  I'm such a goof-ball sometimes!  I'm not sure it will be long enough for me as I am tall but we will see.  I did a gauge swatch and it was a bit shy of the 4" but made it when I stretched it.  I will be starting my last repeat of the back.  When I have that done I will post a picture. 

[Amy]

For people who want to make this longer, it should be very easy to add as many repeats of rows 3-9 on the back as you wish (about 4 extra inches per added repeat). You'd need to add the same number of repeats in the appropriate area on the sleeves. I'm not that far along yet to be able to give detailed info on that yet.

For those who want more width across the back, you can also add more beginning chains so that you have more shells to begin with. You could even add a bit more width to the front pieces as well. Again, details as we get to those points.

 

Of course, if you're going to add length or width, you'll need more yarn, so be sure you order 2-3 extra skeins.

[Amy]

For those of you who have started your projects already, what do you think of the yarn? Do you like how it feels? How it works up? Are you having any problems with it?

Important Information About the Twist of This Yarn:

If you look at this yarn, you will see that the individual yarn plies are twisted around each other with the twist going in the diagonal pattern of a Z: /

Most yarns are plied together with the twist going in the diagonal direction of an S: \

 

Right-handers may have noticed that some yarns, especially yarns that have been loosely plied, become a little "untwisted" or loose and splitty as you crochet with them. This is because most yarns are plied with an S twist. As right-handers crochet, the direction they wrap the yarn around their hook goes in the direction of Z twist. Since this is opposite to S twist, you end up loosening the twist a little. For yarns that are spun with more twist, this effect may be negligible. For yarns that are spun more loosely, you may notice more splittiness and untwisting than usual.

Mimosa is spun with a loose Z twist. Right-handers, you should be very, very happy using this yarn.

Most left-handers have probably never encountered issues with a yarn "untwisting" on us, or becoming a little loose and splitty as we crochet with it. When lefties crochet, we add S twist to the yarn. Since most yarns we use are S twist, we don't cause any issues with the twist loosening.

However, since Mimosa is Z twist, we ARE going to be loosening the twist of this yarn as we work with it. You may notice this yarn is a bit splittier for you as you work with it than you're used to with other yarns. Don't panic! I've discovered some tips that will help you.

1. Try reducing the amount of yarn between your work and where you have it tensioned. The less yarn you're working with at a time, the less S twist you'll introduce to the yarn. I don't wrap my yarn around my fingers. I simply hold it between my first two fingers of my right hand and let it slide through. I usually have 4-6"  of yarn between my fingers and my work. If I reduce that down to 2-3," I have fewer problems with loosening the twist.

2. Increase the tension on your yarn. The more tension on your yarn and the tighter grip you have on it, you'll keep any twist that's introduced within the stitch you're working on, and reduce the chance that it will also travel down into your working yarn. All the twists and turns of the yarn within the crochet stitches will help reduce the untwisting as well.

3. As you increase the tension on your yarn, you have to be careful that you are not making your stitches smaller as a result. You still want to draw as much yarn into the stitches as you would if your hold on the yarn was looser. It may take some practice to hold the yarn tighter and still make your stitches the same size. If you find it too difficult to do this, you may find increasing your hook size is easier than concentrating so hard while crocheting.

Hope this information and the tips will be helpful for some of you!

[Janet5775]

I ordered mine in cream.  It came last week and I love it.  Couldn't wait to get started so I started.  I am on row 12 now.  The yarn works up so nicely and the pattern is so easy to follow.

[Laura Sage-Blair]

On behalf of myself and other fellow Lefties, thank you for the words of advice on yarn wrangling! 

[Palmarina]

Hello, I ordered the black yarn. I live in Belgium (Europe) and the yarn has to come across the ocean . I hope it will arrive soon. I already tried the pattern in some waste yarn to be sure to understand it all. I have to make XL.

"See" you soon.

 

[Amy]

If anyone ordered more than 24 hours ago and you still have not received your pattern, please send me a private message with your email address.

Once I confirm you're on the list of orders that I've been sent by Mona at Creative Yarn Source, I can send your pattern a response to your message to me. So you can download it right here on the forum, and we won't have to worry about any other email issues. Just be sure you give me the email address you used when you placed your order.

[Petalk]

I received my pattern today .... Waiting now for the yarn .... Might have to get something from shops Down Here to practice

[Kryssm]

Received my pattern and yarn should arrive on Friday trying to be patient

[craftyone]

I received my pattern and the yarn should be here on Wednesday.

[kittyloverdeb]

I like the yarn and think it will drape nicely.  I haven't started that third repeat of the back yet and I'm considering taking it all apart and going up a hook size since my gauge was off some.  I've set it aside for the next few days while I finish up a couple things that I have to get in the mail.  Not sure if I should take it all out and start over or not?   

[howieann]

This is so pretty... I'm just not at all sure that the XL would fit... how hard do think it would it be to make it a larger size and how much extra yarn would I want to order?... hmmm...

[craftyone]

Just got my yarn. Fast service- I ordered late Saturday afternoon and it got to NY from California already! Hope to start later today.

[Konajen]

I started the sweater, but I decided to size up on the hook size just to make sure it had enough drape. I don't crochet loosely, and my gauge seems to be close to hers with the sizing up of the hook. :-) 3 rows done, hope I'm doing it right!

[Kryssm]

Yarn arrived 2 days early and is gorgeous

[Cary Wolking]

My yarn is one of the back ordered colors.  I was just wondering how I can track the possible shipment date.

Thanks!!

[Amy]

To make a larger size, you'll just need to see how much wider you may want the back to be across the top, and be sure to add enough extra chains to accommodate the number of extra shells needed to get that width.

I'm not far enough along in the pattern yet to know exactly how wide this ends up across the top of the shoulders, so I don't really know how many extra chains to advise anyone to add yet.

Once I get that far, I'll be happy to make recommendations.

To know how much extra yarn, we'd have to figure up how many extra shells you were going to be making, and then figure up how much yardage that would require.

[Cindy Ross Urbat]

I have a question on the Amy Cardigan pattern.  How many shells should we have in rows 3-8? I have been doing 16 shells, but in row 5 it says to repeat to the last 3 stitches, and I ended with 5 stitches left.  Not sure if I'm doing this right.

 

Also, this yarn seems to really twist on itself.  Any advice on how to stop that?

 

Thanks for the help!

~Cindy

[dilyca2006]

I have yarn, pattern, and hook.  Guage swatch today and then I can get started!!  Need to get ink for my printer as I ran out of a color and cannot print the pattern yet.

[Holleah Schiller]

Was going to start the pattern this morning, but wouldn't you know, the hook I need is missing. I crochet pretty tightly so am thinking using one hook size bigger should be ok.

[Holleah Schiller]

Does every ch 3 act as a dc, or is it only on the rows where it states it in ( ). I am on row 3 at the end and need to know if I put the last two dc in the top of the previous rows ch 3 or the dc before that.

[Konajen]

I have a question on the Amy Cardigan pattern. How many shells should we have in rows 3-8? I have been doing 16 shells, but in row 5 it says to repeat to the last 3 stitches, and I ended with 5 stitches left. Not sure if I'm doing this right.

 

Also, this yarn seems to really twist on itself. Any advice on how to stop that?

 

Thanks for the help!

~Cindy

[Konajen]

I'm having the same twisting issues. Just keep smoothing as you go - I hope I'm following the pattern correctly! I think so, just finished row 8 and I've got a weird feeling I've screwed up somewhere but not sure where!

[Amy]

Yes, the ch-3 at the start of a row counts as a dc.

Cindy, for rows 3-7 you will have 16 full shells (3 dc,  ch 2, dc). You are increasing at the end of each row, so by the time you get to row 8, you'll be up to 18 shells in Rows 8 and 9.

Row 4 should have (counting the beg ch-3 as a dc): 2 dc in one stitch, dc, 16 shells, dc, 2 dc in last stitch.

On all of these rows, when Jenny talks about the number of stitches remaining, she's talking about the number of stitches that are NOT part of the shell on the previous row. So when you get to the end of Row 5, you'll work a shell in that last ch-2 space. Then you should actually have 6 dc left: 3 dc that are part of the shell that you just worked into, and the final 3 dc, that are not part of any shell.