cardigan measurement help

[ButterflyBecky]

Hello,

 

I'm making a cardigan but due to my tension I'm modifying the pattern to work with the way I crochet. The body of the cardigan was fine as the pattern has measurements for the width/length etc so I just worked using them. The problem I'm having is that the pattern for the sleeves only has measurements for the sleeve seam but you start at the cuff and work your way to the seam so I don't know how many stitches to do to make the cuff the right size which will ultimately make the seam the right size.

 

To work out the body I worked out how many stitches on average I would need by working out how many stitches I do per inch (3.5) and then multiplying it by the measurement (49.5") which = 173 sts instead of 297 stitches which is what the pattern says. Although I did add a few more stitches to get the perfect length so ended up with 197 sts.

 

Is there anyone who can help me work this out?? I'm so confused :-(

[Granny Square]

If it's a free on-line pattern, could you link to it?  What kind of sleeve is it, drop shoulder (like a t-shirt, sleeve is a trapezoid) or set-in (more complicated).  However, both types mostly look alike from armpit to cuff. 

 

You have already made a giant swatch (the body of the sweater)  so you can determine how many stitches you would need to fit around widest part of the sleeve, and around the cuff. 

 

You'd need to figure the cuff to underarm measurement (I like to use an existing garment with similar fit), and figure how many rows that would be, again using the body of the sweater as a gauge.

 

So:  the cuff is x stitches, widest (armpit) measurement is y stitches, and there are z rows from cuff to armpit. You will need to figure out how many stitches to increase between cuff and armpit (y minus x)--normally you'd increase 2 stitches every so many rows (assuming you are working flat, usually increasing 1 stitch at each end), so you will need to do that math (rows divided by the number of increase rows needed [# of stitches to decrease divided by 2].   Usually the math comes out messy, you may not be able to increase every third row for example, you may have to throw in a few increases every other row, or every 4 rows, to come out right).

 

The hard part will be to work out the correct dimensions for the part above the armpit if this is a set-in sleeve, hopefully your schematic is detailed enough to guide you. 

[ButterflyBecky]

Thank you for your reply.

 

The sleeve is sort of a triangle shape but with 2 flat edges that you then fold in half and join. I understand your working out so I might have to try that. It's not an online pattern it's one from a book. I could attach a picture of how the sleeve should look rather than the pattern??

[magiccrochetfan]

What book is it, and which specific pattern?  

Somebody may have the book to refer to.  

[ButterflyBecky]

It's 'The Crochet Bible' by Sue Whiting and it's the lazy stripe wrap jacket

[ButterflyBecky]

I needed 297 sts for the body of the cardigan but due to my tension I had to do 196 sts. Would it work if I found out the percentage of sts I did compared to the amount the pattern says. So 196/297 which =0.57, 0.57*100 = 57%. So if I need 57 stitches for the start of the sleeve I find 57% of 57 (57/100 = 0.57, 0.57*57=32.49 rounded to 32) so I do 32 sts instead of 57??

[Granny Square]

I've never used percentages - I calculate the number of stitches per inch using my gauge swatch.  I think it's easier (and probably more accurate) to do it this way, since you will be measuring your body in inches (if you are in the US).

 

Example,  your gauge is 3.5 stitches per inch, and (example) your wrist cuff should be 9", you need 31.5 stitches for the cuff (rounding up or down depending on how you think it would fit better).  (which is pretty close to your number - lucky guess, I really wasn't trying to, I just measured my own cuff!  But I think it would be a good thing to count the stitches in the body for the measurement you need, as a double check to your percentage theory).

 

I would follow the schematic using your stitch gauge, rather than the written pattern.  Take a ruler to your sweater body and count the number of stitches in the number of inches the schematic calls out for the wrist cuff, and start from there.

 

Same thing for the number of rows you need from cuff to armpit - there is really nothing about the written pattern that you can follow since your gauge is so different, you need to follow the schematic.

[ButterflyBecky]

The problem I'm having is that the pattern doesn't tell me how long the cuff needs to be so there are no inches to work it out it only tells me the length measurements of the whole sleeve. By the stitches is the only way I can think of working this out. It's a logical way of working it out I just don't know if it will work and I don't want to have to do the whole sleeve, find out it doesn't fit and then have to undo it.

[magiccrochetfan]

I think GrannySquare has given you a good outline of how to plan using your stitch gauge and the schematic.  You've radically changed the stitch gauge, so why not make the cuff however you want it?  the sweater is not not going to look like the photo in the book anyway due to the big difference in gauge. 

 

 I just don't know if it will work and I don't want to have to do the whole sleeve, find out it doesn't fit and then have to undo it.

 

When we go "off-pattern" and create our own designs, experimenting is really the only way to proceed.  We can figure all the numbers, draw up a stitch diagram, etc, and still the yarn may not behave the way we thought it would. I always have to swatch; sometimes my first try works out but usually i have to rip and redo....that is just a skill we have to learn along with all our other crochet skills.  One sleeve is really not that much more work than a decent-sized swatch ;-)  

 

[magiccrochetfan]

There is one project on ravelry that is finsihed and interestingly they found the gauge as written to be way off too http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lazy-stripe-wrap-jacket

the second project i guess was never finished, but the photo from the book (i guess thats where the photo is from) makes it look like the garment is huge, it seems to be folded on itself, and note the sleeves are pushed up so it is hard to tell how they fit.  

 

How are the cuffs made? looks like slip stitch maybe?  

[Granny Square]

I know it's discouraging to rip out your work, but 'rip happens' (especially when you are designing something new, which is what you are doing).  I could make a lot of sweaters if I could magically reconstitute all my ripped stitches over the years.

[ButterflyBecky]

Yeah, doing it by the stitch number seems to be working so I'm going to continue it that way and just hope it fits in the armholes haha. It looks good even though the guage is out and Mum likes it so that's a plus I've been crocheting for years but this pattern just seems to be harder :S thanks for you help guys

[ButterflyBecky]

I think the fact that it's gathered up is partly the reason why Mum liked it but yes I see what you mean. Everytime I finish a section I ask Mum to try it and see what she thinks and so far she has said "it seems fine although it's very hard to imagine what it's going to look like". Hopefully it will be fine

[Granny Square]

It's a good thing your Mom lives close to you and you're not having to guess if it will fit.  Good luck!