Changing sleeve ends on a pattern

[SammieLily2]

I'm looking to make myself a sweater, and I've finally found a pattern that suits what I want... for the most part. I'd like to change the sleeve ends, neck line and possibly bottom rim to look and feel more like this (http://m.beautifulhalo.com/long-sleeve-multi-color-dot-round-neck-sweater-p-238369.html?track=tb12132). I'm looking at the Lion Brand pattern "Easy Mesh Pullover" (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L50146.html). I was thinking it would just be single crochet ribbing, but that really only works for the sleeves.

 

(Edits are me adding in the URLs since I'm on mobile.)

[magiccrochetfan]

The main problem I see is that the neckline on the pattern is essentially a slot, a long rectangle, instead of a curve.  Notice how much of a curve or scoop there is to the neckline on the example sweater.  Also on the example, note the front of the neck sits much lower than the back, whereas the Lion sweater does not and there is only 2" between the front and the back.  So adding ribbing there may make the whole neckline too high and look odd and feel uncomfortable.  

 

Also the sleeve bottoms on the Lion sweater are pretty wide and gathering them into a cuff will look quite different than the pattern photo.  

 

Having said all that, you can use crocheted ribbing of any type, just make it separately and sew it in place.  

[SammieLily2]

I was thinking of adjusting the pattern a little anyway, since I'm not really a fan of the rectangle opening. I just wasn't really able to find a pattern similar that I actually liked. [i didn't mention that in the OP since I was running pretty short on time.]

 

Maybe I'll pop over into the "Seeking Patterns" subforum and ask around there as well, to see if there's a different pattern that I'll like better. I can see in my head what I want, but finding an appropriate pattern is difficult.

 

Would doing a SC ribbing double the length I want it, and then folding it over to give it that round edge be too thick for a mesh sweater similar to the Lion one?

[Granny Square]

The first link is knit, but I get that you just mean 'add ribbing'.  

 

You can add ribbing to the sleeves and bottom, but you'll have to knock the distance of the ribbing off the pattern to allow for the size to be the same.  You could also probably add a narrow ribbing to the neck too, it would close up the neck a little but the pattern photo's neckline is wide-ish and looks like you could get away with a narrow ribbing at the neck and still have no trouble getting it over your head.

 

There's 2 ways to do ribbing -

(1) working SC BLO (in the back loop) back and forth, for the width of the ribbing and length needed, and for your pattern sew it on after so all the connections of ribbing to fabric look the same; but I have a concern about the neckline on this pattern with this type of ribbing.  

(2) this one might be easier if you are just going for the look of ribbing, but not it's 'springy-ness': After the sweater is done & sewn up, and you've allowed for shorter sleeves and body for the ribbing, attach the yarn to the hem, sleeve, or collar and work in alternating plain DC and post stitches.  This should work in a 1:1 ratio to the hem and sleeve stitches, you will need to work some decreases at the shoulder area so the ribbing sits flat

 

edit - Magiccrochetfan just posted with the same concern as I had about the neckline.  The neckline is wide enough when worn to accommodate being narrowed by a strip of ribbing, but it's the shaping around the slit-shape that may be tricky.

[Granny Square]

Making another post, to reply to Sammielily2--I'd was going to suggest the post stitches over the SC ribbing for this pattern, however what you described just gave me another idea.

 

If you used post stitches, what I was about to suggest in the above post was, in the first row (which would be plain DC, the next row would 'post' them) at the narrow corners, DC several (3? 5?) stitches together at the corner to bring the neckline together so it is flat to the body, instead of sticking up which would happen if you didn't decrease - I hope that makes sense.

 

So the other idea...using SC BLO and sewing on, make 2 separate strips, narrow (the width of the side of the slit), and overlap them in the slit-width ends.  Sort of like this sweater 's ribbing is overlapped and sewn in the front, which is a totally different neckline but just to show the overlapped ribbing idea

[magiccrochetfan]

I think that a folded ribbing would be fine as far as looks, but yes I do think it would be heavy in contrast to the very open mesh---actually I really think any kind of added edging would detract from the look and feel of the open mesh so I personally don't think the pattern is a good candidate for adding ribbing.

 

I should say htat I am a little biased i guess because I have never made a crocheted ribbing that I was satisfied with.  Mine never have much springiness at all and are not like knit ribbing.  Other people have much better results with crocheted ribbing though.

 

I like GrannySquare's idea about strips of ribbing overlapped at the sides of neck opening.

 

I went to Ravelry and searched for crochet pullovers with ribbing http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#fit=adult%2B&craft=crochet&view=captioned_thumbs&pa=ribbed&pc=sweater%7Cpullover&page=1&sort=best

a few cardigans sneaked into the search but that gives you some patterns to consider.  I think the closest is No Sweat by D Chan, green one about halfway down the page on right side.  The construction is neck down, seamless, and it is a little challenging but there is tons of help in Doris' group there.

[SammieLily2]

Thank you guys so much! Now that I'm home and have a little more time, I started looking around at the links you gave and the pattern a little more. The mesh pattern is basically what I was hoping for -- but after thinking about it, a wider neck wouldn't look bad. I'm thinking doing the SC ribbing [with a hook a size or two larger than used for the rest of the sweater, to make it a little looser] on the sleeves and the bottom would be nice. I didn't want anything with a loose bottom, and I was hoping to make it a little longer anyway. If the sleeves look decent as well, that's just an added bonus.

 

On the overlapped ribbing -- I personally am not a fan of the overlapped. I've seen it, and on some people it looks wonderful! I just don't personally like it.