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Machine Knit Turtle Back Sweater

Being human, I forget some things when I record up this video (below), so here is what I would like to add to it.

I did state to measure around the chest of the person and divide in half, but I forgot to mention to add the ease. Most of the time, a 2 inch ease is sufficient enough, but if you want less or more that is up to you.

So measure around the chest of the person and add in the ease to the final measurement and divide that in half.

Now multiply that number by the stitches per inch you get.

This would be your cast on stitches.

Now take that same number as above and multiply by the rows per inch and that would be how many rows you would knit.

Remember if your going to do up a Tuck Stitch as I shown, or even a Fair Isle or such, then do up a sample of the design and take off the machine, let it rest, preferable over night but an hour may also be sufficient as well. Also if the yarn is one that may shrink or your planning on it being a felted, you would do a closed cast on, knit up the swatch, bind off, make a note of the TD and machine just in case you don't get to it right away, measure it before washing and drying, but more important is measure it after washing and drying to see the difference. I have only felted by accident, I am old school and raised to hand wash any garment that would shrink. I have purchased a few patterns to try it out but still have not got to those, maybe in time I may.

If your doing a rib, then you may want to not only measure it relaxed but also stretched out as that can make a difference in this case. I have told many not to stretch out the rib to measure but where the whole garment would be that, then yes you would measure it stretched out. You would take both gauges (rows should be the same, but check it anyways) and then figure what you want for the final garment piece.

If you don't have enough needles on your machine, then you would work it in 2 pieces, so the cast on stitches would be in half but the rows would stay the same. You can do the SAYG, Eyelet Join (you need to work a little more for that for each piece but would make an interesting back seam) or even the Cable Join. If doing one of the fancy joins, you may want to add just a few more stitches to compensate for the join. One can even just sew it up when both pieces are done that you don't need the added stitches or maybe just add 1 more stitch to each piece.

Now last on the Barbie Doll, I show a plain Stockinet Stitch knit only, so the bottom and top will curl a little, but maybe that is what you want, really when you make your own garment, it is your choice and you make the decisions. Same when you have a pattern you bought or got free, you can change the looks to your liking.

You may sell the item you make from this pattern, you may not sell or give away the pattern itself. Nor shall it be put into any web page or magazine without my consent. Please email me first before doing so All Rights Reserved