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Nubian knitter
Chatty Knitter
USA
151 Posts |
 Posted - 04/12/2003 : 10:37:36 PM
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Does Anyone in the forum employ the side to side or cuff to cuff method of knitting? I need some clarification on a few things.
I have always seen Annies Attic advertise pattern book(let)s for side to side knitting but never knew what they were talking about. In name alone I guessed that is may have been knitting the way I usually do, with out turning. However, today a parcel came in the mail. The House Of White Birches latest knitting bookNew Directions In Knitting. It features several Side to Side knitting patterens. It also featured a pull over knitted from the top down. After having seen the book I now know what it is but I still don't quite get it.
You see, the entire garment is knitted as one whole piece with only two side seams to sew. I am awed because I don't quite understand how you'd work the neck shaping, and the increases for creating the body both back and front at the same time. How exactly do you do that?
My ten year old daughter likes to knit clothes for her stuffed toys and she often knits a rectangle, crochets together the bound off edge to the cast on edge so that there is only one seam, then she'd crochet sphagetti straps. The look she achieves is a knit with horizontal stich lines. This is much like side to side knitting but alot simpler.
Anyhow, I ordered the book thinking that it was a technique/reference/instruction type book. But it's not, it's strictly patterns. So I am a bit mystified. Anyone care to help enlighten me?
Sheila
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:27:22 PM
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Hi Sheila,
I have knitted a couple of side-to-side sweaters. You start at the cuff of one sleeve and knit the sleeve, increasing, etc as per the pattern to shape the sleeve. When you reach the body, you will cast on additional stitches for the front and back and knit-on. I've done cardigans, so when it is time to shape the neck opening, it will be similar to shaping the front of the neck on a pullover, except you are shaping the front, side and back in one piece. Directions are usually easy to understand.
When the front of the first side is finished, cast off. Youy will be working the back continously, and will cast on again for the second side. It is not as complicated as it may sound, and if the book you ordered shows a schematic of the sweater, you will probably be able to understand it by the visual representation.
On my first sweater, I cast on for the sleeve ribbing, and finished the sweater with the ribbing for the other sleeve. Then I had a big problem - my cast-on edge looked nothing like my cast-off edge. I knew I would never wear this sweater, and I had splurged on some expensive yarn. I was very disappointed at this turn of events.
I had to do a lot or research and finally found instructions to cast off using a needle - not knitting needle, but a darning needle. I wouldn't be able to do it again without finding the directions againm but it did the trick. I was able to match the edges, at least closely enough so that it was not obvious that they didn't match as originally.
Just wanted to make you aware of this so you can avoid the problem. You could cast on the sweater only, and do the ribbing on the final sleeve, then go back and pick up stitches and do the ribbing on the first sleeve so you will have a matching cast-off. Or another suggestion is research lots of cast-on/cast-off techniques to find the right match. I think I found my info in the Vogue Knitting book, or maybe the Principles of Knitting. These two are usually my first source of help.
I really like this style of sweater, it's worth any extra time to understand the technique. Hope this helps.
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:27:22 PM
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Hi Sheila,
I have knitted a couple of side-to-side sweaters. You start at the cuff of one sleeve and knit the sleeve, increasing, etc as per the pattern to shape the sleeve. When you reach the body, you will cast on additional stitches for the front and back and knit-on. I've done cardigans, so when it is time to shape the neck opening, it will be similar to shaping the front of the neck on a pullover, except you are shaping the front, side and back in one piece. Directions are usually easy to understand.
When the front of the first side is finished, cast off. Youy will be working the back continously, and will cast on again for the second side. It is not as complicated as it may sound, and if the book you ordered shows a schematic of the sweater, you will probably be able to understand it by the visual representation.
On my first sweater, I cast on for the sleeve ribbing, and finished the sweater with the ribbing for the other sleeve. Then I had a big problem - my cast-on edge looked nothing like my cast-off edge. I knew I would never wear this sweater, and I had splurged on some expensive yarn. I was very disappointed at this turn of events.
I had to do a lot or research and finally found instructions to cast off using a needle - not knitting needle, but a darning needle. I wouldn't be able to do it again without finding the directions againm but it did the trick. I was able to match the edges, at least closely enough so that it was not obvious that they didn't match as originally.
Just wanted to make you aware of this so you can avoid the problem. You could cast on the sweater only, and do the ribbing on the final sleeve, then go back and pick up stitches and do the ribbing on the first sleeve so you will have a matching cast-off. Or another suggestion is research lots of cast-on/cast-off techniques to find the right match. I think I found my info in the Vogue Knitting book, or maybe the Principles of Knitting. These two are usually my first source of help.
I really like this style of sweater, it's worth any extra time to understand the technique. Hope this helps.
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:39:34 PM
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Sheila,
Me again. I just saw that you have the book already. If there are not diagrams, one way to visualize the sweater construction is to picture it with the side seams and sleeve seams undone. Unfold it and lay it flat on a table (In your imagination, of course  ). It will look somewhat like a cross - sleeves are horizontal, front and back are vertical. Usually the patterns I've seen for this style look like a drop shoulder sweater when they are done, so there is not a lot of armhold shaping, etc. You just fold it in half along the shoulder line and sew up the sleeves and sides.
I haven't knit a pullover this style, but I don't think it would be more difficult. I'd have to pull out a pattern/diagram and think it through before I'd offer more comment on that style.
Kim
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:39:34 PM
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Sheila,
Me again. I just saw that you have the book already. If there are not diagrams, one way to visualize the sweater construction is to picture it with the side seams and sleeve seams undone. Unfold it and lay it flat on a table (In your imagination, of course ). It will look somewhat like a cross - sleeves are horizontal, front and back are vertical. Usually the patterns I've seen for this style look like a drop shoulder sweater when they are done, so there is not a lot of armhold shaping, etc. You just fold it in half along the shoulder line and sew up the sleeves and sides.
I haven't knit a pullover this style, but I don't think it would be more difficult. I'd have to pull out a pattern/diagram and think it through before I'd offer more comment on that style.
Kim
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Nubian knitter
Chatty Knitter
USA
151 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:48:14 PM
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Hey Kim,
Thanks for the further explanation. I took a few more looks at the book today and I can sort-a see it. The book does have schematics but the real issue for me is to actually do it to nail home my understanding of it. That should do the trick. I really appreciate your input. Thanks again!
Sheila
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Nubian knitter
Chatty Knitter
USA
151 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 4:48:14 PM
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Hey Kim,
Thanks for the further explanation. I took a few more looks at the book today and I can sort-a see it. The book does have schematics but the real issue for me is to actually do it to nail home my understanding of it. That should do the trick. I really appreciate your input. Thanks again!
Sheila
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 8:09:00 PM
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There are free patterns for this type of sweater on the net. They are frequently called "side to side" sweaters. Some of them are quite beautiful. It is a simple way to get vertical striping. All of the shaping is done through binding off and casting on, so I would be sure that mine match up before starting.
fran
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2003 : 8:09:00 PM
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There are free patterns for this type of sweater on the net. They are frequently called "side to side" sweaters. Some of them are quite beautiful. It is a simple way to get vertical striping. All of the shaping is done through binding off and casting on, so I would be sure that mine match up before starting.
fran
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lemons
Permanent Resident
1692 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2003 : 07:02:42 AM
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Sally Epstein in "The Knit Stitch" has a cast on that matches a regular bind off. Haven't tried it, but mean to, as this side-to-side means it's easy to do vertical stripes, for those of us who are too horizontal as it is. And why couldn't you do a row of single crochet around each cuff to make them match, by the way?
lemons of missouri.
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lemons
Permanent Resident
1692 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2003 : 07:02:42 AM
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Sally Epstein in "The Knit Stitch" has a cast on that matches a regular bind off. Haven't tried it, but mean to, as this side-to-side means it's easy to do vertical stripes, for those of us who are too horizontal as it is. And why couldn't you do a row of single crochet around each cuff to make them match, by the way?
lemons of missouri.
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2003 : 11:21:44 AM
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Lemons
I think you could do a row of crochet if you did not have a rib for the cuff. However, the problem I had was that my cast-on technique made a nice firm edge, while my cast-off just looked like a crochet edge that you get with the regular cast-off. Even if I had tried to crochet around the edges, it would not have evened out the problem. This was the first time I had knit this style and I was not forwarned about this problem, so it was a very unpleasant surprise when I looked at those sleeves. I had just never thought this far ahead when I was knitting. This was also years ago, before I learned what I know now about finishing, etc. 
fran, thanks for posting the pattern for side-to-side. It looks like a nice sweater. I assume you have knitted this pattern. Did you use cotton as suggested, or wool. I don't like to knit with cotton, so wondered if a substitution would work.
Kim
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2003 : 11:21:44 AM
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Lemons
I think you could do a row of crochet if you did not have a rib for the cuff. However, the problem I had was that my cast-on technique made a nice firm edge, while my cast-off just looked like a crochet edge that you get with the regular cast-off. Even if I had tried to crochet around the edges, it would not have evened out the problem. This was the first time I had knit this style and I was not forwarned about this problem, so it was a very unpleasant surprise when I looked at those sleeves. I had just never thought this far ahead when I was knitting. This was also years ago, before I learned what I know now about finishing, etc.
fran, thanks for posting the pattern for side-to-side. It looks like a nice sweater. I assume you have knitted this pattern. Did you use cotton as suggested, or wool. I don't like to knit with cotton, so wondered if a substitution would work.
Kim
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