subtlefire (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
subtlefire) wrote2010-08-22 10:09 pm
subtlefire) wrote2010-08-22 10:09 pm
A study in designing
As a long-time Sherlock Holmes fangirl, I had to watch the new BBC Sherlock and enjoyed it immensely. The biggest flaw in the show, aside from the fact there are only three episodes, is the astounding lack of knitwear to stare at and copy. The exception to this is Watson's sweater in the first episode, "A Study in Pink". Here's a better look at the stitch pattern, though the image is flipped, since the cables are all left-crossed in the episode.
A few people on Ravelry suggested similar sweaters, but of course none of those matched quite right. Then TexturedKnitter posted an outline/ recipe for an Elementary! Watson Sweater. If I knew anything at all about building a sweater, I would already have the yarn ordered for this one. I'm quite sure someone else will pick it up long before I reach that level, but the charts are not without interest.
The beautiful thing about charts is that you can take them and plug them into just about any garment (or other knitted object) as long as you can make the stitch counts work. Since I'm on a hat kick, I decided to try these with a hat. The stitch count for 3 repeats seemed a little high for worsted weight, but I gave it a try and, after fussing with the decreases a lot I had a not-bad hat that fit me fairly well but will probably work better for a man. Okay, I was planning on giving it away anyway.
My next attempt was 2 chart repeats with bulky yarn. This turned out about the same size, and my re-reworking of the decreases looks a lot less funky. Look, Ma, I wrote a pattern! I'm pretty darn proud of myself, even if it was mostly borrowed.
It will be a few days yet before I'm ready to post a final pattern. I need to do one more test knit to make sure the pattern works with the weight yarn I want and the decreases look good. (I've only changed the decreases about 6 times now.) I want to see how the cables relax once they have been washed and dried. Then I need to take loads of pictures of hats looking good, and a few of what not to do. But I'm excited!
A few people on Ravelry suggested similar sweaters, but of course none of those matched quite right. Then TexturedKnitter posted an outline/ recipe for an Elementary! Watson Sweater. If I knew anything at all about building a sweater, I would already have the yarn ordered for this one. I'm quite sure someone else will pick it up long before I reach that level, but the charts are not without interest.
The beautiful thing about charts is that you can take them and plug them into just about any garment (or other knitted object) as long as you can make the stitch counts work. Since I'm on a hat kick, I decided to try these with a hat. The stitch count for 3 repeats seemed a little high for worsted weight, but I gave it a try and, after fussing with the decreases a lot I had a not-bad hat that fit me fairly well but will probably work better for a man. Okay, I was planning on giving it away anyway.
My next attempt was 2 chart repeats with bulky yarn. This turned out about the same size, and my re-reworking of the decreases looks a lot less funky. Look, Ma, I wrote a pattern! I'm pretty darn proud of myself, even if it was mostly borrowed.
It will be a few days yet before I'm ready to post a final pattern. I need to do one more test knit to make sure the pattern works with the weight yarn I want and the decreases look good. (I've only changed the decreases about 6 times now.) I want to see how the cables relax once they have been washed and dried. Then I need to take loads of pictures of hats looking good, and a few of what not to do. But I'm excited!