Mama Jacket - Pattern

Here is my version of the Drops Jacket pattern. This is not my original pattern, but my modifications to the Drops pattern. Modifications include a straight collar, raglan sleeves, and one piece construction.

Mama Jacket

Gauge - 17 sts = 10 cm

22 rows = 10 cm

Needle - Size 8

Yarn - KnitPicks Cadena

Measurements:

Hips: 100 cm
Waist: 76 cm
below bust: 90 cm
bust: 98 cm
upper arm: 30 cm
elbow: 25 cm
fullest below elbow: 25 cm
distance waist/hips: 17 cm
distance waist/bust: 20 cm
neck opening: 50 cm

Collar:

CO 100 sts.
Knit Double Moss st for about 20 cm.

Optional collar button: About 4 cm above the body, knit a button hole. (k2, p2, k1, cast off one, double moss st. Next row CO one st over the cast off stitch.)

Last row (wrong side), decrease 4 times (by k2tog) (total 96 sts)

Purl one row

Body:

Double moss st. 28 sts. Place moss marker. All sts before this marker will be Double moss.
Knit 2. Place marker. This marks where to increase for the right front panel.
Knit 8 sts. Place marker. This is the right sleeve.
Knit 28 sts. Place marker. This is the back.
Knit 8 sts. Place marker. This is the left sleeve.
Knit 2. Place moss marker. All sts after this marker will be Double moss.
Double moss st 20 sts. This is the left from panel.

Continue knitting Double moss on the front panels, stockinette st all others. Increase on either side of each increase marker on the right side by knitting in the front and back of each st.

Crochet a button loop about 2 cm from the top on the left front panel.

Knit a button hole on the right front panel, every 8-10 cm.

Increase until sts are:
Right Front – 55
Right Sleeve – 60
Back – 82
Left Sleeve – 60
Left Front – 47
(Total 304 sts)

Separate sleeves – hold on scrap yarn to knit later. (CO 6 sts, place marker, CO 6 sts) under each arm. (Total 196 sts)

Shaping:

Increase on the front side of the each marker (the side toward on the front of the jacket) every knit row until there are 214 sts. (18 times)

Knit one short row on right and left front panels.

Decrease on the front side of each marker every knit row until there are 202 sts (12 times).

Continue knitting, with Double Moss st on front panels.

About 15 cm below the short rows for the bust, decrease 4 sts, evenly distributed across the back of the jacket (at each marker on the back side of the jacket, and twice evenly distributed across the back, every 3 rows, until there are 178 sts (6 times).

Increase 4 sts, evenly distributed (on back of jacket), every other knit row, until there are 202 sts (6 times).

Increase 2 sts on the front side of each marker every knit row until there are 218 sts (8 times).

Knit Double Moss pattern for 14 rows.
Bind off.

Sleeves:

Pick up 17 sts to be knit in the round (total 77 sts). Place 2 markers centered under armpit.

Row 1 – K6, K2tog, K2tog, K56, K2tog, K2tog, K6, K1 (total 73 sts)
Row 2 – K5, K2tog, K2tog, K54, K2tog, K2tog, K5, K1 (total 69 sts)
Row 3 – K2, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, K52, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, K2, K1 (total 63 sts)
Row 4 – Knit (total 63 sts)
Row 5 – Decrease one stitch on each side of marker. (total 61 sts)
Row 6 – Knit
Row 7 – Knit

Repeat rows 5-7 until there are 49 sts. (total 36 rows)

In the next row, decrease once (total 48 sts).

Continue knitting until sleeves are 7 cm short of desired length. Knit Double Moss pattern for 14 rows.

Bind off.

Picot's Dog Sweater - Pattern

Based on Picot's measurements, I wrote up a pattern for the dog sweater. Again, this pattern borrows heavily from Esther Smith Bozak's Custom Fit Dog Sweater and Terri Lee Royea's Side Button Greyhound Sweater (mostly from Esther - thank you!).

Picot's Dog Sweater

Gauge: 10 sts – 7cm
15 rows – 7 cm

Needles: Size 8 Circular
Size 7 DPN

Measurements:

1. Neck – 44cm 64 sts

2. Chest – 79cm 113 sts

3. Leg (circumference) – 24cm 32 sts

Leg (width) 12cm 25 rows

4. Leg (length) – 10cm 22 rows

5. Front (Neck to underarm) – 33-34cm

6. Front (Neck to sternum) – 69cm 148 rows

7. Back – 77cm 165 rows

* * * * *

Neck:

Using size 8 needle, CO 64 sts. Place marker, and join to knit in round.

Knit K2P2 ribbing for 30 cm.

Yoke:

Row 1: Knit. Increase 15 sts evenly across round. (K6, M1, *K4, M1* K6)
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: K1, M1, Knit, M1, K1

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until you have 113 sts. (until Row 35)

[NOTE: To make a better fit, I ended up making two short rows; one in Row 16 and another in Row 28.]

Continue knitting until sweater measures 32 cm from the neck as measured along the increase line. (until Row 69).

Leg Openings:

Row 70: K10, Cast Off 9 sts, K71, Cast off 9 sts, K10. (I suggest slipping “cast off sts” onto a piece of scrap yarn.)

Work belly and back back and forth at the same time (using two skeins)

Continue in stockinette stitch for 9 rows (until Row 78).

Chest:

Row 79: CO 9 sts over leg openings, and join to knit in round. (total 113 sts)

Continue in stockinette stitch until sweater is 50cm from neck ribbing.

Cast off 12 sts, K85, Cast off 12 sts. (I suggest slipping “cast off sts” onto a piece of scrap yarn – these will be the “Belly sts”.)

Back:

Continue in stockinette stitch, decreasing one stitch at the beginning (SSK) and one stitch at the end (K2T), for each Knit row until there are 60 sts remaining (25 rows).

Continue in stockinette stitch until sweater is 72 cm long.

Decrease one stitch at the beginning (SSK) and one stitch at the end (K2T), Knitting in between, for 5 rows (This will be garter stitch).

Cast off. (I suggest slipping “cast off sts” onto a piece of scrap yarn. These will be the “Back sts”.)

Sleeves:

Using Size 7 DPNs, slip/pick up leg sts. Work in the round 2K2P, decreasing evenly in first round to correct for rib.

Continue 2K2P for 22 rows.

Repeat for second leg.

Belly Gusset and Finishing:

Slip Belly sts onto a circular needle. Place markers on either side of the Belly sts.

Pick up 1 sts per row along the sides, and slip on Back sts, so that bottom edge of entire sweater is on needles.

Row 1: Wrong side. Work ONLY the Belly sts – 2K2P rib, beginning and ending with P. Decrease twice evenly spaced to correct st count.

Row 2: Turn piece, and work right side. Slide 1 side st (outside marker) from right-hand needle to left. K2T (one st outside marker, one st inside marker). 2K2P rib until st before second marker. SSK (one st inside marker, one inside marker).

Row 3: Repeat Row 2, but on wrong side.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until gusset is 5cm long.

Begin working in rounds on right side.

Round 1: Slide 1 side st (outside marker) from right-hand needle to left. K2T (one st outside marker, one st inside marker). 2K2P rib until st before second marker. SSK (one st inside marker, one inside marker). Continue 2K2P for side and Back sts. Decrease evenly as necessary for ribs to match up.

Round 2: Slide 1 side st (outside marker) from right-hand needle to left. K2T (one st outside marker, one st inside marker). 2K2P rib until st before second marker. SSK (one st inside marker, one inside marker). Continue 2K2P for rest of round.

Repeat Round 2 until ribbing is 2 cm long. Bind off.

Sew in all loose ends.

Mama Jacket

I finished my first, real-deal, adult-sized sweater over Golden Week. It is the popular Drops Jacket, knit in one piece, top-down, as inspired by CanarySanctuary.

I used nine skeins of KnitPicks Cadena yarn, a nice alpaca blend, in neutral. The yarn bloomed a bit when washed, but generally held its size and shape (and also accepted some gentle tugging to make the body longer).

The buttons are wooden toggles that look like bamboo, purchased at Tokyu Hands. Michael helped me with button selection - and thank goodness for that. I had my eye on some beautiful shell buttons (that were about 1600 yen a pop), but Michael convinced me they would just blend into the creme wool, and encouraged me to get these dark beauties. It definitely helped that they rang up at 105 yen each!

I didn't even try to make gauge - I knew that I wanted to add some modifications and wanted to strive for a custom fit. SO - I wrote out my own pattern. I have found that I am terrible at following patterns (ditto on recipes - it must be a personality flaw), but I find great delight in writing my own patterns based on patterns I find on Ravelry. I changed it up a little as I went along (per usual), but I'll be posting the final result on the blog.

Picot's Dog Sweater - Measurements

My friend, Nami, asked me to knit a dog sweater for her dog, Picot. I looked at some dog sweater patterns on Ravelry, and decided to use a few to put together my own version. I borrowed heavily from Esther Smith Bozak's Custom Fit Dog Sweater and Terri Lee Royea's Side Button Greyhound Sweater.

The first step was getting Picot's measurements:

1. Neck measurement. - Nami wants Picot to have a turtleneck sweater. Because her t-shirts usually end up too stretched out around the neck, I will knit a ribbed neck to keep it fitted on Picot's neck. Nami measured around Picot's neck, where her collar normally sits.

2. Chest Measurement. This measurement should be around the biggest part of the chest. With Picot's hair, Nami got a range of measurements.

3. Chest Length. Nami measured from the neck to the end of Picot's sternum. This will be the length of the sweater as it extends down Picot's belly. You don't want to extend the sweater too far down, to avoid any pee wetting the sweater. (I know, what a lovely thought.)

4. Leg Circumference. This sweater will have leg openings and small cuffs. The measurement should be taken around the largest part of the leg.

5. Back Measurement. This measurement, from the neck to the tail, will be the full length of the sweater on the dog's back.

While Nami took measurements, I knit up a gauge swatch. My yarn's gauge on size 8 needles is 10 sts x 15 rows = 7x7 cm.

Green

This pattern was found on Ravelry - I modified it to knit in the round, and didn't continue on the neck. (The original has instructions to knit a cowl neck, but I stopped with the boat.) This yarn is pretty bulky, and I thought a cowl would be too warm with the sleeveless top.

The shaping turned out well - I was nervous and kept measuring my torso, but I think everything turned out. I still have to tuck in all the loose ends, but because I knit in the round there are only 2.

I got this yarn at the Yuzawaya in Kichijoji. (Love that place!) It was on sale - I got 10 skeins in a package, and only used 4 for this project, so I have to find something else to knit. Maybe I'll knit up a top for my Mom as well.....

Great Stash-buster

I saw these little snails at my local yarn store and thought they were a great idea. I have been knitting them to use up the little bits of yarn I have leftover from other projects.

Little Sister Dress - Update

I finished this dress (in progress here)- all that is left is to find cute buttons for the shoulder. I am hoping that it will turn into a grow-with-me type of outfit - it should fit as a dress for a toddler and grow into a tunic up to 7 or 8. Heck - the thing would probably fit me if the arm holes were a little bigger.