FO: Venezia Cardigan (and Forethought Pocket walkthrough!)

Here she is, all done!!

Pattern: Venezia Pullover by Eunny Jang (with major modifications, see below)
Needles: US 2.5, US2, US1.5
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in colors Cyan, Caribbean, Grizzly Heather, Bark, Bison
Size: the 39.75 size (I knew I wanted a loose fit)
Started: July 27, 2012 (during Olympic Opening Ceremonies)
Finished: Main body finished 8/12 during Closing Ceremonies, finishing work all done by 8/18
Modifications: Lots!! The basic big changes were that I converted it to a v-neck cardigan, altered the armhole shaping, and added pockets.

Here’s what I did, step by step:

1.  I started with a provisional cast on for the bottom hem (I knew I wanted to do the hem and neckband all at the same time), and I started knitting at the chart directions.
2. I added about an inch to the bottom – which entailed figuring out where to start on the chart to keep me lined up with the pattern notes (I ended up starting on Row 1 of the chart.)
3. I added a center front steek for the v-neck cardigan.  I eliminated the center front stitch, and added 10 stitches for my center steek.
4. After about 5 inches, I added placeholder stitches for pockets: pockets were placed at 18 stitches from center front, and were 28 stitches wide. (You simply switch to waste yarn and knit the stitches where you want your pocket with the waste yarn.  Then slip those stitches back to your working needle and knit the piece as usual with your working yarn.  You now have a section of stitches that will be easy to pick up afterwards!)

   

5. I began the v-neck shaping at around 13.5 inches from bottom. (Decrease one stitch each side of v-neck every 3rd row 15x, then every 4th row 10x.)
6. I worked both sleeves in round separate, and then joined them to the body at the beginning of the armhole (to avoid steeks and seams on the sleeves and the body.)
   
7. The armhole shaping on the sleeves and the body was altered to make it less bulky than the original pattern on the body side.  Armhole shaping was as follows: put center 21 stitches each underarm (body and sleeves) on waste yarn. Then 1 stitch decreases each side (sleeve and body) every row 6x, then every other row 6x, then every 4th row 3x. Work body straight, but work one more decrease every 4th row on sleeves. Then work decreases on sleeves every other row 5x, and every row 8x. Then 2 double decrease rows on sleeves – (back and forth) while steeking the remaining body rows.

   

8.  I bound off the shoulder stitches and seamed them – I wanted a sturdy shoulder seam.  Then the top of the sleeve cap was seamed to the shoulder.
9. The neckline and hem were picked up all the way around.  I used a size 1.5 needle at the neckline and front, and a size 2 needle on the hem,  and I picked up pretty much every stitch on the front and neckline. I then switched to a size 2 needle for the whole thing after the first row. I mitered the bottom corners (increase one on each side of center 2 stitches of corner – every row) and at the back neck (only decreased once at each neck side and only every other row) and placed random increases every other row at the point of v-neck to make the v-neck pivot out. Then after I knitted about 10 rows, I reversed the process to get the foldover hem – decreasing at bottom corner miters and v-neck, and increasing at back neck pivots.

   

10. The pockets were knitted: I picked up 28 stitches above the placeholder and knitted about an inch, then put these stitches on placeholder yarn.

    

    

    I picked up 28 stitches below the placeholder and knitted 15 rows for turnover hem – and knitted it together with the first row.

    

    

    

    Then I continued knitting the rest of pocket lining flat (65 rows – about 6.5 inches) and grafted the end to the top flap I did previously.
    

    

    Then I seamed the sides of the pocket and sewed down the hem.
    

    

    

11. I then wove in all the ends (mostly on the sleeves) and blocked the sweater before sewing down the foldover neckline/hem.  And lastly I sewed on the clasps and duplicated stitched my name on the inside hem.  I plan on duplicate stitching ‘Olympics 2012’ as well, but haven’t gotten around to that yet. 🙂

Now I can’t wait for the cooler weather to get here so I can wear it!!

Happy Knitting!!