13310 The Knitters Bible2

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ADAPTING A PATTERN

To make the sleeve longer...

simply work morę rows after the shaping until the sleeve measures the correct length.

To make the sleeve shorter...

is trickier. A sleeve is increased evenly up its length to get to the required width at the top to fit into the armhole. If you follow the instructions but stop when you reach your required sleeve length you may not have increased enough stitches and your sleeve will be too narrow to fit into the armhole.

Calculate the required increases as described below.

Not everyone is a standard size but knitting pattems assume they are and that by following the instructions slavishly the garment will fit perfectly. It is disappointing to spend time knitting a sweater whieh you never wear because the sleeves are too long or the body just that bit too short to be comfortable. Many pattems provide a diagram of the knitted pieces with measurements. Cheek these carefully against your own measurements to ensure a perfect fit. If the pattem doesn't have a diagram you will need to draw your own. lt is worth the effort for a sweater that fits.

Knit Perfect

/ To work out the stitches and rows per inch (cm), divide the gauge (tension) by 4 (10). For examp!e. 18 sts and 24 rows to 4in (I Ocm) = 4.5 sts and 6 rows to I in (1.8 sts and 2.4 rows to Icm).

/ łt is important to work in only imperial or metric measurements, do not use both together.

/ If you find the maths too daunting, chart the garment on to graph paper. Chart the sleeve as per the instructions and then you will be able to see how many increases are madę up each side. Chart any side shaping on the front or back It is always easier to see the shape of the garment rather than try to visualize rt from written instructions.

Sleeve length

The important measurement is from the centre of the back of your neck to your wrist (or where you want the cuff to end). Place one end of a tape measure on the bonę at the back of your neck. extend your arm and measure to your wrist bonę. On the garment diagram add the measurements for the back neck and both shoulders together and then divide this by two.This is the measurement from the centre back neck to the top of the sleeve.Take this measurement from your neck to wrist measurement and this will be the sleeve length. For example. the back neck plus shoulders = 18in (46cm). divide by 2 = 9in (23cm). Your neck to wrist measurement is 30in (76cm). so 30in (76cm) minus 9in (23cm) = 2lin (53cm) sleeve length. Compare this to the sleeve length measurement given on the diagram.

Charting a shorter sleeve Chart your sleeve on graph paper to work out how to space the increases to fit them into your shorter length. On graph paper, one square represents one stitch. Draw a linę centrally at the bottom of the sheet. the number of stitches after you have worked the cuff and any increase row. Mark the centre. To work out how many rows you have to work the increases over. take the length of the cuff from the sleeve length and multiply this by the number of rows per inch (cm). For example. if your sleeve length is 21 in (53.5cm) with a cuff of 2in (5cm) the length of the sleeve without the cuff is 19in (48.5cm).

Multiply this by the row tension. for example, 6 rows to I in (2.4 rows to I cm) =114 rows (115.2 rows). Round any fractions down to an even number. Count I 14 rows from the cuff linę and draw a linę for the top of the sleeve. Draw a vertical linę from the centre of the cuff linę to the top linę. Count out half the number of stitches after all the increases each side from this central linę.

Take the number of cuff stitches (56) from the sleeve top stitches (98) making 42 stitches which means 21 stitches have to be increased at each side of the sleeve. Divide the number of rows by the number of increases. 114 divided by 21 = 5.4. rounded down to 5.

Mark the first increase on the fifth row and then on every following fifth row until the width is reached.Then draw a straight linę from the last increase to the top.There should be at least I in (2.5cm) straight after the last increase. Work from this chart to knit the new shorter sleeve length.

Garment length

If there is no armhole shaping, just work the length that you require to the shoulder shaping. For a garment with armhole shaping, you need to alter the length before reaching the armhole. The armhole length must remain as in the instructions as the sleeve shaping has been worked out to fit into that armhole. If the garment has shaping from the waist to the bust draw a chart to work out the increases as deseńbed for working out a shorter sleeve.

Adding colour motifs

Using the instructions for the plain sweater. chart the mam pieces of the garment on graph paper. Use the same outline for both the back and front with the neck shaping drawn in for the front and chart one sleeve. It is now easy to draw in any colour motifs or fair isle pattems that you want to add.

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