Crazy Aunt Purl's Sweater - Top Down Knitting

Progress up to last night.

I remember the first time that I knit a top-down garment. It was the February Lady Sweater which is actually a cardigan. I was living in Haiti and had very little access to patterns or anything knitting related. I had just discovered Ravelry and felt that I had gone to Knitters’ Heaven! I picked the pattern because I liked it. But when I read the instructions, I was so confused!

I had been knitting for over 35 years and had always knit a sweater or cardigan in its separate pieces and then sewn together (with lots of sighs because I do not like sewing knitted fabric by hand - though I love “actual” sewing with a machine). Often, I would finish knitting a garment just to have the pieces laying around for weeks or even months before I would sit down and sew the pieces together. Isn't it weird how we get stuck in the way we do things for years?! 

However, with these instructions, it told you to start at the YOKE! “The Yoke?! Has the pattern designer been drinking?!” I asked myself. 

Then I read through the pattern and started to get the picture about how a top-down garment like this was constructed. But, I was still not convinced that this would actually work. So, I decided that I would participate in the top-down knitting adventure and that I would just go along with the instructions as they went on. I figured that if I approached this project one-row-at-a-time and not question the logic, I might make it through the pattern.

I just went ahead and started and it come out lovely! This cardigan, the February Lady Sweater is to this day my favorite cardyigan (I still have it and wear it)! I was converted to top-down knitting! I read everything on the internet about top-down knitting and started a list of books and/or patterns that I had to purchase next time I was in the U.S. like the book by Barbara Walker, Knitting from the Top.

Eventually, I started designing top-down…. 

There is a thread that I started a few days ago where I show photos of how the sweater is growing step-by-step, but here are some more photos from where I stopped last night:

I have finished writing up the pattern and doing all the calculations, but now I need to find the time to type up the pattern.  So, do I knit and finish this sweater that I am now totally addicted to? Or do I write up the pattern now?  Though, I really need the finished garment before I can post the finished pattern, right?

The way we knit...

I am staying out of town for a week. When I am out of town, I always make a point of visiting local yarns stores. In Costa Mesa, California, there is a yarn store: Knit Schticks. I went there this evening and knit with a fun group of ladies. If you are ever in that area, this is a store worth visiting. There is a lovely collection of yarns! I bought some Louet Euroflax because I am planning on making another Crazy Aunt Purl's Sweater.

Anyway... In the conversation, some of the ladies talked about how the way we knit really reflects our personality. As an example, she talked about her friend. Her friend is a really tight knitter and her personality is “tightly wound”.

So that got me thinking, if the way that I knit reflects my personality, then I am FAST and LOOSE!? 


Hmmm…? :))

P.S. I am almost done with the second sleeve. I am hoping to post some update photos tonight. 

Crazy Aunt Purl's Sweater Update

Thank you for all the lovely comments regarding the sweater design, photos, etc. :)

straightneedles you mentioned that you want to knit with straight needles. 
I have decided to write up the pattern in two ways, the first one (my preferred method - but it cannot be worked with straight needles) in top-down seamless construction and the second one (for those knitters who love to sew seams) in the traditional method from the bottom up. 


Basically, when the pattern is finished, you will get the two different ways of knitting the sweater,  in one pattern. I think that there are so many knitters interested in making this sweater that I want to offer both.


Yarn Choice - will affect the way your finished fabric will look. If you want a really meshy look, you need to find a yarn that is either a 100% linen type of yarn or a mercerized cotton type of yarn in a Sport or DK weight. 


The yarn that I am using is a 50% Cotton-50% Linen mixed yarn. The fabric looks a bit dense in the photos that I have posted so far but that is also because I have not blocked it yet. Once the sweater is finished and wet blocked, the fabric will open up more and will look more meshy.

Progressing on the sleeve!

Here is an updated photos as of 6:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time... The sleeve is turning out PERFECT! :)

I am working the sleeve at 3/4 length and not full length. However, the sleeve can easily worked a longer length.

Earlier Photo:

Read the previous post (scroll down) where I wrote a general explanation on how to knit a sleeve top-down, set-in.

Crazy Aunt Purl's Sweater (Knit Along)

After seeing the sweater on Crazy Aunt Purl's Blog, http://www.crazyauntpurl.com - I have started working on putting together the sweater pattern.

June 1, 2011:  Update

Here are some updated photos - as of this evening (Wed, June 1) - I finished both sleeves. I decided to make them 3/4 length. I am back to knitting downward to the bottom of the sweater. 


Also, I have finished writing the pattern, I now need to type it up. I am going to publish two patterns in one. One in top-down seamless construction and the second one in traditional, knit in pieces, sewn together construction.

I am posting notes and am answering questions in my group on www.ravelry.com

If you are not a member of Ravelry, it is a super website, it is free. I compare it to facebook for knitters. The group's name is: Designed by Vera Sanon - SunfunlivingKnits

The pattern should be ready by Sunday afternoon (June 5th) - subject to change since I am traveling all this week and weekend. But if I have to push back the date, it will be no longer than a few days.

The sweater is knit in Sport or DK weight yarn knit at a bigger gauge to achieve the loose fabric.

Yarn Suggestions:

Euroflax (Sport or DK weight yarn) - 100% linen

Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy

Rowan Panama

Knitpicks CotLin

Universal Yarns Summer Cotton (discontinued but still being sold in some LYS)

I will add to this list as I get suggestions from other knitters.

Yardage: approximate yardage - between 900 (950, 1,000, 1,050, 1,100, 1,200) yards for the respective sizes - 32 (36, 40, 44, 48, 52)” with long sleeves.

Gauge: 16 sts = 4"

Row gauge approximately 24 rows = 4" (though row gauge is not as crictical).

Make sure to swatch. You should also wash and block the swatch to ensure correct gauge.

Please note that worsted or aran weight yarn will get you the gauge, BUT the fabric will not be loose and open. I would not recommend using that heavy kind of yarn unless you do not mind a dense fabric.

The sweater pattern will be for a top-down sweater with set-in sleeves. If you have never worked a sweater that way, look below for construction hints and photos.

I will update this as I knit my prototype sweater, so check back.

The way you work this sweater is that you Cast On at the top shoulder for the back, you work down toward where you join the front/back (underarm).

Then you pick up stitches from the left cast on edge and work the front left side:

I use the removable markers to keep track of the increases - it just helps me count since I do not seem to be able to count beyond 2 without loosing track. :)

Then you do the same for the right front side:

Then you join the two fronts and work them into one piece.

Once you have the armhole shaping worked for the front, you join the front and back and work it in the round.

Keep in mind as you are looking at the knitted material/fabric, that this is unblocked. Once you block the fabric, all the uneven stitches come out smooth and even looking.

Sleeves - are knit onto the armholes (I will post construction step-by-step photos this week).

I did have a minor set-back... I was done with one sleeve down to the elbow. The entire time, I thought that I had made the sleeve to loose. I was right, when I tried it on, it was too loose... so I frogged the sleeve. I will start over again on the sleeve today (Monday).

*Photo of sleeve - before frogging it:*

Do you see where it "bunches" --- at least next time, it will be a perfectly fitting sleeve! However, if you have chunky arms, you can easily enlarge the sleeves (see above photos).

I will post notes on how to make the sleeves bigger for us ladies with "generous biceps". :)

How do you work the sleeves?

The pattern will have detailed instructions including the # of stitches that you need to pick-up around the armhole edge.

Here are basic instructions how this way of knitting sleeves works:

You position removable stitch makers at specific points around the armhole edge.

You place three removable stitch markers in Color A at the top of the armhole:

- one at the top seam

- one 2" to the right of the top seam

- one 2" to the left of the top seam

(see diagram above)

You place three removable stitch markers in Color B at the bottom of the armhole:

- one at the bottom seam (where the front/back is joined)

- one to the right of the bottom seam (where you worked the shaping increases)

- one to the left of the bottom seam (where you worked the shaping increases)

(see diagram above - the measurement from the center seam to that increase point depends on the size of the sweater you are knitting - specific instructions are included in the pattern)

You pick up stitches all around the armhole edge starting from the top-right removable stitch marker in color A (specific number of stitches to be picked up are included in the pattern).

Tip - Use a smaller needle to pick up stitches, for example if I am working on a size U.S. 6 needle, I will use a size U.S. 2 needle to pick up stitches. It prevent holes in the "seam".

You work one round from the top-right removable stitch marker in color A - ending the round the stitch before that stitch marker.

Next, you start working short rows, starting at the top-right removable stitch marker in color A, knitting across to the top-left removable stitch marker in color A. Once you reach the stitch marker, you work two more stitches and wrap-&-turn the next stitch.

Next, you work a wrong side row in purl stitch, from the top-left marker to the top-right marker, plus two more stitches and wrap-&-turn the next stitch.

You have to make sure to pick up the wrapped stitches as you knit or purl across them. There are great tutorials on line that show you how to work wrapped stitches either in a knit stitch or purl stitch.

You work back and forth like this until your reach the bottom-left and bottom-right markers. From that point forward, after you finished the last purl row, you wrap-&-turn. Then you work the next knit row and from this row forward just continue working the entire sleeve/armhole in the round.

The reason you have the bottom right markers is that those markers signal to you when you start working in the round (finished with the short rows) and they signal the stitches that have to be worked in a decrease (gusset like) in the upcoming rows.

Every second row (once you start knitting in the round), you will decrease 2 stitches at the bottom of the sleeve. That give the sleeve great shaping.

The pattern explains how to work those decreases in detail. (I will include more photos and sketches).

Once all the decreases for the underarm area are finished, you continue working in the round until your sleeve is long enough. For a short sleeve, you do not work any more decreases, but for a long sleeve you will decrease 2 stitches every inch for a while to shape the bottom of the sleeve (passed the elbow, down the forearm).

Pacific Surfliner Lace Cardigan

I love lace and cardigans, so I tried to combine both in this cardigan. I designed and knitted this cardigan on repeated trips on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train that goes between Los Angeles to San Diego, thus its name...

The cardigan’s instructions are given bottom-up in seamless knitting construction (you join the back and sleeves where the raglan starts). The pattern can be easily changed for a top-down knit. Once the back and sleeves are finished, sts are picked up from the edges to knit the lace fronts sideways.

$5.50 (via paypal)

Cascade 220 Superwash(100% Superwash Wool) (220 yds/skein)

Yardage Needed: 1200 (1300, 1400, 1500, 1600) yards

Gauge: 16 sts & 26 rows – 4” in stockinette (Cascade 220 Superwash has a posted gauge of 20-22 sts/4” but by knitting the yarn at a looser gauge, 16 sts/4”, it has a lovely drape.)

Celtic Braid Child's Top-Down Sweater

This is one of my favorite patterns that I have designed because it has such a pretty braid and cabling in the front. It is a fairly easy knit, so don't be afraid to try it. The sweater is knit top-down, thus you are able to try it on as you knit it and thus are able to custom fit the sweater to the child's exact size.

$5.50 (via paypal)

Sizes 2T(3T, 4T, 5T, 6, 7/8)

Cascade 220 Superwash

Yardage 2(2, 3, 4, 4) skeins/ approximately 420 (450, 500, 600, 700, 800) yards

Gauge: 20 sts = 4"