The pieces are all knit for Devan, but I’m waffling over the sleeves. This yarn only has one solid color stripe, the sort of magenta color, and it’s quite a short length. For the fronts of the cardigan it wasn’t a problem, but the sleeves are wider – so there are places on both sleeves where that color didn’t go all the way across a row. Since I started the sleeves in exactly the same section of the yarn pattern, they’re (almost) identical – meaning the places where the magenta color doesn’t show up on one sleeve it doesn’t on the other. Should be fine, right? Nope. Because…when you fold the sleeves in half and lay them down as though they’re attached to the sweater, the back of one matches the front of the other. (Clear as mud, right? There’s a good picture on the project page.) Anyway, I guess my choices are to: 1) ignore it, because it’s still cute; 2) rip both sleeves out and knit them in the round, eliminating the “pooling” effect of knitting back and forth; 3) rip one sleeve out and start it on the wrong side – theoretically, this would reverse the striping, but then I’d have to do my increases on the purl side and they probably wouldn’t look the same.
I think I’m over-thinking this…but I could use some advice. I’m mostly just afraid that it will look like I made a mistake, since not everyone will realize that it’s self-striping yarn and I have no control over where the colors go. In the meantime, I’m going to work on something else for a day or two so I can get some distance from the problem.
I think it looks beautiful..you are a very skilled at knitting.
Okay, so I’ve been really studying the pictures and I don’t see it… so either it’s not showing up well in the pictures, or it’s not as obvious as you think. I think letting it sit for a day or two is a good idea. My first choice would be to let it go “as is” as that is the nature of the self striping yarn. My second choice would be to knit the sleeves in the round as that might down play any non matching areas. It’s an adorable sweater, btw!!!
You are talking to such a non-perfectionist, but I would probably just leave the sleeves as is. The seam will be under the arm and chances are she’ll be moving so mucn no-one will ever notice slight variations. Funny story (and somewhat embarassing): I once had a cable knit sweater (store bought) that I wore for something like 10 years before noticing that one of the sleeves was sewn on inside out! I wore it all over. So, if no-one noticed that (or atleast mentioned that they did), you are probably safe with a child’s sweater. :)
Hi Sarah –
I’d leave it – I think the idea of the design is that the sleeves are about the same width as the front panels and the stripes come out about the same. Would knitting in the round change that? And would knitting with double-pointed needles be worth ripping out a perfectly cute sleeve you’ve already done?
I have yarn to make this, too.