Sleeves, button band & crocheted trim:
Sleeves
Usually, when I knit sleeves I work in the round. For this sweater, though, I worked the sleeves flat and at the same time because I was adjusting them to fit my arm as I went, and I wanted to be sure they matched.
The sleeves are fairly easy. To make mine, I measured around my wrists, and then consulted the gauge for the ribbing to figure out how much to cast on. I worked the ribbing for about 2″, but you can do whatever you like. After the ribbing, I switched to seed stitch (the pattern I used for the back of the cardigan) and worked the rest that way.
To figure out the increasing, I measured around the widest part of my elbow. Then, I took the gauge for the seed stitch and figured out how many stitches it took to fit across my elbow. Then, I took that number and subtracted the number of stitches I cast on at the wrist. The difference, divided by two (one for each side) is the number of increases you need to make over the course of the forearm of the sleeve. I try to space them evenly between the wrist and elbow. To figure this out, take the number of rows it will take to get from the end of the ribbing to the widest part of your elbow and divide that number by the number of increases you need to make.
After the elbow, depending on the shape of your arm, you can either knit straight up or make increases as you need. When the sleeve is long enough to reach from your wrist to your armpit in a comfortable way, then you can begin to cast off to make the sleeve shaping.
When casting off for a sleeve, I always use the same decrease pattern that I used to make the arm hole shaping on the torso of the sweater. The sleeves for this cardigan are going to be a little different, however, because you need to consider how the yoke will lay across the top of the sleeve. To figure out the cast off curve at the top of the sleeve cap, just do the same kind of charting you did for the top of the cardigan body.
Pretty simple right? Right. Once you’ve got this done, sew up the sleeves and get ready for the button band and trim.
Button Band
Now we’re in to the realm of the ever-so-easy. At this point, you should have already determined how wide the button band will be. My cardigan buttons on the inside to hide the buttons, but you may want yours to show. Either way, the bands are knit the same way (just on opposite sides).
Using the gauge for ribbing, figure out how many stitches you need to pick up along the front of the cardigan. If you are knitting the band that the buttons will be sewn on to, just knit in the rib pattern until you have the full width of the button band completed. If you are working the band that has holes in it, work in the rib pattern until you have reached the half way point of the width measurement. Then, make holes large enough to accommodate your buttons. Keep knitting until you reach your desired button width and cast off. For a little how-to on knitting buttonholes, click here. Marvelous! Buttonholes! And you’re very nearly done, just one step more…..
The Trim!
The trim can really be anything you want. I just sort of ad-libbed a half-circle crochet pattern that could be repeated 8 times over the length of the button band. Before I crocheted the lace, I made a line of chain stitches the same length as my button band, and then did a row of single crochet. This is just to give a little bit of space for sewing the trim on to the button band.
I am not very good at reading or writing crochet patterns, but if you want to know what I did, I’ll do my best to explain it below. Please note that I am using the British terms. I’m sorry, I’m an American and I should know how we say these things. In my defense, I didn’t learn how to crochet here, and as I said before, I’m not much one for crochet patterns.
Row 1: Chain stitch for length of button band
Row 2: Double crochet
Row 3: Single crochet 8, then make 5 chain stitches over 4 of the last row’s single crochets, *then single crochet 11, then make 5 chain stitches over 4 of the last row’s single crochets.* Repeat from * to *.
Row 4: *Single crochet until you reach 2 stitches before the 5 chain stitches, treble crochet 2 times in to each chain stitch.* Repeat from * to *.
Row 5: *Single crochet until you reach 2 stitches before the first treble crochet from the last row, treble crochet once, then single crochet, then treble crochet into the next stitch, then single crochet, and so on until you have a full second layer of treble crochets over the first one.* Repeat from * to *.
Row 6: *Single crochet, double crochet, 2 chain stitches, double crochet.* Repeat from * to*. Knot off, and you have a nice lacy trim.
If you can’t make that out, or you aren’t sure my trim is for you, I’m sure there are any number of acceptable lace patterns available online. Just make sure that you can fit in an even number of repeats over the length of your button band, so it doesn’t look like anything was chopped off.
Finishing up:
Sew the trim to the wrong side of the top button band (whichever you chose). The first two rows of crochet should hide underneath the top button band. Sew your buttons on, weave in your ends, give it a blocking, and there you go- a Truffle Cardigan from the ground up.
Please do send me photos of your finished cardigans, I’d love to see the variety that comes of this. And again, feel free to ask me any questions about the tutorial you may have. But remember:
Copyright 2008 Dulle Griet. All rights reserved. Permission granted by Dulle Griet to copy and share this tutorial for non-commercial personal use. Do not knit or otherwise reproduce this information for resale.
Great tutorial..
junbert@
http://www.cypherbox.net