Elgin Jumper Pattern
Materials
80m cream aran/chunky yarn
(8-9 wraps per inch)
(8-9 wraps per inch)
400m marbled colour bulky/superbulky yarn
(6-7 wraps per inch)
(6-7 wraps per inch)
8mm and 10mm circular needles
darning needle for weaving ends
You'll have to forgive me for the imprecise weights of yarn, my handspun was thicker and thinner in places. How many wraps of yarn fit into one inch space on a ruler depends very much on how tightly you pull the yarn while you are wrapping. If you are bold enough to have a go at making up this pattern anyway, my 'aran' yarn is on the thicker, fluffier end of the spectrum of commercial balls of aran I have at home, more like the UK yarns designated chunky. My 'bulky' yarn is a bit leaner and firmer than Sirdar Indie.
Tension
10cm square = 8.5 stitches and 12 rows before washing in the machine at 30 degrees Centigrade on a wool wash programme and after the wash, when smoothed gently widthways while laid out to dry, 10cm square = 8.5 stitches and 15 rows.
When I try this again, I will knit a large tension gauge and adjust the needle size to make it come out right, because I really am pleased with the final shape once it is put on.
One Size - Medium to Large
Chest 122cm, Body length from armpit down 45cm, from neckline down 60cm.
Sleeve from armpit to cuff 43cm
Chest 122cm, Body length from armpit down 45cm, from neckline down 60cm.
Sleeve from armpit to cuff 43cm
Making the Body
Cast on 100 stitches of the cream yarn on an 8mm circular needle. I used the long tail cast on method, then worried because while it was stretchy, it seemed so much tighter than the knitting above it. In the event, the rib band did not fit snug around the hips, but the way the cast on edge drew the bottom edge inward gave a nice bell shape instead of a straight drop.
Place a stitch marker and join the cast on stitches to work in the round.
Border - 12 rounds of knit 2 purl 2 rib.
Change to 10mm circular needle and the thicker, marbled yarn and knit rounds until the work measures desired final length to armpit, plus the extra length calculated according to the length your tension gauge sample lost after washing and spreading out. I wanted 45cm and knitted an extra 7.5% = 49cm.
From the start of the next round, knit 48 stitches, cast off 4 stitches for the right armpit, knit 46 stitches cast off 2 stitches, remove stitch marker and cast off 2 more stitches.
Making the Sleeves
Cast on 24 stitches of the cream yarn on an 8mm circular needle. Place a stitch marker and join the cast on stitches to work in the round.
Cuff - 18 rounds of knit 2 purl 2 rib.
Change to 10mm circular needle and the thicker, marbled yarn and knit 9 rounds.
At the beginning of the 10th round, make one stitch left, then one stitch before the end of the round, make one stitch right and knit one (26 stitches).
Knit another 11 rounds and repeat the same increase on the 12th (28 stitches).
Knit another 13 rounds and repeat the same increase on the 14th (30 stitches).
Continue til work measures 44cm + 7.5% = 47cm. I might do shorter sleeves, possibly even three quarter length next time. On the last round, knit to 2 stitches before the marker, cast off 2, remove marker and cast off 2 more stitches (26 stitches).
Making the Yoke
Knit 46 stitches across the front of the body, hold the 4 cast off stitches of one sleeve against the four cast off stiches of the body and continue knitting round the 26 stitches of the sleeve, then knit across the 46 stitches of the back and round the 26 stitches of the other sleeve (144 stitches).
I did the reductions under the armpit by knitting 2 together through back of loop then knitting 2 together at each junction of the original body and the sleeves on the next three rounds, then knitting a plain round and after that, a final reduction round.
Reducing 8 stitches per round 4 times reduces the stitch count to 120.
My method left little gaps in the fabric between each pair of reductions. Nice ventilation on a warm day and not awfully noticeable, but when I do this again, I will reduce two stitches at each junction of body and sleeve using a centred decrease - slip two stitches together as if to knit, knit one and pass slipped stitches over.
In the next round of knitting, I placed markers every 12 stitches starting at the front of the left armpit. Next time, I will put the first marker 6 stitches from the centre of the front to make the yoke reduction stitches look symmetrical. Ten stitch markers divide the whole round up into sections of 12 stitches each and you need one to look different to remind you when you reach the beginning of the round.
Next round, knit two together after each marker (110 stitches).
Knit another 5 rounds and on the sixth, knit two together after each marker (100 stitches).
Knit another 3 rounds and on the fourth, knit two together after each marker (90 stitches).
Knit another 2 rounds and on the third, knit two together after each marker (80 stitches).
Knit another 3 rounds and on the fourth, knit two together after each marker (70 stitches).
Knit 2 rounds.
I had a brainwave while wondering how to finish the neckline. This i-cord stops it from stretching and makes the whole yoke hang well.
Change back to 8mm needles and the plain yarn. Knit one round and cast off using the i-cord bind off. I followed the instructions on this video.
If you prefer a narrower neck opening, (as I think I might, my bra straps not making a very fetching accidental display,) you could do one more reduction round bringing it down to 60 stitches, then knit one round more before changing to the plain yarn for one round and casting off.
Weave in the ends and sew up the armpits, wash and dry flat after smoothing out widthways.
Happy Birthday, Pip! Hope you get back to Greece this summer. I may get as far as the British Museum to see the real Elgin Marbles.
June 2015 - I tried those modifications making another one of these, blog here.
Place a stitch marker and join the cast on stitches to work in the round.
Border - 12 rounds of knit 2 purl 2 rib.
Change to 10mm circular needle and the thicker, marbled yarn and knit rounds until the work measures desired final length to armpit, plus the extra length calculated according to the length your tension gauge sample lost after washing and spreading out. I wanted 45cm and knitted an extra 7.5% = 49cm.
From the start of the next round, knit 48 stitches, cast off 4 stitches for the right armpit, knit 46 stitches cast off 2 stitches, remove stitch marker and cast off 2 more stitches.
Making the Sleeves
Cast on 24 stitches of the cream yarn on an 8mm circular needle. Place a stitch marker and join the cast on stitches to work in the round.
Cuff - 18 rounds of knit 2 purl 2 rib.
Change to 10mm circular needle and the thicker, marbled yarn and knit 9 rounds.
At the beginning of the 10th round, make one stitch left, then one stitch before the end of the round, make one stitch right and knit one (26 stitches).
Knit another 11 rounds and repeat the same increase on the 12th (28 stitches).
Knit another 13 rounds and repeat the same increase on the 14th (30 stitches).
Continue til work measures 44cm + 7.5% = 47cm. I might do shorter sleeves, possibly even three quarter length next time. On the last round, knit to 2 stitches before the marker, cast off 2, remove marker and cast off 2 more stitches (26 stitches).
Making the Yoke
Knit 46 stitches across the front of the body, hold the 4 cast off stitches of one sleeve against the four cast off stiches of the body and continue knitting round the 26 stitches of the sleeve, then knit across the 46 stitches of the back and round the 26 stitches of the other sleeve (144 stitches).
I did the reductions under the armpit by knitting 2 together through back of loop then knitting 2 together at each junction of the original body and the sleeves on the next three rounds, then knitting a plain round and after that, a final reduction round.
Reducing 8 stitches per round 4 times reduces the stitch count to 120.
My method left little gaps in the fabric between each pair of reductions. Nice ventilation on a warm day and not awfully noticeable, but when I do this again, I will reduce two stitches at each junction of body and sleeve using a centred decrease - slip two stitches together as if to knit, knit one and pass slipped stitches over.
In the next round of knitting, I placed markers every 12 stitches starting at the front of the left armpit. Next time, I will put the first marker 6 stitches from the centre of the front to make the yoke reduction stitches look symmetrical. Ten stitch markers divide the whole round up into sections of 12 stitches each and you need one to look different to remind you when you reach the beginning of the round.Next round, knit two together after each marker (110 stitches).
Knit another 5 rounds and on the sixth, knit two together after each marker (100 stitches).
Knit another 3 rounds and on the fourth, knit two together after each marker (90 stitches).
Knit another 2 rounds and on the third, knit two together after each marker (80 stitches).
Knit another 3 rounds and on the fourth, knit two together after each marker (70 stitches).
Knit 2 rounds.
I had a brainwave while wondering how to finish the neckline. This i-cord stops it from stretching and makes the whole yoke hang well.If you prefer a narrower neck opening, (as I think I might, my bra straps not making a very fetching accidental display,) you could do one more reduction round bringing it down to 60 stitches, then knit one round more before changing to the plain yarn for one round and casting off.
Weave in the ends and sew up the armpits, wash and dry flat after smoothing out widthways.
Happy Birthday, Pip! Hope you get back to Greece this summer. I may get as far as the British Museum to see the real Elgin Marbles.
June 2015 - I tried those modifications making another one of these, blog here.
What a photogenic family you have! Great sweater too, though I'm not sure I could spin chunky after all these years of spinning fine.
ReplyDeleteCourse you could. You know it's less difficult, just would you enjoy it? Plus it uses up fibre in no time.
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