Well Begun is Half Done

I'm a big fan of Mary Poppins. That's how I know the expression above. This is what she says as a segue into the "Spoonful of Sugar" song, her lesson to the children for grumbling about having to tidy the nursery. Mary is practically perfect in every way. If she were to design a doll sweater, I bet it would go smoothly. I, however, am no Mary Poppins. *sigh*

Here is where I am at right now:

The little guy is trying on the sweater to make sure that the sleeve is going to fit just fine. And, for those keeping score at home, this is my second attempt at that sleeve. On the first go round, it was far too tight because the hole I left for it was too small. So, I ripped it back, and undid some of the side seam to give the sleeve more ease. I chose to construct the garment by sewing the shoulders and the sides of the front and back together. Then, pick up the stitches for the sleeve with double-pointed needles and knit it to the cuff in the round. I am actually feeling pretty good about how this sleeve method is looking.

One of the obstacles to making a sweater for a doll is the disproportionately large head. I need to make sure the neck opening is large enough for the head to get through, but not too big that the collar looks odd. I have concerns about this right now. I plan on picking up the stitches around the neck and making a ribbed collar. I just hope that it doesn't look too bulky in the end. This is my greatest fear with this garment. I had decided to design this without neck hole shaping (inspired by a sweater pattern I am knitting for my boys right now), not thinking about the fact that this little fellow does not have a neck. This could really be the rub. But, I am going to think positively!

I chose to use size 8 needles, because I liked the way the fabric came out on the swatch that I knit up last week. In retrospect, I might have chosen to go with size 7. I think the colorwork would have come out a tad crisper since this is such a soft yarn. I've only done stranded color before with 100% wool and it always looks so nice and sharp. This looks fine, but I think it could be better.

I have a chart created for the front and copious notes for everything else so far.

Recently, I heard about a few good sweater design books that I think I am going to consult for some assistance. I was trying to approach this really fresh - to see if I could creatively come up with a pattern, with the experience I have, by simply using patterns. It's not going badly, but I think it could be better. I will keep plugging away... until it is right. After all, "in every job there must be done, there is an element of fun!"

Cassandra