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

My New Design Process

 I am a knitter with a decent amount of projects under her belt. I'm comfortable with cables, stranded color, and a host of other techniques. But, please note, I have been a strict pattern follower. I follow the directions and marvel at the technical expertise the pattern writer must have to make it work just right. However, inside, I've always had a yen to design knitwear. And here comes the perfect project to try! The sweater for my little boy Waldorf doll. Small in scale and very manageable.

It is not in my nature just to cast-on and wing it. I have broken down the steps that I think will help in planning the design for this project.

Using a similar process to how I approach a graphic design project, I dove in with some sketching...

I should also mention that I had found some fun colors, in my yarn stash, that I thought I would use for inspiration when concepting. In the end, I came up with 3 concepts that all had a little something different about them. The one I'm going forward with is the one with the F on the front. I have such a thing for initials. Plus, I think it is sporty and boyish.

My next step was to work out some measurements...

I measured the doll, and with adding some room for ease, came up with what I think is the proper measurements for the actual sweater. Then, much to my shock, I knit a gauge swatch. I am a very guilty no-gauge-swatch knitter. But, it had to be done to make this process work properly. I didn't end up using my stash yarn, because for this design I wanted colors that had enough contrast to really show off the arm stripes and the letter. This little sweater will be knit in Spud & Chloe sweater yarn in the colorways Turtle (green) and Splash (blue). The suggested needle sizes for this yarn is 7 thru 9. I went with 8 because it made a nice flexible fabric but it was tight enough to show off the color work crisply.

Progress has also been made on the chart for the color work on the front with what I think will be the proper stitch counts. I realize completely that I may have to rip back, here and there, to make something bigger and smaller once I start knitting. This is my first design project and I don't want to get too cocky with what I think are my final measurements.

I plan on picking up stitches around the armhole once the front and back have been sewn together and working the sleeve in the round with dpns. It seems easier than knitting them up and setting them in later. We will see on that one!

In my next post I will share my wins and my fails on this project. I have never taken a class on designing knitwear, nor have I read anything that really would help with this process. The way I am approaching this is my own, egads! I'm totally open to getting helpful tips and reference suggestions. I know I have a lot to learn...and this is babysteps.

Cassandra