I just received yesterday my new Sally Yarn and I’m already almost through the yoke!
Admittedly, I’m a fast knitter, but I’m well pleased at how quickly all the slipped stitches help move this along.
The colorway I chose (dark brown and purple Sheffield) gives this sweater a very different feel than the retro original, but something about the pattern maintains a very vintagey vibe.
Because the values of both colors are fairly dark, this is also the most low-key of my original options, so I’m definitely going to go with an all-over pattern.
But if you chose a retina-searing combination that’s starting to make you nervous–or if you’re knitting from stash and you simply have a lot more of one color–or if you want to pull the eye away from your “trouble spots”–you could stop the pattern after the yoke and work the body in plain stockinette. Despite missing out on the slipped-stitch speediness, you’ll still move just as fast because pure stockinette covers more mileage vertically than the pattern (stretching the slipped stitches over several rows compresses the work overall). To work a yoke-only version, just work the directions through dividing the sleeves, and continue from there in stockinette. When you work the sleeves, you’ll use plain stockinette there as well, but you can always sass it up with a bit of pattern at the cuffs (more on that when we get to the sleeves).
A concern arose on the Sally KAL Ravelry group about working a yoke for broad shoulders, and I wanted to address it here, before we get to dividing for the sleeves (so over-achievers can make the adjustment if they hit it sooner).
Sometimes broad-shouldered people end up working a bit more yoke than their typical overall size to get the right fit. If you’re broad-shouldered, you may find the “standard” proportions for dividing for sleeves a bit off–typically, you’ll want to devote more stitches to the chest and fewer to the sleeves because you’ve worked a bit extra yoke to accommodate your shoulders. If that’s where you stand, you can shift the sleeve stitches over to the torso when you divide, but make sure you always work in 4-stitch increments so the pattern will still fall into place.
For example, say your shoulder fit is perfect at the 293 st (L) level. Normally, you’d divide 36 st for the front left, 56 for the left sleeve, 88 for the back, 56 for the right sleeve, 37 for the right front, and the usual 4 for the steek.
If you wanted to devote more real estate to your body and less to your arms, you could take 4 stitches from either side of either sleeve and add it to the front and back instead: 40 st (36 + 4) for the front left, 48 st (56 – 4 – 4) for the left sleeve, 96 st (88 + 4 + 4 ) for the back, 48 st (56 – 4 – 4) for the right sleeve, and 41 st (36 + 4) for the front (and of course, 4 for the steek). This will transfer about an inch and a half from each sleeves to the body.
That said, keep in mind that the actual fit is your best guide. Transfer your body stitches to waste yarn before you divide for the sleeves but after you’ve placed your markers. Remember that stitches will be cast on over the pits and just look and see if your sleeves seem to be in the right spot for you, or if they should be a bit narrower. Then make any adjustments accordingly.
There was also a question about knitting a pullover instead of a cardigan. If you’re just being cowardly about the steek, cut it out! Steek with us! But if you really, truly want a pullover instead, it’s a fairly simple adjustment. CO 5 fewer sts than directed (and keep in mind that all the numbers are going to be off by 5 sts for the rest of the pattern–4 st for the steek, plus 1 st extra to balance the pattern just outside the steek).
For the yoke:
Rnd 1 (CC): Sl 1, K1, [Sl 3, K1] to end
Rnd 2 & 3: [Sl 1, K3] to end
Rnd 4 & 5 (MC): Knit.
Rnd 6: [K1, Sl 3] to end.
Rnd 7 & 8: K2, [Sl 1, K3] to 2 st from end, Sl 1, K1
Rnd 9 (MC): Knit
Work the increases as directed (but keep in mind your stitch count will be different because of the steek)
For the body, you’ll use the same pattern as above, but knit Rnds 9 & 10 in the MC.
I’d like to end with sharing some of the lovely colorways from the Ravelry group so far:
nehptune’s Sheffield Majestic Blue/Light Blue
oliviabones’ Fibranatura Baby Merino in Madison and Sheffiled in Gray
Jean9’s Reynolds Whiskey in light blue and brown. Jean9 started by adjusting the pattern for the smaller gauge, but then decided the larger pattern had more of a retro look, and she was able to match gauge by doubling the yarn.
We have reports of a true honeycomb-like colorway in yellow and brown with bumblebee buttons! I’ll add that as soon as she posts.
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