Estelle Yarns KAL Week Five- The Collar

We finally have all the pieces for our sweater, with the exception of the collar! Can you believe it??? This sweater feels like it is simply falling off the needles!

Before we can add the collar however, we first need to sew the sleeves to both the left and right front, and right back side of our sweater (three seams total). The collar will then be knit back and forth.

As a reminder, here is the list of abbreviations used in our pattern. While we know that you may be sick of seeing these… it never hurts to have them close by. So for one last time, here they are!

Abbreviations:

Here is a list of abbreviations used in our pattern.

K = knit                                      P = Purl                                      st(s) = stitch(es)
alt = alternate                            approx = approximately             beg = begin(ning)
cont = continue                          dec = decrease                           inc = increase
foll = following                           rem = remain(ing)                      rep = repeat
sl = slip                                       st-st = stocking stitch                  tog = together
patt = pattern                            tbl = through back loop               in(s) = inches
psso = passed slipped stitch over

Sewing garter stitch knitting together:

Both the yoke of the sweater, and the top of the sleeves have been knit in garter stitch, so we now need to join the raglan seams accordingly. Using a mattress stitch that is appropriate for garter stitch will give us a clean, invisible seam.

  1. Thread a darning needle with the same yarn you used to knit your garment (if you are doing stripes or colour blocking, choose the colour that you feel is least visible).
  2. Place the raglan edges of the garment side by side with the right sides facing you.
  3. Insert the needle into the bottom of one garter ‘bump’, and then come out of the top of that same bump. Cross the needle over to the piece of work you are wanting to join, and dive your needle into the bottom of the corresponding stitch. Bring your needle out of the top of that stitch, mirroring what you did on the opposite side.
  4. Then come back to the first side, and insert your needle down into the spot where you came up, and come back up at the top of the next garter bump.

    Inside Seaming

Continue to seam this way until you have completed one side. The inside of your work should look like this.

5. Repeat this seam for both front raglan seams, and the back, right side- three seams total. Your finished seam should look like this from the right side.

Outside Garter Seams

If you think that you would benefit from seeing a video using this technique, here is a link to a great YouTube video that we found really helped us out. Click here to view it! Often watching these sorts of techniques ‘in action’ can really help you understand them.

Once you have completed your three raglan seams, you are ready to knit the collar, which involves picking up stitches. If you have never picked up stitches before- worry not. It’s easy! We promise.

Some of the stitches are waiting on stitch holders. However, the curve of the neckline needs to be picked up, and sometimes, trial and error is the best approach. It might take a few attempts before you like the look of your neckline, but don’t give up! Your perseverance will be well worth it in the end.

Picking up neckline

Below are some images to demonstrate how we pick up stitches.

picking up stitches 1

When picking up stitches, we dig our needle into our work, wrap the yarn around the needle, and then bring the new stitch to the front of the fabric. Voila! A new stitch has been born!

picking up stitches

If you feel like you would like to watch a video using this technique, click here to view!

So, without further ado, let’s get that collar knit! Shall we?

Collar

With 3 ¼ mm needles and right side of work facing you, rejoin the yarn and K11 (13: 13: 15: 17) sts from the left sleeve top, pick up  and K8 (8: 9: 11: 11) sts evenly down the left side of the front neck, K11 sts from the centre front, pick up and K8 (8: 9: 11: 11) sts evenly up the right side of the front neck, K11 (13: 13: 15: 17) sts from the right sleeve top, then K23 (23: 25: 27: 27) sts from the back neck.  72 (76: 80: 90: 94) sts on your needle.

It is always a good practice to count the total number of stitches on your needle after picking up stitches as it ensures you won’t have to unpick your work if a mistake has been made.

K15 rows.

Cast off loosely- or else the lucky recipient of the sweater will not have much luck getting their head through!

If you would like to download a copy of a PDF version of this week’s pattern, click the link below.

Week Five- The Collar

See you next week for the final installment of our pattern, which includes seaming it all up! We cannot wait to see everyone’s finished sweaters!

Thank you to all of your who have been sending us your photos. We are LOVING seeing them! So be sure to keep them coming!

And of course, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us! We are always happy to help.

Happy knitting everyone!

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