Lifelines

I knew I could count on my internet friends!  You people really are my lifelines.  Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions as to what to do with my sleeves.  A couple of them really sparked my imagination.

I quickly gave Sara's/Deb's suggestion a try by going back to the stranded knitting, alternating colors 1x1 and rows.  I did a few rounds, held it against the sweater when to my surprise I discovered I already knew what that would result in.  My steeks were done that very way!  They don't look half bad so I ripped out, re-balled and picked up the stitches in alternating colors.  I managed a few rounds before it was time for bed.  In the light of day and more rounds on the train, I'm not convinced I like the effect. 

Back to the drawing board.  Danielle's suggestion of the fleurs-de-lis reminded me of my initial approach to this sweater.  When I found that the Dale pattern had been discontinued and was proving quite difficult to obtain, I struck out to find something comparable.  I hit on a fleurs-de-lis crochet chart.  It was also during this google-a-thon that I learned I could chart the darn thing myself.

One of the options was to take a component of the overall design and chart that for the sleeves.  I googled some more, looking for leaf motifs, with vines, fleurs-de-lis.  When what did I find?  The same crochet chart.  I looked at it closely and what to my surprise did I find?  Strip away the leaves and flower top and the damask pattern is a fleurs-de-lis.  Yeah, I'm slow that way.

Out came trusty old Excel and my Damask chart.  I added a new sheet, copied the f-d-l (not to be confused with FTL, Nancy) component and went to work. 

This is the F-D-L repeated close together like the original.  I like it.   It goes well with body chart:

Seems to be about even as to A and B yarns, eating both up at the same rate.  No huge stretches of a single color.  I could spread them out a bit, but that would bring back the whole discrepancy between the fabric problem I am trying to avoid in the first place. 

Once again, feedback would be most welcome!

Craft on.

Edited to add:  I've got sleeve charts!  Woot.  I will be working them from top down, reversing the chart stuff so that the FDL will end up in the same direction as on the body.  I'll be following the original pattern and reducing 2 stitches every 5th round (see zig-zag line up the left side of the chart) but will be modifying and doing them at the side seam and not at the gusset thing.   Like Autumn Rose's pattern, every row is charted to the mid-point.  And yes, it is a slow day at the office ;)

Comments

[Eva]

Oooh first to comment :) Well, you're right that first option is a bit 'too much of a good thing' in my opinion.

I do like the fleur de lys option you're going with. Will it work out for the sleeve decreases too? Won't those mess the pattern up too much? And would you knit them upside down (so that they're in the same directions as those on the body of the sweater) or not?

Cheers Eva

[--Deb]

It certainly looks promising. I'm still goggling at the thought of picking up stitches in alternating colors . . . I would have used one color to pick them up and then switched to alternating colors on the first row, but then, picking up stitches isn't one of my favorite things!

[Kim]

You're a knitting genius!

[Rachel H]

That geek side of yours sure comes in handy at times like this...

[elsie]

Risa, you make my head spin with the things you can do. I am hopeless at figuring things out myself. I need instructions or charts or all is lost. All I can say is Wow!

[Ina]

Late to the party: howabout using the damask pattern flower heads rather than the more stylized fleur de lis. Or a single rep down the center of the sleeve using damask pattern or damask flower heads.

[Ina]

Oops, pushed button too fast. Happy New Year!

[damask]

ugh!!!! you speak in too many codes and i don't have time to read every blog on the planet! what does f d l mean? is that the chart you used for the main body of the sweater?

thanks so much for posting it.

[Kyra]

Your cardigan is going to be spectacular. I can't wait to see it finished! Have you considered doing a seeding pattern? There are some nice choices on pg. 65 of Alice Starmore's Fair Isle book.