Finally a Tree (follow up)

FINALLY I HAVE GRADUATED!!!

Such bittersweet moments, the pros and cons are endless, but in the mean time let's just focus on the pros for now. 

After two years, I have finally completed knitting my sweater with the leaf lace pattern ;___;

Because there is no more classes I have to worry/study for. Leaving me with a lot more free time to continue to knit.

Before I tried to knit a shrug and after the wash and dry it was stretched that I ended up not being so satisfied with it. Thus I torn the who thing apart.

Thus I would to take this moment to document the process.

**THIS IS THE WAY I KNIT MY SWEATERS, might be useful or it might not be.
IT'S JUST TIPS I FOUND USEFUL WHEN KNITTING.

I'm the type of knitter that sucks at reading the instructions such as the chart below, so I just knit to how I think/imagine it will turn out. (Basically interpret to the best of my ability xD)

With the sample ribbing and pattern you can then figure out the gauge, stitches per inch, giving you the best estimate of stitches you should cast on for the body.

                      

**Here I happen to use a salmon knitted sweater I had bought a while back. Like I stated above I'm bad at instructions but also measurements. Therefore I'm using it as a reference for the ideal length when it comes time to decrease for the arm and the neck line.

Honestly the back and front piece are knitted similar when decreasing for the arm, it just varies for the neckline. 

Depending how deep and wide you want to decrease is all base on preference.

I knit the front and back piece separately. The front I cased on 170 stitches.

From that 170, the ribbing is a 2x2. After desired length then you may start your pattern. This leaf pattern is worked on 10 stitches plus 2. 

I added an extra two just so that the two ends, facing the right way, is purl.

Just keeping knitting as you wish, if you wan a longer jumper knit longer.

Pit
When you get to the arm section, armpit, you would do a decrease of a 5-4-3-2-1.
**Right side facing you for example, you would be decreasing 5 stitches, the follow your pattern to the end. After that row the wrong side, decrease 5 stitches, then knit to the end stitch (note that you have 5 stitches less). Continue to decrease 4 stitches on the right side, then decrease 4 on the wrong side. continue till when you only decrease 1 stitch. 
This will give you the curve of arm. Total of decreasing 10 rows total.

Neckline

This is where your work splits into two due to the symmetry of the neckline.

After the decrease of the pit you just continue to knit a few inch or so of your desired length.

This varies on how you want to decrease, either a wide neckline, v-neck, or a close one. 

**Here I choose a somewhat larger neckline, so I ended up decrease in 5-5-5-5-4-3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1. till I have about 25 stitches. This decrease begins in the center and you knit all the way to the end towards the outside.

Optional Shoulder

If you look at any shirt you will notice a little slant from the top of the neck to the sleeves. To create that slant so it drapes over the shoulder nicely when you wear it. As you decrease the neckline to about 30 stitches I would decrease 5 stitches every time I was on the wrong side knitting towards the middle as I still decrease the neckline by 1. (which took me ten rows total to bind off all stitches)

Arms

Cast on as many stitches that wraps perfectly around your wrist.

**For my arm I'd cast on 60 total.

Rib the arm like you did for the body, I like knitting them the same length. 

After the ribbing, ever 8 stitches you would add a one stitch increase. By doing this increase after the ribbing it gives it this little nice puff. If not you'll have a very straight sleeve.

Increases for the arms. After every 6 rows of knitting you increase 1 stitch one each side. When you fold your sleeve in half it will be even and much easier for assembling at the end.

**For my piece ever six rows measured to be one inch, so every one inch I added one stitch on the right side then when I get to the end and reverse side I added another stitch to the wrong side. 

Keep increasing on either side every six rows till you get to the pit as you decrease.

For the arm decrease, it is similar to the body but rather than stopping at 1 you continue decreasing 2. It will be decrease 5-4-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 etc. You'll keep decreasing knitting until you have about two inches left, which left me with about 20 stitches.

Assembling

I assembled everything with the help of the sewing machine. I start off with the shoulder, the attaching the arms aligning the center to the shoulder, the two pits together. After the arm is assembled, you're missing the long seams along the body to the end of the arms at the wrist. I just sew that in one sew straight.

Ribbing Neckline

I like to rib the neckline last, when the shoulders are finally assembled. Just cause I don't like there to be a seam. You can use double ended needle of cable. Rib the same way, usually the ribbing I would keep it to be one inch max then bind off.

Hopefully you have a complete sweater (:

Happy knitting!!

Will upload more pics of sweater and polish up the instructions more carefully in the near future.