I am using the pattern as a starting point. I hate sewing pieces together so I am working the sweater as a bottom up raglan.

I didn’t want to pay for the cable pattern when there are so many good ones for free. I like the cable on the Celtic Moonrise Mitten pattern. It is a traditional Saxony cable. 26 sts, the same as the one in the pattern. However, I added a purl st on each side to give the cable some delineation from the rest of the sweater. I stared of with 2 rows of 2x2 ribbing so as not to start with a row of cabled stitches. Figured it would look less ragged that way.

Started by casting on 145 sts, 33 for each side & 79 for the back. I didn’t think it will be enough of a difference. But it was 25” wide which was too big. I ripped it back as restarted.

I ended up with 28 sts for the cable pattern & 132 sts for the middle. Given it should overlap, I figure you lose 14 sts on each side for the overlap, so it is 160 sts for the body of the sweater. (188 sts cast on.)

For the bottom up raglan, I used the raglan design in The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. The numbers aren’t an exact match. But between the pattern and the book, I was able to work it out.

So with the formulas in the book, I am going with 54 on each side (that includes the 28 sts for the cable) & 64 for the back with 8 bo sts for the sleeves.

I am starting off the sleeves a bit wider than the Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns says for the pattern. I am going with 44 sts and increasing to 60 sts (2 more sts at the end than the HBoSP has, but I think with the body it will work better.

I moved 7/2010 and couldn’t locate the project. sigh I finally found it on 10/15/10. I wished I had left it at 25” wide! It would have fit my DD longer.

For the raglan decreases, I did a k2g, k2, ssk. It gives a pronounced ridge that looks similar to the original pattern. Though I was tempted to try a decorative cable in the raglan. But I think given all the other changes, it was smarter to just leave it be. laugh

I did the 18 decreases for the raglan as stated in the HBoSP but not the additional 4 that were supposed to happen every row after that. The front had enough decreases but the sleeves didn’t. So I did 2 decreases in the last 4 rows to get the sleeves to decrease without pulling the width from the front and back. I think it worked out better that way. It seems to fit her fairly well. (Though again, should have stuck to 25” wide. It would have a longer wearing.

I increased 5 stitches evenly over several rows to get it wide enough for the hood. I went up to 136 which is close to the # for the original pattern. I think that worked well. I knit for about 9 1/2” as that seemed to work better for the hood on my DD. I don’t think her head is that large, but it seemed too small at 8” as the pattern suggests.

Learned how to Kitchener in pattern to close the hood. Definitely a useful skill. I think I should have ended the cable pattern at row 9 rather than row 16 as it would have come together more within the pattern. But it looks good overall.

I think the knitting was completed 12/8/10. Didn’t mark the exact date.

And then it sat for nearly two years waiting for the i-cord loops & buttons. I never did find the original set I bought! I had to buy a new set.

The sweater just fits Little Guy! So he should get to wear it a few times this winter. crosses fingers I am so glad to have the buttons on and it is off my WIP 1st after two+ years!