• I decided, having enjoyed making my last version of this garment, and given that this yarn has languished in my stash, that it would be good to hold it double to more or less get gauge: 20st and 28R in 4”.

• The fibre I’m using is the same as last time but I spun the (undyed) sport-weight yarn used last time and the yarn for this project is the Sunday Morning 4-ply base (held double). This one def feels denser. Of course, that’s because I’m working with 4-plies vs the 2-plies of the handspun which I didn’t hold double. Also, dyed yarn generally does feel different than its undyed counterpart. This ochre yarn is very even to work with.

• Based on my previous version and my current gauge - and also on the many swatches of this yarn held double that I’ve knitted for previous garments, I know the yarn will grow slightly horizontally and shrink by about 6% vertically. To the extent that I can, I want to make this version the same length or slightly longer than the last version.

Yarn Stats for last version:

• I used 218g of sport-weight yarn.

• 80g for Fr and Back pieces (160g) / 72.8%

• 29g for Plackets / 13%

• 5g for Neckband / 2.3%

• 13g for each Armscye rib (26g) / 11.8%

• As I’m using a different yarn which I also have a limited amount of, I’m trying to be conservative about the vertical dimensions. Having said this, I don’t want this version to be any shorter than the last (and I should have enough to duplicate the first version). I’ll apply the percentages used above to my current yarn scenario (see below).

Upper Limit Yarn Amounts Available for this version:

• I have 295g of fingering-weight yarn, held double. That gives me an upper limit of:
• 107.5g for Fr and Back pieces (215g) / 72.9% (I used 195g)
• 38.4g for plackets / 13% (I used 34g)
• 6.8g for collar / 2.3% (I used ~5g)
• 17.4g for each armscye rib (34.8g) / 11.8% (I used 30g knitted double on collar and armscyes - prob 5g for collar and 12.5g per armscye)

Final Yarn Stats for this version (Version 2):

• I used 257g of DK-weight yarn (fingering-weight held double) 195g for Front/Back pieces= 76% 34g for Plackets= 13% ~5g Neckband = 2% 25g Armscyes = 9.5%

I have 38g remaining though, by these ratios I should have 36g… Close enough to be useful.

• As of completion of the front body and back body, I have 100g remaining. That means I used 195g for both front and back, or 20g less yarn than my upper max.

• I have to keep in mind that, if the vertical dimensions change, so do the percentages of yarn used per segment - for the body and for the armscye and plackets. Which is why, given that I do have more yarn than I should need but not and endless amount, it would be prudent to stay within the same general proportions of the first version.

• The way I’m working it is to determine how to work the segments such that the front and back pieces are ~23” of depth before binding off. That should shrink up to about 21.5” (a smidge longer than the first one, once blocked and assembled). I have row counts for the first version which I’m using as an additional mechanism for ensuring that the length is going to add up, taking diff row gauge into account.

• About Ribbing: On this version, to ensure optimal tidiness of the 1x1 ribbing, I’ve done combination knitting, both flat and in the round. I considered not doing the tubular set up rows, and just doing the Italian BO after having worked 2 “regular” rib rows (on the armscyes), but I worried that the outcome might be too tight. So I worked on making the set up rows snug to mitigate that puffy look that can happen when tubular rows are worked before sewing the BO. I didn’t do the set up rounds on the neckband.

• I changed the neckline on this version, making the neckhole 4 rows deeper by extending the right and left shoulders by 4 rows each before joining at the front. I then removed those 4 rows from the depth of the front body before starting the armscye increases. This will have an impact on how many stitches I cast on for the neckband but I’ll just CO as per the recommended ratios. This will enable wearing the slipover with collared tops, or just at a depth so that my crew neck version isn’t super snug right at the base of the neck.

• Neckband: I also worked combination knitting in the round here, to neaten the ribbing. In the round, the knits are knitted normally and the purls are knitted through the back loop (after the first round), and they yarn is wrapped clockwise around the right needle.

• Though I increased the circ of the neckline slightly, by lowering it by 4 rounds, by following the instructions for rate of increase, I was only able to pick up 92st (the amount recommended for the first size when the neckline hasn’t been modified). Take from that what you will…

• Armscye Ribbing: It took 30g of yarn to knit the neckline (crew version) and both armscyes. Presuming the neck took about 5g, that’s ~25g for the armscyes, about the same amount of yarn that the first version required. The last version, of similar proportions, took 29g for the plackets. Here’s the potential issue: By proportion, I used 13% of my yarn, for the last version, on the plackets. And 13% of 295g (my starting count) is 38.4g. That’s more yarn than I’ve got left. I’ll be pleased after knitting the first of 4 plackets to confirm that the amount of yarn used is less than 8.75g and hopefully more like 8g. Time will tell.

• Plackets: If I don’t have enough yarn to do all 4 plackets in the ochre colour, I’ve got enough DK and 4-ply versions of Sunday Morning yarn in many shades that I can come up with something that will look interesting (dare I hope for cool?) in a contrast for one of the plackets. And that placket would likely be one on the back body.

• It would appear that the first placket took 8g of yarn. OK, the second placket took about 9. I’ll say that each placket took 8.5g. As I have 53g to do the other 2 plackets. I’ll have enough yarn.

Final Thoughts:

• This used a remarkably prudent amount of yarn - 257g or 1110 yards of fingering weight held double - the equivalent of 555ish yards of a DK-weight yarn. My last version used 218g or 618 yards of yarn (a sport-weight held single). So 350g of yarn for the smallest size is quite inflated, at least in my experience thus far. Note: I’ve not used a single strand DK yarn as yet so YMMV.

• Having made this garment 2x now, once with a DK-weight and once with a sport-weight, the percentages of yarn used are: 73% - 76% of the full amount of yarn to knit the fronts and back, 13% to knit the plackets, 2% to knit a crew neckband and 10% - 12% to knit the armscye ribbing.

• This yarn is beautiful but it was really on the robust side when it came to knitting the plackets. I didn’t love working that part of the project with a double held yarn. Would prob avoid if possible though it’s doable.

• This pattern continues to intrigue me - not too involved, doesn’t take forever but it is a full, warm garment with a broad range of wearability (at least theoretically). The knit requires competence at finishing so it maintains one’s interest. And the design is a bit like a pretty alien - I have no idea if I’ll give this and my previous one away or decide it’s the chicest thing. But I have the right amount of handspun to make one more. At that point, I’ll determine which I’ll keep, if any. What I will say is that it’s an elegant and it presents beautifully, whether the style appeals or not.

• I wouldn’t want to rip it back given how many ends there are to weave in. I would def use an animal fibre that enables spit-splicing if I thought I might want to reuse the yarn at some point.

Blocked to:

Neck edging depth: 1”
Armscye edging depth: 1”
Placket edging depth: 1”
Hem ribbing depth: 2.75”
Neckline depth (not incl neck edging): ??“ I lowered it by 4 rows this time. Next time I’ll lower by 6 or 8 rows.
Neckline width (not incl neck edging): “
Neckline width including edging: ??”
Shoulder width (not incl edging): 3.2”
Full length: 21.75”
Depth of armscye: 26” depth from one hem to the other on the armscye edge
Bust circ: ??“ (remember no side fabric)
Hip circ (before buttons): 39.5”
Hip circ (buttoned): 37” - but this still doesn’t pull at the buttons, which are at the top of the hip circ, and the bottom is open like a split hem)

Gauge - Yarn Held Single

US4 Pre-blocked: 24st and 32R in 4”
US4 Post-blocked: 24st and 34R in 4”

US5 Preblocked: 22.5st and 30R in 4”
US5 Postblocked: 23st and 34R in 4” - I feel that this gauge is too open with this yarn.

Other Patterns Considered:
comfy slipover - Daniela Mühlbauer 28st and 36R - you’d need to swatch and see if you like the fabric…

Lattice or Braid - Ririko - 24st and 34R in 4” - get gauge exactly…

Rerelax - Ririko - 23st and 32R in 4” - I prefer this design to the Lattice or Braid but I’ll have to figure out how to alter to get enough circ for my upper arms, given that I don’t get gauge on US 4 and I really don’t like this fabric, held single, on a larger needle than that. I think it’s prob as straight-forward as knitting the upper bodice for longer before moving onto the join for sleeves.