Knitting -- customization

So I already talked about using math to make sure your knit tops fit YOU, no matter what weight of yarn you use or what your interest pattern is -- Fair Isle, argyle, etc.

This week's post is about two patterns by Hayfield, both of which are available for purchase on etsy. Pattern #9219 shows boatneck and vee neck jumpers for adults and a child's sort of polo jumper. I don't have a pattern number for the other, a set of adults' and children's cardigans, Sirdar also carries them; here's a link to the cardigans.

https://sirdar.com/en/products/cardigans-in-hayfield-bonus-aran-tweed

The point is that 9219 has what people call a Celtic braid motif but no button-front sweater, and the button-front sweaters have no Celtic braid. What if I want a button-front sweater with a Celtic braid?

I count stitches.

The Celtic braid is 36 stitches wide and 16 rows long. The two front panels of a cardigan that fits me, have 50 stitches each. I could do moss stitch on the underside of the sleeve and the part of the body it falls against -- but I decided that would be boring. There's a panel of Xs and Os that run vertically; I did that on both sides of the braid, for an additional 16 stitches -- 52 stitches wide aside from the button and buttonhole plackets. It's always good to use extra stitches with an Aran pattern because the cables make it contract. I worked moss stitch on the sleeves and back beside the braid.

I worked the sleeves first as far as the armpits and stopped where I was about to go back to row 1 of the pattern. I worked the body the same way, only one pattern set shorter. Then I put everything onto a 40 inch circular needle. Boy, was it heavy! And then I started decreasing at the moss stitch on the back and arms.

About 2/3 of the way between the armpits and the neck, I ran out of moss stitch. So I started decreasing at the Xs and Os of the sleeves, letting that part of both front and back dominate. Finally at the top I still had too many stitches so I did a knit round to fix the cabling, and
regular decreases on the next purl row and the following knit row. And finally did k2/p2 rib on the collar just like on the hem and cuffs.

This is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted in Orange You Glad. If it's not bright for you, well, they have another color called Wild Orange. I'll use this yarn in another color in another post.

If you are now in love with Celtic braids, here is an even more complicated one from Lucy Hague, who grew up in the Orkneys, for free. I plan to use this with a petal pink DK yarn. I'll flank it with motifs from Grace  Thompson's book on traditional fishermen's sweaters.

https://www.lucyhague.co.uk/blog/2015/09/30/nennir-written-instructions/

Again, this pattern is fitted to a cowl. If you want it for a jumper or sweater, you will have to redesign it in your spreadsheet and count stitches to make sure it fits you.