A.R.A.N. PROJECT

Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 11:44:36 -0500 (EST)
To: knit@bolis.com
Subject: KNIT: A.R.A.N. #25 - Neck Ribbing and Underarm Grafting - THE END

Good morning all.

Well, this is it...the last part of the A.R.A.N. pattern. I hope you are
all happy with your knitting efforts to date. I've had a good time working
on my sweater and the pattern posts to you all. When you finish off your
garments, I would love to hear from you!  I know that means a few years
from now for some of you (hah)! 


NECK STITCHES AND RIBBING  

At this point, the neck ribbing can begin: Pick up the smaller 16"
circular needle and begin working with it. Your pattern will be: 

*K1,P1* repeat 

One works around the neck on the outside...I like to start the ribbing at
the back left shoulder. Because of the fudging of this sweater that I
shamelessly encouraged you in, you may NOT have 100 sts to work with at
the neck.  If knitting were an exact science all the time, I wouldn't be
writing this pattern. Who in their right mind would do this, anyway? 
So, count your stitches and figure out how many you have to get rid
of...my own sweater needed to lose 23 sts (how did THAT happen?) at the
neck, and I got rid of them in the first ribbing round by purling 2
stitches together, evenly space, 23 times as I worked around in rib
pattern of *k1,p1*.  I advise you to do the same. 

One would now work towards the front ACROSS the previously wrapped
stitches (in rib) remembering to pick up the wrap and work it together
with its stitch (not really necessary, but if you want to...see tech books
for good pictures of this), to work across the center front double point
needle, (you can abandon it now!) and then across the wraps at the other
side of the neck and then around the back of the neck to where you
started. Work around until you have a good ribbing depth (I am partial to
2" for most sweaters, but this A.R.A.N. looks good with 3").


GRAFTING

Put all you underarm live stitches on two double pointed needles. Start
with a 36" piece of new yarn. Work from right to left. With the first
stitch, leave an 8" tail to be worked in later. 

These directions are lifted from an old Knitlist digest.  If you recognize
your writing here, please let me know and may I thank you for all of us
that you explained things so clearly. 

"I found a set of very short-and-sweet instructions in _Principles of
Knitting_:
        On front needle:
        1. Pass tapestry needle through as if to knit, drop st off needle
        2. Pass tapestry needle through as if to purl, leave st on needle
        On back needle:
        1. Pass tapestry needle through as if to knit, drop st off needle
        2. Pass tapestry needle through as if to purl, leave st on needle 

      That's it.  Just remember to keep the tension loose."

When you finish grafting across, you will need to do a little magic to
hide your end and secure the triangular area of knitting that greets you
at the sleeve/yoke/body join spot. Elizabeth Zimmerman speaks highly of
the skilled folks who manage to turn this small task into a work of art. I
tend to try and sew around and around the spot on the inside of the
fabric, weaving a sort of spider's web that I pull a bit snugly as I go,
causing that whole area to tighten up. Weave at least 6" worth of yarn
into that spot and then cut it off flush with the fabric. Knots are not
necessary (especially with natural fibers which tend to felt a bit when
cut). 

Blocking?

My form of blocking involves hand washing the thing, running it through
the spin cycle of my washing machine, and then taking a bit of time to lay
it flat and straighten it out according to the original knitted
measurements.  After a few days of drying, it looks professionally
finished. 

I hope I have been able to be of help to those of you who have never
attempted a circular sweater, or even an Aran sweater. Circular sweaters
are truly done-when-they're-done, and creating cable fabric is a real joy.
Keep going with all your design ideas, and feel free to call on me if I
can help you answer questions about this project... 


Claudia knitting at Countrywool overlooking Blue Hill in the Hudson Valley
of NY State in the USA
Countrywool@berk.com
get the complete Anyknitter's Revolving Aran Network (A.R.A.N.) pattern
at: Esther's Knitting Page   http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit