Today we hear from Ebbie. Just her thoughts. And perhaps afterwards, Yours!

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From Ebbie’s Journal: Decreases

Is there anything more terribly wonderful than knitting a sweater you just can not wait to wear? It's like the perfect oxymoron. A bittersweet adventure where I am trying to enjoy the process, but I really want it off the needles and on me! 

What creative release, moving my hands and watching as they hold needles and yarn and  build these little pieces... 

Seeing the stitches evolve into rows, and then they grow into the fabric... I should be embarrassed at how much pride I am feeling, but I AM NOT. I look again and again at this rich texture and think 

I.

Am. 

Making. 

THIS!  

All by myself. 

Me!

I finished the sleeve, shoulder, and neck shaping! So this first piece is done.

The shaping was straightforward: 

Knit 2 stitches together at the start of every row, and then continue to work in pattern to row end. 

Work this decrease row every row 28 times for my size (32, 36, 38 times for the other sizes) or until 59(65, 71, 67)sts remain. 

Before starting the decreases, I had created a 14-inch swathe of beautiful moss stitch fabric. The repetitive stitch work had become second nature way before I completed the first inch. So decreasing 1 stitch at the start of each row and then moving across the remaining stitches "in pattern" was intuitive. I would work the decrease then simply (k1,p1) or (p1,k1) to the end, depending on what the "established pattern" presented itself as. 

Before I knew it, I had hit the "59 stitches remaining" mark.

Then it was on to the shoulder shaping, which was pretty much the same thing… 

Row 1 I decreased by knitting two stitches together at the start and end of each row, then Row 2 was working in pattern with no decreases. 

To make sure I didn't lose track of which row was which, I put a safety pin on the side of the fabric for the visual cue "Decrease On This Row, Ebbie!" 

Rows 1 and 2 were to be continued "until 35(41, 47, 53)sts remain".

This portion of the knitting flew by! Each row getting smaller and smaller, fewer, and fewer stitches. Definite emotional boost. 

I know I am not a writer for a knitting magazine—wouldn't that be a dream job!-but I do have thoughts on knitting sweaters in pieces. The title of my pretend article wouldn't be "Worked in pieces vs. in the round vs. seamless." Because I'm not saying one is better than the other overall.

Just like the weather, each approach has its purpose. I walk through the woods at home on sunny days, rainy days, and snowy days. Each walk I take is done by placing one foot in front of the other. That fact remains regardless of what precipitation is —or isn’t—falling from the sky. 

Having said that…

When I knit sweaters in pieces, I really do enjoy the compartmentalized creation aspect. For this sweater, in particular, the back piece became its own finished object within the actual project. It was an attainable benchmark that I was able to get on my needles, off my needles, and feel a sense of completion. 

 I understand the pieces need to be seamed up, and some knitters shy away from this style of work. Putting the pieces together becomes an additional step before you can say, "I am done!" 

For me, the seaming is exciting, time to explore the way what I've created fits together. The work sewing it together becomes an extension, a part of the craftmanship. 

I used to be more apprehensive about the process of seaming. My first attempt ever I had to pull out twice as it didn't look smooth; quite frankly, I rushed through it, and it was a mess. I learned the added value of my swatch from that experience. I practiced and became comfortable (and quite good) at seaming by using my swatches as experiments. I took swatches of similar yarn, if not identical weight, and worked the mattress stitch between them. Around the top of the swatch was the ideal place to see how I could do better when picking up stitches for things like sleeves, collars, button bands. 

The little squares were a treasure trove of experimental knitting possibilities. 

But that's not where I am right now in this knitting journey, I still have a bit more to do before I start the seaming. I am looking forward to it, though. I need to double-check my stitch count and make sure my decreases are well and truly finished so I can wrap up with the neck shaping and be ready to cast on the front!

Now that Ebbie has shared her thoughts with you on swatching, I’d like to share mine!