NSGS Sweater

A Finished Object! Here is the full pattern, even though you won’t be likely to ever make one and it probably doesn’t fit anyway! It’s a little bit “shorthand” — though between the schematics and the text it should be understandable for a reasonably experienced knitter/crocheter.

Not-So-Granny-Square Cardigan



Begun: November 11, 2006
Completed: November 29, 2006

Yarn: My own handspun. Rust was recycled from my Star-Brocade Vest (1986), red overdyed to dark rust, 2-ply worsted weight Romney wool, 3½ skeins. Dried Grass was spun from dye-painted roving, probably Perendale, 2-ply sport weight, ¼ skein. Black/Fall was spun with one strand commercial-dyed black (anonymous) wool and one strand dye-painted roving, possibly Polwarth, 2-ply fingering weight, ¾ skein.
Needles/Hook: Denise size 7, Boye hook size F/5/3.75mm.
Gauge: knit with Rust yarn 4, stitches and 6 rows to the inch. Finished crochet square was 4.75”.
Buttons: 6 - ¾” wooden buttons recycled from something else. Large holes allowed sewing on with yarn.

Pattern: My own based partially on a jacket (#15) in Knit It! magazine, Fall 2006. Crochet square was based partially on a pattern in 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton, #73 Catherine Wheel. Cardigan is cropped with 3/4 length sleeves. Finished chest size is 37”.

Crochet 12 squares using pattern diagram. Note that each row begins on a different side of the square. Crochet over loose ends to secure. Also secure centre loop by sewing. Block pinned overnight.

The squares are then joined with whipstitch through back loops only into pairs for sleeves and fronts. Join last 2 pairs into set of 4 for back. Begin knitting, following schematics.


Sleeves: Pick up st along crochet squares. Knit in stockinette st, inc 1 st each side every 4th row. (I used lifted-twisted M1, left and right versions.) Continue until 56 st then knit even until knitted section is 7” long. Dec for underarm: BO 4/2/1 every other row X10/every row X8 = 10 st rem. BO.

Fronts: Pick up st along crochet squares as for sleeves. Knit even for 6 ¼” then dec for underarm. BO 4/2/1/1 = 30 st. Knit even until 5” from underarm, then BO for neckline. BO 5/4/2/1/1/1 = 16 st. Knit even until armhole is 7” tall. Work short rows, leaving 5/5/6. BO.

Back: Pick up along crochet squares and continue as for fronts. BO for underarms = 60 st. Knit even until armhole is 7”. Shape shoulders with short rows following diagram. BO across.

Collar: Sew shoulder seams. With wrong side facing, pick up as for diagram. Knit st st for 2 ½”. Next RS row: k1, ssk, k across, k2tog, k1, turn. P1, p2tog, p across, p2tog tbl, p1, BO.

Finishing: Sew sleeves into armholes. Sew side and sleeve seams using rust yarn for knitting and black/fall yarn for crochet, sewing the knit part with a mattress st and crochet with the same whipstitch tbl as for connecting squares. Bury all ends.

Edging: On sleeve hems, join black/fall yarn at beginning of a square. (Sc 3, 3-ch picot) around, join into circle. On body, begin at right front bottom and join yarn, work sc up right front, around collar (working only into back loops of bind-off), and down left front. Continue across bottom with sc 3/picot. Switch back to plain sc and working in back loops only, continue up right front, working ch 2 button loops (sk 2 ch) as follows: work first buttonhole in centre of crochet square, sc 9, work second buttonhole at bottom edge of knitting, sc 9, work next 3 buttonholes with 9 scs between up to the 6th one at neck edge. Continue sc tbl all the way around to bottom left hem. Break off. Rejoin at bottom right and continuing to work tbl, sc up front. Switch to sc 3/picot through both loops around collar. Switch back to sc tbl and work down left front. Break off. Bury ends.

Using black/fall yarn, stitch buttons in place with an X stitch. Go through holes a second time and double-wrap a shank, then knot in back. A tiny dot of FrayChek will prevent the knot coming undone.

Block sweater (especially collar) well and leave overnight to dry. DONE!


In other news, we got a lot more snow before it stopped, about a foot worth, and then we went into the deep freeze for a couple of days. T-Man worked from home for Monday and Tuesday, but today he braved the roads to go in to work. He’s lucky he has the kind of job where he can stay home if necessary and still get it done remotely. I also babysat my little granddaughter and we had fun playing in her first real snow. We made a teensy snowman and then threw a snowball at daddy when they returned from the dentist to collect her! They got home with no mishaps but I’m sure I’ve got a few more grey hairs worrying about them driving in the ice and snow. I’m sure it took twice as long as the usual half-hour. Nobody knows how to drive in the snow in this city and they don’t have enough salting and sanding trucks for all the streets. Everywhere there’s lots of ice though it’s supposed to warm up and rain tonight. ICK! That’s going to make a big mess for sure. I'm not going to be standing under those honking icicles!