THE WEE ARAN PROJECT

Let me examine the sweater.

The raglan lines look real nice with that twisted knit stitch traveling along them, and the p2 togethers recede nicely at each side of it.

I need to enjoy what I have done for the next 6 rows are the hardest ones of the sweater. Normally, working short rows for the next scoop is a piece of cake...working them over a pattern can be an demeaning exercise . Working them over such a little sweater is also a torturous experience! But, it's just 6 rows and makes all the difference in how this sweater will nestle under the chin of the Wee One (who's mom came into the shop yesterday and I leaped across the place to hide the sweater which I have been showing off to every poor soul who enters the place).

So here we go.

Get out a stitch holder.

Find the center front cable pattern (12 sts) and put it (them) on the holder. These sts will now be ignored until we do the neck. (Remember, you can spear/mark these sts and still leave them on the big circular needle, taking them off later when the knitting is worked up to/from that point.)

Break your working yarn leaving 8" for darning in later. Starting at the beginning of the round, slip all the sts from the left side of the needle to the right side of the needle until you butt up against the sts on the holder. Slip the holder with the 12 sts off the circular needle.

Looking at the front of the sweater (remember...the beginning of the round was at the back left shoulder as baby wears her own sweater), tie in your yarn at the base of the first stitch to the right of the sts on the holder. This is your new beginning of the round. You will now work in short rows along the neck edge of the sweater, back in forth, along the inside and then the outside, for a total of 6 times, never working across the sts at the front of the neck now put on a holder, and stopping 2 sts each time before the last srw (short row wrap). When you work along the inside of the sweater, remember to check your chart and think about thereverse of the stitch you will be doing as you come to each one. This is good for your brain and will delay Alzheimer's from setting in, so you will thank me someday .

Note: The Twisted Purl that needs to be done to match the Twisted Knit = Purl in the back loop of the stitch.

Short Row Wrap (SRW) = short row wrap = work stitches in pattern until the required number of sts are left unworked on your left needle: slip next st, bring working yarn through needles to opposite side of work, slip st back to left hand needle, put working yarn back to where it started.

Short row neck primer for folks who have never done one before:

RAGLAN SHORT ROW NECK SHAPING
Row 1: SRW your first st (if you have trouble doing this holler and I will explain at length). Working in pattern on the inside of the sweater, work across the few sts of the front, over the left sleeve (as baby wears it) across back of inside of neck until one passes the right shoulder and comes along to the opposite end of the center front sts on a holder. SRW (short row wrap) the last st before the holder. Turn.

Row 2: Work across back of sweater, in pattern and on the outside now (this is a decrease round so remember to decrease where you should), until one approaches the center front again. SRW (short row wrap) the last st before the holder. Turn.

Row 3: Working in pattern on theinside of the sweater, work as in first round but stop 2 sts before the last SRW. SRW the next stitch, turn.

Row 4: Working in pattern on the outside now (this is a decrease round so remember to decrease where you should), until one approaches the center front again. This time stop 2 stitches before the previously wrapped stitch. SRW the next stitch, turn.

Row 5: Row 3: Working in pattern on the inside of the sweater, work as in first round but stop 2 sts before the last SRW. SRW the next stitch, turn.

Row 6: Working in pattern on the outside now (this is a decrease round so remember to decrease where you should), until one approaches the center front again. This time stop 2 stitches before the previously wrapped stitch. SRW the next stitch, turn.

When you are all done and cursing me, you will still have a lot of sts on your sweater (I have 64...you can have anything near that and it will be fine). This is good.

Now I have to do some research on that snazy overlapping neck treatment...and I have 24 hours to figure it out and get it finished so I can wash the sweater and enter it in my county fair.

I love deadlines.

Claudia at Countrywool