Love Note Sweater Knitalong starting February 2024

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Note: the lace pattern is both charted and written

Love Note Pattern Info from Ravelry

Sizing

0-6 mo (6-12 mo, 1-2 yrs, 2-4 yrs, 4-6 yrs, 6-8 yrs, 8-10 yrs, Adult XS, S, M, L, XL-XXL, 3XL-4XL, 5XL, 6XL)

Finished Chest Measurement: 24.5 (25.5, 26.5, 28.6, 30.5, 32.5, 34.5, 38.5, 41.5, 44.5, 48.5, 56.5, 66.5, 72.5, 80.5)“

We suggest choosing a size with between 4 and 12” positive ease relative to your chest measurement.

Yarn
We recommend using a blend of fingering yarn + mohair lace weight, but if you substitute we suggest using a DK weight yarn.

Sock or fingering weight yarn held with lace weight mohair yarn - yardage given is for COMBINED yarn; so if your size calls for 600 yds, it requires 600 yds of the sock weight yarn, plus 600 yds of lace weight mohair yarn.

Cropped length: 200 (220, 240, 300, 350, 400, 450, 550, 600, 650, 750, 900, 1100, 1300, 1500) yards

Regular length: 225 (250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 600, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250, 1450, 1650) yards

Gauge
16 sts & 24 rounds / 4” in stockinette using larger needles

Needles
US #7 / 4.5mm & US #10 / 6.0mm
(or as required to meet gauge)

0-6 mo - 4 yrs: 16” circulars and DPNs in each size*
4 yrs - XS: 16” and 24” circulars, and DPNs in each size*
S - XXL: 16” and 32” circulars, and DPNs in each size*
3XL - 6XL: 16” and 40” circulars, and DPNs in each size*

Alternatively you can use the magic loop technique to knit in the round using a single long circular needle.

Notions
stitch markers, darning needle

Helpful Tutorials
Love Note Tutorial
Layering with mohair
Choosing your sweater size
How to read a knitting chart
Provisional Cast on

 

Peg's Notes on the pattern

The sweater begins with a provisional cast on.  This just means you’re using some waste yarn to create your initial set of stitches so you can fine-tune the neck finishing after the rest of the sweater is complete.  At that point, you remove the provisional yarn and work the ribbing of the neck from the top of the sweater up.

Other tips for the yoke of the sweater

  • Tin Can Knits does not specify which increase to use.  The pattern simply says “M” for Make One.  Peg used a M1L since that’s an easy one to remember.  
    • o   Use the same type of increase for all the yoke increases.
    • o   Do not use a Kf&b for your increase as that increase leaves a very visible bump.  Likewise, you wouldn’t use a yarnover increase because you don’t want the holes.
    • o   Using either M1L, M1R, or a lifted increase will make your increases the least visible.
  • There’s an in depth tutorial from Tin Can Knits on their blog:  https://blog.tincanknits.com/2020/06/18/how-to-knit-a-love-note-sweater/   The tutorial doesn’t cover every little thing, but it is worth a read-through, especially when other knitters ask questions.  TCK is very good about responding.

Adding short rows

Peg is knitting size Medium and added short rows above the lace.  Her numbers are below, which should work for Sizes S, M, L, and XL.  Sizes smaller and larger than that might need some tweaking of the numbers.  

To add short rows, work according to the pattern through the Increase Round 1.  At this point, the adult sizes have between 4 and 6 plain rounds before Increase Round 2.  This is a good spot for the short rows.  Remember that your BOR is at the center back so our short rows will “see-saw” back and forth across the back, centered on the BOR. 

For a good video explanation of German Short Rows, watch this video before attempting the following instructions.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6Pjl20zKA   These KAL instructions are not going to explain every little detail.  Use the video and, if it’s still confusing, come into the shop for help.  All the knitting helpers at the shop know how to do German Short Rows.

OK, here are the steps Peg followed for her sweater.  You may want to have 8 lockable markers ready so you can mark your turning points.  This will help make the double stitches easier to see when you work the round after the short rows. 

After you work 2 plain rounds after Increase Round 1, do the following short rows, beginning at your BOR marker:

  1. 1.        K32, turn and make a Double Stitch (DS)  You can mark this and all subsequent DS with a marker if you wish.
  2. 2.        Purl back to the BOR, sm, and then Purl 32 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  3. 3.        Knit back to the BOR, sm, and then Knit 28 more.  Turn and make a DS.  Note that this DS is 4 stitches closer to the BOR than your first DS.
  4. 4.        Purl back to the BOR, sm, and then Purl 28 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  5. 5.        Knit back to the BOR, sm, and then Knit 24 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  6. 6.        Purl back to the BOR, sm, and then Purl 24 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  7. 7.        Knit back to the BOR, sm, and then Knit 20 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  8. 8.        Purl back to the BOR, sm, and the Purl 20 more.  Turn and make a DS.
  9. 9.        Knit back to the BOR.  Short rows complete.
  10. 10. Resume working the plain rows before Increase Row 2.  The short rows DO NOT add to the row count.  You began the short rows after Row 2 of the plain rows and now you are on Row 3.  As you knit this Row 3, when you come to your DS (there will be 8 total across the row – 4 in the first half of the row and 4 in the second) work the DS as if it was a single stitch.  It will look like two stitches but knit the two bars together as one.

That’s it!  You’ve added short rows to the back of your Love Note sweater which will help it fit better on your shoulders and neck.

Finding your ideal final length

The pattern has 2 lengths:  very cropped and cropped.  If this is not your jam, do not worry – you have plenty of company.  You can make your sweater any length you want.  We recommend doing the following to fine-tune your sweater:
1.          After dividing for body and sleeves, knit your body stitches until there’s about 6 inches of fabric PAST the split (or 6” below those stitches you cast on for the underarm).  (If you really want a super cropped length, only knit about 4” before trying it on.  And then evaluate whether you really want it that short…)

2.          Try it on.  Put the stitches on a Barber cord and try it on.  Check your length in front of a mirror.  Remember to consider how you plan to style your finished sweater.  Will you wear it over tank dresses?  Jeans?  Long skirts?  You may have a different vision depending on how you want to wear the garment.

3.          Determine total finished length that you want in the front.  How many more inches do you need to achieve that length?

4.        Determine if you want a high-low hem as written in the pattern.  The instructions as written will give you between a 1.67” to 2” longer back depending on size.

5.          If you’re skipping the high-low hem, work to 1” less than your final desired length and then do the 1” of ribbing and bind off.  If you want to be truly precise, determine your row gauge and use that to calculate exactly how many more rows of knitting you need to do for your length.  Work that many rows, do the ribbing, and bind off.

6.        If you’re doing the short rows, work to 1” less than your final desired FRONT length and then work the short rows in the pattern followed by the 1” of ribbing.  Bind off.

 ** We will follow this same procedure on the sleeves to make sure the sleeves are the exact length we want. Don’t just blindly follow the pattern!  Get the sweater you want and deserve.**

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