One if by land, two if by sea

The Red Coats are coming! 
    The Cabled Riding Jacket from Loop de Loop  by Teva Durham.
    Knit from 12 skeins (one less than pattern called for) of Mostly Merino (77% merino and corriedale, 23% mohair), at 125 yards per ball, in a custom prepared dye lot of her color, Crimson.  Yarn purchased at 2006 Sheep and Wool, although you can order from Margaret Klein-Wilson at 802.254.7436. Wonderful, delicious yarn.
    Jacket knit on 24 inch Addi Turbos, US 7s, at a gauge of 20 stitches and 32 rows to four inches, using the pattern for size Small.  Finished with 12 vintage amber buttons found at A Good Yarn.
    For all its completed loveliness, though, this is a disastrous pattern. My modifications (I dare not call them corrections lest I did something wrong myself) are many and varied.
    If this bothers you, just look at the pictures and don't think less of me for thinking Teva Durham either needs to stop knitting her samples on a machine (more on this later) get a tech editor with a working calculator. 

Modifications and Other Pattern Twitters:

1. When biasing, Durham tells you to increase and decrease into the same stitch.  This is, as we know, impossible, in hand knitting, but it is how you do it on a machine.  This means, according to this pattern, Durham knit her sample jacket on a machine. Bad, bad designer!  I don't fault designers who do the initial work on machines, indeed, hand knitting every idea to completion would be exhausting.  However, for patterns, whether given away or luxuriously bound, are a different boat.  If it's a hand knitting pattern, hand knit it.

2. Most people I spoken with had smooth sailing through the back until they reached the waist shaping which begins on row 72 for size small.  I shaped the sides by not continuing my increases while decreasing (thus decreasing my total count by 7, rather than by decreasing by 7 and increasing by 7, which the pattern directs you to do)

3. Long before the waist shaping fiasco, however, I hit problems.  For the first row of back shaping (at 20), I decreased the first purl in the column of three, then eliminated the second and third purls for the decreases.  Ending on row 6 of the pattern repeat, I did the dividing row as specified and then shaped my arm holes on rows 9, 11, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 of the cable repeats, leaving me with 44 stitches (not the 39 directed by the pattern) for both front panels while maintaining the bias, meaning that I had an additional decrease to compensate for my biasing increase.  If you have problems with the bias, as I did originally, I suggest you imagine each row as a thing entire, with the final stitch count trumping intermediate counts.  Like in lace, there might be an "extra" increase or decrease, but these are necessary to maintain the count and the flow of the pattern.

4. To shape the front neck, I bound off four then put the remaining stitches on a holder to join with a three needle bind off with the back.  I used these modifications to shape the back as well, since the front and back are knit in one piece to the arm holes and the divided. NB: there is a mistake in her chart on page 123.  The second last cable in the column second from the right is one row off.  It should be done concurrently with the others.  I can't think of any reason at all to do otherwise, but if you've some great artistic brainwave, by all means, tell me.

5. On to the right cuff!  Durham tells you to cable on rows 7, 13, yadda yadda yadda.  I did two things differently: first I cast on extremely loosely, which gives the sleeve a gorgeous, flowing ruffle, and secondly, I began cabling on row 8, then 14, 20, you get the point, so that I could be cabling on a RS row.  If you knit the sleeves in the round, as I eventually did, the RS/WS issue is null, but if you elect to work the sleeves flat, cabling on a RS is a good idea.
6.   To shape the cuff, I stopped biasing (I left out the increase but still did the decrease) on row 44 and worked evenly to row 60, giving me 60 stitches.  I reversed these shapings for the same effect for the left cuff.

7. To work the sleeves, I did both in the round, using two circulars, both size 7, 24 inch circulars.  Knitting the cuff in the round and then switching to working back and forth is a terrible idea: very awkward to knit and working the sleeves in the round to the armholes took no extra effort on my part.

8. Having reset the count once I finished the cuff (ie, I am now at row 0), I divided for the sleeve at row 63, following Durham's directions, leaving me with 49 stitches.

9. At row 74, I increased 6 stitches between the first and second purls, creating a gulf of three purl stitch columns, giving me 55 stitches.    To shape the sleeves, I increased 1 stitch (not the two directed) every 8 rows (on 82, 90, 98, 106, 114, 122, 130 and 138) giving me 63 stitches.  Interestingly, Durham seems to think that if you add 8 and 55, you get 65.  Or perhaps, given that she tells you to increase 16 stitches (!), 55 plus 16 is 65.  This gave the sleeves an exaggerated bell that might not be your taste.  I happen to really like it; it's vintage without being costume-y, reminding me of a Victorian blouse.

10. After completing the increases, I then bound off 2 stitches at the start of the next two rows, working flat via shortrows.  If this idea is confusing, try thinking about it as binding off the first two stitches of the round, "completing" the round and then turning the work, rather than bridging the gap created by the initial bind off, and binding off the first two stitches of this second row.  Voila!  Instand flat!  Incidentally, this manipulation would be exceedingly awkward on straights; do yourself and your wrists a favor- work on two circulars.

11. To shape the cap, I alternated between a right leaning (k2tog) and a left leaning decrease (ssk) on rows 142, 144, 146, 148, 150, 152 and 154, giving me 45 stitches, meaning if I worked a k2tog at the start of 142, I worked an ssk at the end of 146. I worked 8 rows evenly (to 162) then alternated a left and right decrease on rows 164, 166, 168, 170, 172, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 and 182.  I followed these same directions on my second sleeve.  You might wish to work the decreases after a selvedge stitch.  To shape my arm hole: I did as follows:
74: (RS) k3tog, work as presented, 42 st
76: decrease one for bias, 41 st
77: bind off 4, work across, 37 st
78: decrease one for bias, cable, 36 st
80: decrease one, 35 st
82, 84, 86, 88, 90: decrease one stitch each noted row, to 30 stitches, also maintaining cable pattern.
90: Short row off 10 st, to create what would normally be a bind off.  Instead, you are just working 20 stitches, leaving the last 10 abandoned. (20 st)
92: Repeat row 90 over the next 10 stitches (10 st).  If this is confusing, try holding the sleeve out from you, imagining where the slope needs to occur in order to smoothly fit into the shoulder.
94: Repeat row 90 remaining 10 (0 st left on working needle)  Join with appropriate front with three needle bind off.  Reverse shapings for left arm hole.  This apparently odd shoulder shaping worked perfectly with my sleeve caps, so you may elect to do something differently. 

To shape my sleeve cap:
Row 184: p2tog, k4, p4, k5, p2tog (15 st)
186: p1, k4, p2tog, ssp, k5, p1
188: p1, cable4 [with a k1, k2tog, k1], p2, cable5 [with a k1, ssk, k2], p1
190: p1, k1, k2tog, p2, k1, ssk, k1, p1
192: p1, k1, k2tog, ssk, k2, p1.

12. Following this sleeve shaping leaves you with 7 st, with a cable panel running integrally; I carried these 7 stitches up for an additional seven inches to create a saddle shoulder which I grafted into the collar following the three needle bind off seam, to cover that following Durham's cabling directions leave you with back and front cables that don't line up in the final seam.  Bringing this cable along the seam created a bit of an epaulet effect.  I like it, I think it contributes to the "jacket" feel of the sweater, and it certainly provides a break in what would otherwise be a fussy seam, but you may decide otherwise.  In either case, it's not nearly so fiddly as it sounds.  I suspect I could block this area harder and flatten the elevated cable over the seam, but I don't want to lose the dimensional sproing I gained with this manuever.  It's crisp in a way that most shoulders aren't, giving a delicate a line to the shoulders.  If you are particularly broad here, I'd suggest not doing this, as it might draw attention to your shoulders, but this tweak firms the seam in a way that nothing else could.

13. To work the collar, which I wanted to be large and shawl-like, I followed Durham's initial directions to row 73, then a chart kipped from The Harmony Guide to Aran Stitches.  I shaped the right cable to turn into a left cable by dividing my initial cables into four traveling stitch columns, which will make sense if you have the collar in front of you, decreasing the three knit stitches into two (while making another purl stitch in the "gully" to maintain my counts) and then brought the columns to the extreme edges of the collar, bouncing them back towards each other to recross, thus changing the "spin" of the cable.  The knit decrease is absolutely essential, as it establishes the columns to be crossed while mimicking the cables throughout the body.  Fiddly?  Yes.  Worth it?  Absolutely.

This particular adventure, more than anything else, taught me the importance of understanding gauge and tension- for this shenanigan to work, I had to manipulate several aspects of the garment at once; doing it sucessfully was enormously satisfying and showed me there is absolutely nothing I cannot do, if I'm willing to rip enough times.

14.  I then worked to row 152 of the collar, turning my cables accordingly and following the same decrease pattern that I had established through my increases on the right side.  I was left with a 22 inch collar which fills in the neckline and stands up nicely.   If I had to do over again, I'd work a shorter collar and hard block it to my desired measurements to create a firmer, more defined line rather than something this drapey.

15.  Lastly, a note about the cable directions.  If you look closely at the design in the book, Teva alternates the twist of her cables, creating a lovely, somewhat honey comb effect.  While it photographed beautifully, when I did the same twists, my jacket looked like I'd miscrossed some of my cables.  With that discovery, I dropped my body and played with the sleeves.  I crossed all my sleeve cables as established in the first twisting row after I'd swatched, eventually deciding to keep the cables as uniform as possible.  In the end, I left the initial cable twists as honey combs, as the pattern directed, but twisted the every following cable as established, giving me delicately mirrored cables that decreased elegantly into each other, creating a sinuous line that I didn't expect but absolutely love.  This particular line creates an hourglass line within the shaping itself, so there are actually two visual elements going on: the change in the literal fabric and the change in the visual fabric.  An extremely refined effect.

Although the pattern was an unqualified disaster, I love the finished product.  It's elegant, lean and polished  (those things we'd all like to be!)  I'm thrilled with the jacket, delighted that I made it, and stunned at my own ability to correct patterns on the fly.  For much of this garment, I was knitting by the seat of my pants, and while it came out wonderfully in the end, I had to learn to trust not only myself as a knitter, but myself as an artist.  More than any other garment I've created, cabled or otherwise, this jacket was a lesson in listening to the yarn, in trusting my own sense of myself.  While the jacket in the book is utterly spectacular, I like to think that my changes take it from haute couture to something infinitely more wearable, at least for me.  If you decide to make your own, I urge you to trust yourself; this jacket requires a certain amount of confidence to wear (rather than have it wear you) and if you're not entirely comfortable in this second skin, it will be ill fitting in ways blocking can never correct.

In her description of the jacket in the book, Durham talks about this garment being for the artist within.  For as long as I knit, I've always considered it a craft, a hobby, not the art practiced by some.  With this jacket, I feel like I've claimed a part of my own knitting (and heck, life) destiny: we are capable of so much more than we think possible.  I write all these corrections out not to intimidate but to inspire.  There is nothing too difficult, no pattern too complex, no problem too thorny.  You can do it.

Comments

[Amy]

WOW! That's all I can say. The jacket is awesome - and so are the shoes!

[Joanna]

Gorgeous!! The jacket has a little too much going on for something I would wear myself, but you carry it so well. Also, thanks for the heads-up on the crappy pattern writing - I'll be on the look out if I ever try one of her patterns.

[Cara]

Perfection! Congratulations! The color is perfect for you and I'm glad it was relevatory to knit - no matter how much the pattern sucked. It was meant for you to knit it.

[sogalitno]

ohmigod
ohmigod
GORGEOUS

i think i have to have one! [red being a favorite color]

wow!

[Kim]

Wow, I'm really, just, gobsmacked! I've had my own eye on that jacket for a long time now, but reading your post has me thinking about it again.

I am really, really impressed by both your abilities and your finished product!

[Gina]

I am so impressed with you fortitude and the fact that you worked it all out to come up with a lovely garment. Absolutely amazing.

[Lolly]

Elspeth, you are amazing! Two amazing knits in a week? How did you do it!? Love this deep red, and the cabling is spectacular. So beautiful. I love seeing the JHU scenery too - I recognized the buildings in the background!

[sarah b.]

That is made for you! I realize that it really is made for you, but you can tell by looking at it that it was made for you, if that makes any sense. :-) Amazing!

[Lola]

Wow . . . this is beautiful and just perfect for you.

[geniap]

I dub thee "Finishing Queen" of the Year!! So is this all in light of finished garments being easier to move......or less stash means more yarn shopping?!!

Jacket is beautiful!!

[Gale]

Your sweater is beautiful. Thanks for detailing you modifications to the pattern. It's one I have been considering for quite a while.

[elizabeth]

Good Lord, you might as well have rewritten the pattern from the get-go! I can't imagine having that much fortitude - I'd have throw the pattern (and possibly yarn and needles with it) across the room in frustration. Glad you stuck it out, though, it's absolutely beautiful! Congrats!

[Julia]

It's beautiful, Elspeth. I knew this one would be difficult when I tried on the trunk show sample. The proportions are very different, and although we're all used to modifying from standard sizing, modifying from undesignated sizing is a bit more tricky.

I've been playing on a knitting machine lately, and although I don't have any problems with someone using one to design, at some point it needs to be test-knit by hand. You are right though - that inc/dec into one st maneuver could only be done on machine, and I hadn't yet fathomed doing it there.

My philosophy with certain designers (I won't name names, but I'm sure you have some guesses) is that I am buying the pattern for the concept and vision, rather than the instructions, so I often don't mind doing some design work. That said, I think that most people (correctly!) buy the pattern for the line by line instructions, and should get them! And, in this case, it sounds like the mistakes were pretty egregious. Good for you for making it an empowering learning experience, rather than a frustrating one. You look fabulous! Red is your color.

[Carol]

Great post. It was recommended to me by someone who read a blog post of mine on the issue of knitting pattern books written by designers who don't know that much about handknitting. It really helped me put my finger on things that I couldn't articulate concretely having never used machine knitting. Thanks!

[Carol Brendler]

Thank you SO much for posting this. I'm making mine in the same color and yarn in the medium, but was stuck on the bodice and couldn't picture what the designer wanted with the biased cables. Your careful instructions will save me many hours and many headaches!