Dancing with the Devil

Edit: to add a Ravelry pdf download button.


Yep......

LOL I had to do that, I realized last night I have begun the last 2 posts with "Yep" so I thought I ought to continue.

OK, maybe not. :o/

Believe it or not, I have pix and a pattern for you! "Dancing with the Devil" is ready. Of course I've already started tweaking it. :o) It's such an easy mindless knit. Absolutely perfect for the days when the Devil is ready to dance.

As a point of clarification, the Devil in this case is a migraine. Yes, I get them. Yes, they last days and days. Yes, they leave me for dead, or at least have me feverishly begging for it. Sometimes though I don't beg for death, just for time to pass quickly, because while the migraine itself isn't that bad (relatively speaking) I still am unable to do many things. Really difficult things like reading, writing, watching tv....sigh. On days like that even counting is likely to be a hardship with much the same accuracy of a 2 year old, "1,2,3,5,4,8,5,6,11", you get the picture. It was one of those days, when the best I could hope for was some big, bulky, mindless, repetitive knitting, "Dancing with the Devil" was born.

Aside from the initial cast on of 68 stitches, (yes, it took several attempts, I was originally shooting for 72 stitches...sigh) and a set up row counting to 45 and then onward to 60 to place markers, there is relatively nothing left to do but to mindlessly knit scads of mind numbing garter stitch. (Mind numbing is a good thing whilst one is dancing)

OK, OK, here are the pix...



This sweater is worked vertically in one piece, from the bottom left front up to the neck, advancing to the side, then the left sleeve, across the back, right sleeve, then right front. The only sewing are the sleeve seams, which could conceivably be done in a 3 needle bind off. (or my personal preference, a 2 needle bind off ala Debbie New) if you use a provisional cast on at that point.

I used this yarn.



"Designer" Homespun Tweed by Tahki. It's coarse, lumpy, over spun in places, and wire-like. Not my fav yarn by a long shot. It softens a tad and blooms a bit after a warm bath, but it is no way near next to skin yarn. OTOH it makes a warm, drapey, swingy, garter stitch, sweater.

Of course, as I said before, I have already begun working on some other versions, a higher neck, (two different version), more swing, and some other variations that include fancy stitch work, and colorwork in the yoke.

I think a nice buky mohair would lend itself well to this pattern. That's sitting in the basket for a real dancing day. I'm playing with the colorwork version now.

Here is the pattern. I hope it's clear and there aren't any errors. I haven't tested it yet, but I'm working on it. :o)

Dancing with the Devil

Size: one size fits small through large(?) (given the nature of garter stitch and the wide neck/yoke it could probably fit a variety of sizes. See End Notes for sizing adjustments)

Finished Measurements:

Circumference of neck buttoned 28”

Length of center back/front 23”

Chest at underarm 44”

Underarm to hem 15”

Underarm to cuff 15.5”

Circumference at hem when buttoned 52”

Materials: “Designer” Homespun Donnegal Tweed by Tahki. 5 skeins (135 yds/skein)
# 8 needles. 2 blue markers**, 6 red markers**, and one large stitch holder (or a length of waste yarn to hold stitches) 5 1” diameter buttons.

***Slip the blue markers as you work the pattern. The red markers are stationary they are only there to aid in counting ridges leave them where you put them!****

Gauge: 11 stitches and 11 garter ridges = 4 inches

Note: Sweater is worked in one piece vertically. Always slip the first stitch of every row, including the short rows.

Left Front: Cast on 68 sts. Work in garter stitch for 16 rows (8 ridges), place red marker.

Begin Short Rows Pattern

Short Rows Pattern:

Row 1: Knit 45 sts, place a blue marker, leave remaining stitches unworked. Turn.

Row 2: Knit across the 45 stitches just worked in row 1, turn.

Row 3: Knit 60 sts, place a blue marker, leaving remaining stitches unworked. Turn.

Row 4: Knit across the 60 stitches just worked in row 3, turn.

Row 5: Knit across all 68 stitches, place a red marker in the last stitch. (This is the neck edge) turn.

Row 6: Knit

[From this point on, slip the blue markers and place the red markers only in the six places mentioned in the pattern and not at the end of every 5th row! ]

Continue working the Short Rows Pattern until there are 12 ridges after the red marker at the neck edge. Place another red on the neck edge.

Left Sleeve: Knit 39 stitches and slip them to a holder or on to waste yarn. Cast on 47 stitches. Next row knit across the newly cast on stitches and up to the first blue marker continuing the Short Rows Patterns sequence. (The stitch count will now be 53 stitches to the first blue short row marker, 68 stitches to the 2^nd blue short row marker, and 76 stitches across the entire row.)

Continue working the Short Rows Pattern until there are 12 ridges after the last red neck edge marker. Place another red marker.

Next row: BO 47 stitches (the sleeve) and knit to the first blue marker. Turn knit the 8 stitches on your needle and then knit the 39 stitches being held on the waste yarn or stitch holder. Your stitch count now returns to the original count. The next row will continue with the Short Rows Pattern at row 3 as you now begin working the back.

BACK: Work the Short Rows Pattern until there are 24 ridges from the last red marker. Place another red marker.

Right Sleeve and Right Front:

Work the same as the Left Sleeve and the short Rows Pattern portion of the Left Front, working the 12 ridges for the sleeve first followed by the 12 ridges for the left front.

Center Front Buttonband: Work 5 ridge across all 68 stitches.

Next Row: * knit 11, BO 2* (5 times), knit 3.

Next Row: Knit 3, *CO 2, knit 11* (5 times)

Work 3 more ridges (6 rows) even. BO

Finishing: Sew sleeve seams and sew on buttons.

End Notes:

To increase/decrease the width around the shoulders increase/decrease the number of ridges between the red markers that separate the sleeve/shoulder ridges and the fronts and back. (This will also affect the width of the sleeve)

To increase/decrease the chest measurement, increase/decrease the number of ridges on the fronts and back.

Note that the above mentioned changes will also increase/decrease the neck edge measurement.

To lengthen/shorten the sleeves cast on more/fewer than the 47 sleeve stitches.

To lengthen/shorten the length of the sweater cast on more/fewer stitches and adjust the placement of the first blue marker.

I guess I'm now supposed to do that copyright notice thing as if anyone would even consider making this! LOL.....um....go ahead and use this pattern for your personal use, please link back to this page instead of copying it someplace else. And hey if you want to make this for charitable work no problem, just please don't turn a personal profit on my stuff. Good Karma and all that ya know.

Other modification will be coming…..a swingier design, and two variations of a higher neckline, colorwork etc.

For those of you who actually looked at the pix and read the pattern, you'll see that I goofed the buttons on the sweater. I have 4 buttons on the sweater and have 5 buttons in the pattern...do as I say, not as I do! :o)