Remember this cardigan?
My super cozy and bold Bermondsey cardigan with stripes was a project I finished in September and entered as part of the Summer Sweater Knit Along 2016 via Shannon’s blog and I won a prize package. How awesome is that? I got to add a lot of new patterns to my library and I’m super excited (as always) to make more sweaters. But after wearing this sweater only once, I knew that my sleeves were too long.
I always struggle with sleeves and tend to do a shortened three quarter length sleeve instead on most patterns. So many patterns say 18 inches for length and I’m about 16 inches in arm length so it’s a struggle getting decreases right and figuring out my best fit and length. On Friday night I pulled my sweater out and decided to take out the last stripe block of white and add back in my pink garter edge.
I was surprised because I wasn’t afraid! This year I’ve said I will stop letting fear hold me back and I didn’t let it. I used a short circular to pick up the last row of stitches in black (picking up the first bar of every v in the stitch) and then I was super careful to not cut all the way down on the white portion in order to not just have it all unravel on me.
I slowly picked out the last row of white and then attached the pink yarn and did 7 rounds of garter stitch before binding off.
After about an hour or less, I had a favorite sweater with an appropriate sleeve length. You can see how much better the sleeve is in this picture.
I’ve had a goal that all the sweaters in my closet would be hand knit or at least the majority and I’ve been working towards that (and a blog post about it too). I typically wear my knits a couple times a week and as it’s getting colder this is one sweater I know I will reach for over and over again. I had to figure out a way to fix this one little mistake to make the sweater wearable for me instead of being sad every time I looked at it laying in my closet. So tell me, what makes a knit unwearable to you?
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Yards of Happiness 
You *are* brave! I always struggle to go back and fix things after making them. But, your slight alteration did make a big difference!
If I didn’t fix it, I wasn’t going to wear it and I WANTED to wear it.
The wonderful thing about a top-down sweater is that you can do this kind of alteration… and I’m REALLY impressed at your bravery with the scissors! My arms are shorter than patterns expect, too, and I can entirely relate to the complications of rearranging the decrease rows. Maybe we need to come up with some kind of formula to solve the problem forever?
Wouldn’t that be awesome?! I just need a good formula for arm decreases based on length and I’d be so much happier! LOL
Arm holes that are too small! I can’t stand feeling restricted around my shoulder joint. I usually add a 1/2″ to the arm hole to give myself extra room.
I don’t think I would’ve ever thought about the armhole being too small! It’s amazing how everyone has such different things that are issues.
An UN-wearable sweater that is hand-knit is one that continually stretches, is uncomplimentary to my body shape, too hot, too close-fitting, and 1 that is in an unflattering or hard to match color. Thankfully, I have NOT knitted ANY of those yet! 😉
Yay! You go on the fix. I like 3/4 length sleeves also. I don’t like getting the ends dirty or them draggin’ around.
It looks so much better! Good for you for just doing it. What’s the problem with the patterns? Why can’t you just stop sooner if you are doing top down? Mind you, I only use charts or Design-A-Knit, so my sleeves are always the length I want. I won’t wear something that has a flaw/mistake, even if others tell me it would be OK. Sometimes it takes me a long time to throw it out—I keep expecting to NOT care at some point.
So I find that even when I stop soon the sleeves aren’t fitted enough since they’re spacing out the decreases. Does that make sense? It’s never a perfect sleeve but I’m still trying to figure out what works best for me.
Great fix! I can’t bear a sweater that’s tight (or even just fitted) in the waist, or too short (or too hot, but that’s relative).
Too short bothers me too and a lot of patterns are written short and I’m not very tall!
Brave move that worked well! I love that cardigan, the pink is an awesome finishing touch. For me, being too tight on the arms and/or being itchy rules out a piece of knitwear from my wardrobe.
Thank you! I can’t stand itchy either! Total deal breaker.