Stitch surgery

Scrappy yarn sweater

I started this jumper after bring inspired by Danish knitwear designer Laerke Baeger, who started a series during Lockdown last year on her Instagram, showing how to make a scrappy yarn sweater, which she called the #alonetogethersweater.

The idea is to use two yarns, one of which gets cut at regular intervals and a scrap of coloured yarn tied in. I had alot of scrap yarn so I tied them together with grey used every third colour and white for my 2nd yarn.

At the time I also came across the pattern below from Ruke Knit – White Sheep Sweater.

I liked the raglan shape and the loose fit, so I decided to combine the two ideas.

White Sheep sweater by Ruke Official

Here’s where I went a little off plan… I felt like the ribbed section started too close to the underarms so I lengthened the top section before starting the ribbing.

I also realised I might run out of the grey yarn that I was using every third colour on the tied yarn. So I swapped this for navy every 3rd colour, still working along with the strand of white….. Still with me??!

This is how it looked:

I was trying it on as I went and it wasn’t looking good….. The ribbing would have been better higher / and the darker ribbing just made it look like two different jumpers!

That ribbing was a few hours in the making and I couldn’t bear to rip it back, so stitch surgery was needed!

I threaded 2 circular needles between the panels a couple of rows apart, cut the stitches between and continued them both separately.

2 for the price of one!

After that it was just a matter of carrying on and trying it as I went along:

The neckline felt better folded under:

I turned it to the inside and attached it with a crochet chain stitch so it kept its stretch :

Inner neckband

Centre back ‘label’

All the threads ends are just left as is… No weaving in, and so far only one or two have popped out! The original inspiration jumper leaves the ends to hang on any side but I deliberately kept mine to the inside.

Posing directed by my youngest!

And if you got this far….. the ribbing became a cushion cover:

Slán go fóill!