Hi Mark, I'm so sorry for these mishaps. For the puckering I have a technically really easy solution. It sounds bonkers, but I've done it a lot and it works like a charm. Shape a nice oval on the front by getting rid of the excess fabric at the front collar. It goes like this: "Draw" a more organic ellipse to the front. You do this by sewing an alternate line with contrasting yarn on the the flappy bits of the front. Follow this alternate neck line when picking up stitches. Remove the contrasting yarn. Knit the collar and check on the way, whether the curves are symmetrical and organic without puckering. Now the neck line is fine, but these flaps have become excess fabric inside the front ribbing. You cut the excess fabric off with about a quarter to 3/8 of an inch of seam allowance above the pick-up line. If your yarn is clingy like Shetland or Icelandic wool, you cut it off without securing anything. If the yarn is less clingy, just do a row of machine stitching or a small backstitch to secure it or whatever you do when securing a steek for instance, then cut. In the end you attach this little seam allowance to the collar with a loose stitch. I use herringbone stitch and just tuck the fuzzy ends underneath the herringbones. That makes a nice finish. Sewing it to the collar is easier, because stockinette stitch tends to curl towards the knit side. If the seam allowance is visibile as a sort of bulk on the collar, sew it to the body, there is more going on and you won't notice it. Try this first with a swatch of the leftovers. That helps you find out what kind of securing you need (start by cutting a curved line without securing, then play with it a while to find out, if the fabric unravels). This helps make it less stressful to cut into the actual sweater. Just imagine, with knitting you produce stretchy fabric and fabric can be cut. I've done this plenty of times, especially when knitting for others. Allowing myself to reshape by sewing instead of knitting has given me a whole lot more options. Wish you all the best! Nanika
Yes, remove the ribbing. Cut out the extra fabric from the puckers and secure the fabric. Pick up the stitches and reknit the ribbing. It’s like knitting surgery.
neckline isn't rounded enough, so it will always pucker. you need to go way further down into the body. it's just a badly designed neck. how about picking up the puckered stitches a few rows lower? hard to describe how to do this in a comment. take the ribbing out, pick up the edge stitches, but in the puckered areas, pick up stitches a few rows lower in the knitting to make the curve smoother.
Exactly what I was thinking. I don't know for certain whether it would work - but it seems that it is worth a try. As is, the neck just looks like it was made incorrectly. Such a shame - otherwise it is a beautiful sweater and fits so nicely!
I was about to suggest this too. And to make it cleaner on the inside, knit a longer collar and fold it over and stitch down on the interior side... I cannot for the life of me remember the name of that technique... But it would cover the extra fabric from picking up the stitches lower down in the yoke, and provide a clean edge.
Yes I was thinking this as well and if there isn’t enough MC fabric on the chest add a couple of short rows for front and back to make it a little rounder then do the rib, its such a lovely sweater and such a shame if its not changed to your or your husbands loving it❤. Ive had to do sweater surgery to tighten top down neck bands when too loose😮 and its so worth the effort 😊.
I was thinking, in this situation I would probably unwravel the ribbing completly. And pick up stiches for the ribbing again, picking up the stiches at the puckering bits much lower down, trying to make it round enough folowing the rest of the neckline. Of course I would end up with extra fabric on the inside of the sweater, but for sure it would be smoother on the outside. After this I would carfully sew this extra bits of fabric down so they dont stay hanging there😅 Hope this make sense Sorry for the English, its not my first language.🙏
Yeah, I think this is the correct take. Eliminate the weird shaping entirely by picking up the neck band a few rows down in the puckered area and just doing a normal crew neck.
As some others here have also suggested, I would contact the designer as the collar clearly has some design issues. It helps both you and the designer to sort the problem with the collar as you'll get instructions to a nice collar and the designer can avoid this problem in their future designs. Lovely sweater and thank you for your videos! You have a very calming presence, it's a pleasure to hear you talk about knitting and knit when watching. Greetings from Finland!
As a newer knitter, I really appreciate these trouble shooting and process videos. It’s so helpful to know what to look out for and know there are things I can do if I make a mistake.
I have never seen a neckline like that. I think any size you do , it will be the same . You really have to get rid of rows where it’s bulking out. I bow down to you for the patience you put into trying to correct that problem . It is a beautiful garment .
I think you should ask the designer about the neckline. I haven’t made enough sweaters to suggest anything. But I agree something is missing. I can imagine a collar shirt worn under the sweater to “hide” 🙄 the odd puckering. But you shouldn’t have to do that! Have you checked with your community at Around the Table? I’m sure someone in this chat will know. My heart goes out to you, I mean this is for your husband and like you said right by his face, and noticeable. Dang! BTWs, he looks great in it, and his quirky smile at the end made me giggle! 🤭
Possible idea to fix the neckline Mark. Put in a lifeline by picking up the left leg of all the stocking stitches just before the ribbing starts. Then rip out all the ribbing, and reassess. It is hard to explain in words without being able to show you but I would either look to figure out raising the centre front neck stocking stitch to eliminate the bumps, or pick up stitches for the whole neckline by dropping into the two side bump areas to make a smooth curve. Then knit the ribbing as desired, ( will have two little ‘flaps’ of the original neckline sitting behind this ribbing , which you could then potentially slip-stitch flat to the back of the neck ribbing, or if feeling brave or reckless (I would!), go in and secure the lowest stitches to the back of the ribbing and once safely secured so nothing can unravel, cut off the excess stocking stitch flaps. Good luck!
Hi Mark. I think regardless of the mishaps, the sweater is gorgeous. I know you eyes ONLY see the pucker. But knitting isn’t always perfect. Maybe just try to take your eyes away from that part of the sweater and let your husband enjoy his beautiful sweater. I dont have any fix ideas so I will just cheer you on. Thank you for taking the time to show us how you fix the sweater and color. As always, thanks for a fun and interesting podcast. Patricia
Understand?! Are you kidding? I’d be devastated. I once left my while knitting bag with my favorite beautiful wip at an empty church midweek when I stopped to pray and knit. I drive 45 minutes as way before realizing that my project was missing. Thank goodness I figured it out and drive back to find it exactly where I left it ❤
This is a super helpful video - thank you for putting it out there and being vulnerable- and for calling out people who choose to be unkind- in my book- that's what the block button is for- there's no place for it in the fiber community. I actually gasped out loud when you said your colors ran- out loud. Glad the solution seems to have worked. No suggestions for the bunching issue at the neck... bravo for knitting a beautiful sweater. Thanks again for great content this week!
Mark, you have a beautiful knitter’s soul and this old knitters loves your videos. This is only a collar fail and in reality, a designer’s fail. They should have known the effect of chevrons on the fabric, therefore, the inappropriateness of picking up the cast on stitches pretending that you would get a smooth neckline. You need to get rid of those extraneous triangles. Thankfully, you used non superwash yarn for this sweater, so you can steek out those pesky triangles and pick up the collar stitches along a rounded edge. You know enough about knitting to have heard of steering and this is going to be just a little bit of a cheat on the pattern. About the bleeding, never, ever trust the reputation of a dyer. I have seen colour bleed from the best of them, the kind of bleeding that recurs at every was, no matter what you add to the water. Just like knitting mistakes and patter errors, it’s part of a knitter’s life, frustrating but not lethal. Keep up the good work.
Hi Mark! I do so love your channel. I love the longer length video. I like how you explain things. You have such a beautiful voice. I can listen to you all day❤
Never feel the need to apologize! You have a super podcast, full of ideas. Your voice….I could just listen to you all day‼️I’m so glad I found you. Keep up the fabulous work. Have you ever considered knitting a mosaic top down sweater? I’d love to find a pattern to try. I think it would be stunning. Again, thanks for being you!
Mark, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to be vulnerable. I learn so much from you, and as a new knitter I'm so grateful that you show the good, bad, and ugly of knitting. I'm really excited to hear that you are going to be dropping some tutorials! I'm amazed by the generous knowledge sharing of this community. Haters be damned. Fingers crossed you find a solution for your neckline issue. It really is a beautiful sweater.
Oh Mark, I actually felt my stomach lurch when you said the yarn bled 😮😢. And bravo for calling out any viewers who might make snarky comments on your channel! Absolutely- move on negative people! This place is not for you! Be kind or be quiet as my grandma always said. All the love,Pippa x
Hi Mark! I‘m so sorry, both for the bleeding (happened to me as well, it is devastating after all the work) and also the top front line. As others mentioned, I would also unravel the brim completely and pick up the stitches some rows lower down in the puckering areas. Putting a line in for an even result might be a good idea. If you want a clean look inside, you could knit a folded brim and sew it into the inside hiding the uneven line part. I know it is nerv wracking to undo some finished objects, but for a neat look and your happiness, face the enemy and redo it once more. Good luck and best wishes. PS: I‘m going to redo half of a cardigan because I will not give up on it. We can do it!
Hi Mark. I believe the problem at the neck is a result of an "shaping echo" from the chevrons. I would try reworking the neck (yeah, again, sorry) but rather than using the existing live stitches, in those puckery places I'd pick up a few stitches *below* those live ones, trying to follow the shaping you want from the neckline. Then knit back up and do surgery. Don't sweat it - this is all part of making things. I've knit entire coats, only to rip them out and start again, and rip them out again, just to get the desired result. BTW, thank you for your intelligent and sane presentations. I enjoy your videos very much. I'm not much into just watching someone knit, etc., but your informative videos are great. You are well spoken, clear and entertaining.
Because those two chunks of fabric at the neck stick up they’re pushing the ribbed neck up when it doesn’t want to. You could either try short rows in the collar so you avoid those sections a bit in the beginning to let them sit higher flat. Or what I’d do is rip out the whole collar and just pick up stitches lower down in those sections so that you get a more round (normal) collar shape to start with. You’ll have little flaps of the tops of those pieces on the inside that you can just tack down but at least on the outside should lay better.
Hi Mark, I suggest you take out the neck ribbing. Then pick up stitches evenly lower down , all the way around. If you have enough yarn, make a ribbed fold over collar sewn down.
Oh Mark, I have had this bleeding happen, but only with socks. If it were a gorgeous sweater like this I’d be beside myself. I’ve never pre rinsed my yarn either, and I’ve been knitting for 55 years.
We can all empathize when we find a problem after all the work is done. I think I would take out all the neck ribbing. Then pick up stitches around the neckline, except for the bunched areas. Baste a line through that area and pick up neckband stitches in the middle of that area. Make a turned down /sewn down neckband and enclose that extra fabric. This is only what I would do to save the project. I have cut sleeves off and reknit them. I just ripped a project back to the armholes. The pattern was designed by a tall person, I am 5' tall. I have to rework the colorwork pattern to fit. Happy knitting and good kuck with your project.
I was thinking you could do slow decreases over the places it puckers while adding extra stitches where the “corners “ are. Also you could reach out to the designer to see if there have been issues like this before and if there are known solutions. Best of luck!
I think there are two potential solutions - either, as others have mentioned, picking up stitches for the ribbing in a more curved line, a bit lower than the actual neckline edge, or, you could try re-knitting the ribbing and doing some short rows to “fill in” the base of that seashell shape
My heart would sink. The expense of this kit and amount of work to make this beautiful garment. I would be angry. Thank you for depth and details. If I make this I would just buy pattern with different yarn choice. Good lesson taught. Bless you on your next adventure. I make a lot of quilts and color catchers are boss. Sometimes I use 3 at a time in my soak and they work well.
I’d actually looked at this pattern on Ravelry, but will pass because of the neckline. I notice a test knitter seems to have changed the neckline to a rounder style.
The other projects on Ravelry show the same issue on the neck line, so it's not something you did but a definite mistake in the instructions. My guess would be a typo or something in the instructions of the short rows. While you still have the ribbing in place, mark a nice curve joining the front to the sleeves either side by threading a tapestry needle with contrasting thread and sewing the curve with running stitches. Then take out all the neck ribbing and re-pick up the stitches, but when you come to the front, pick up the new sts along the new curve and then re-knit the neck ribbing. This will result in small flaps of surplus material that will sit inside the ribbing, but they won't be visible when worn. Do not stress about it, though - this is something that brings joy to your life, not extra stress. Let me know if you need more details, maybe via Ravelry.
Oh no! Such a beautiful sweater! I feel your pain. I had bleeding happen on an intricate colorwork pattern- red with white colorwork became red with pink colorwork. The yarn cost me about $200 and I had it shipped from Europe. I tried everything to fix it and nothing worked. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t look at it for 2 years. I finally pitched it. I now use color catchers on every colorwork pattern. That neckline is very odd- I would have tried the same thing. I really don’t understand the point of that shaping at all. Maybe you could take out all the ribbing and pick up stitches and re-knit the entire collar. A folded collar would look nice on this sweater. You handled this a lot more gracefully than I did. A lot of profanity ensured during my ordeal. Goodness, I feel like swearing on your behalf. 🤬
My thought is to put a lifeline in on the first or second full round below the last short row. Then you could snip the yarn on the row/round immediately above and pick out that row/round as though you were going to add an afterthought pocket. Once that row/round is separated from the lifeline round, you should be able to unravel the short rows and collar freely, then transfer the held stitches onto a circular needle and re-knit the short rows and collar from the bottom up with different spacing of the short rows- ie turn each short row farther from the end of the previous row so the slant is subtler.
43:03 I also hate redoing things. So many projects sit in timeout for months or years because I made a critical mistake and I can’t bear to undo all the work that came after…it’s a horrible feeling.
We work so very hard on our projects, and these frustrations are the times I question why I do this, but when you can solve the problem, you feel like a hero! Good luck
Hi Mark, I love your show. You are so professional and stick to knitting. Lots of knitting podcast I watch once and move on. I look so forward to your newest podcasts. THANKS
As other people have mentioned about picking up further down on the sweater to start your neck ribbing, you could do a folded over rib neckline to tuck in the extra fabric and hide it without having to sew it down on the inside. Hope the sweater turns out for you in the end, you did a beautiful job knitting it.
If you have a friend that sews, you could ask about a fusible interfacing could be applied to the inside of the sweater to stabilize the shape you prefer.
There is clearly a fault with the neck design . If you refer to some of the older "traditional" designers you will begin to understand how to fit and shape. (try Elizabeth Zimmerman) You can salvage this one . By picking up neck stitches where you want them to be and cutting away the excess to knit a smooth new rib you can achieve a nice neckline. A modern designer who is great at fitting male necks and shoulders is Stephen West. Most of his designs are top down and incorporate great techniques for comfort and fit. Like reading music , knitting has discipline that understood and followed brings comfort and confidence to the user.
Whoa Mark, I feel for you. Your idea of re-engineering the front collar seems like a good solution. May you be blessed with patience in your endeavor. Good luck and best wishes.
My first thought for the collar is to pick up the stitches in the front portion of the collar first and work them up a few rows before picking up the rest of the stitches around. In a way, reversing how the neckline was made on the body in order to compensate for the severe dip into the front. I think it looks gorgeous regardless though ! And im so glad most of the bleed came out. Love the longer videos too, by the way :D
The neckline was created with short rows creating a scalloped effect, Therefore the ribbing should begin with short rows in the "dips" of the body scallop till you have an even tension around. No amount of blocking will release the tension of the scallop. That being said, it would not be easy. I suspect it would be easier to knit the ribbing first, the fill in the scallop as you join into the body. I absolutely love the colors and geometrics, you've done a great job!
So sorry that happened to your beautiful sweater. I’m just returning to knitting after 30 years! And this video scares me because I’m not as an experienced knitter as you are! But that can happen to anyone. Your sweaters that I’ve seen so far are very beautiful and your work is great!
Hi Mark... In that puckering area where it starts to "stretch out" in the looks, I would try decrease shaping to get that stretched area to pull inwards to get it to suck towards the body.
Video was great, I love seeing how other ppl troubleshoot and then I have ideas for future projects, also you have a very calming voice lovely to listen to as I work on projects.
Hi Mark, might I suggest if you have enough yarn) making a longer polo type neck that folds over a flairs out a little to mask the join between the body and the collar. I am not sure if that would help and the only other thing I can think of is to pull up the stitches to tighten the tension in that area, but again it will show in the uneven tension created. The pattern is lovely and hubby looks good in it otherwise.
I have a solution to your neck problem if you dare to try it. Undo whole neckline Iron steam whatever you feel safe. Then as you redo the necklace pick up on edge until area of bulge then go down one or two or even three rows my guess 2 should be ok pick up that stitch then when you get to middle section it should only be one maybe 2 rows different go round to other side do same then go round like normal rib but try on before finish you can adjust if needed as you go round pick up missed row just to tidy up not for missing stitches Hope it helps It has helped me many a time
Making such a thorough, well thought out video that details both Ws and Ls and your problem solving process - you're the saint! I hope some of the more experienced members of this community can give you a solution that works. Otherwise, as always, thank you for another beautiful video xx
That is indeed a very weird neckline. I have two thoughts on this. It might be possible to steam shrink the odd shaped puckers. The other would be if you have enough wool to knit the ribbing double length and fold it to the outside to make a neck similar to the sweater you are wearing. If you sew down the individual stitches rather than casting off you can then adjust the neckline to something more aesthetically pleasing. PS: love your channel. 🩵
Personally I don't hate the neckline and kinda like it. I think the shaping is a bit visually interesting even if not technically right. If you don't want to keep it then what about doing some overstitching/ embroidery of a tree/arrow in the corners or a U shaped leaf pattern across the seam in the contrast colors.
Great sweater! I was crying for you with these issues. I would rip,out the ribbing and pick up stitches to make a round neckline, then re work the neckline, maybe are a longer ribbed neckline and double it over with the extra inside the new collar. Good luck lovethevideo
It looks like you have extra rows on the right side (looking at video). Maybe just two rows. I would re-knit a new collar to right before the color work, wash, block, and see if that pucker happens again. If it does - it's the pattern. If it doesn't then you take out the collar, and then graft the new collar to the sweater. I've had to do the same thing so I know it's a lot of work. I'm interested to see the final solution. Thanks for posting.
Your knitting and colorwork is beautiful. I feel your pain with the color bleeding and with the collar. The dyer didn't rinse the dye out enough. So sad for you. I don't like taking things out after I'm done either. All that work and to not have a satisfactory outcome is so disappointing.
I try to test each color in water separately before I block to check for bleeding. I always use color bleed sheets if it's a vibrant color.sorry it happened to you. It's heartbreaking 💔
So appreciate your honesty. This really helps me learn! What about a Gansey neckline? They are often removed and reknit anyway with wear. It’s a small amount of 1:1 ribbing finished in stockinette that naturally rolls. Lovely! Hope it works. Have a look at The Real Wool Company pattern. I’m knitting the Gansey Folk. You can see an image of what I mean there. Greetings from Surrey England. x
I second Nanika’s comment- sweater surgery in just those two sections alone. Create a new front neck line and then maybe consider a folded over ribbed collar. I feel your pain brother. 🫶🏽
Hi Mark, have you done a video on steeking please? I have a sweater I made for my husband and have done everything I can up to steeking for the sleeves, I have a total mental block on this . 🤦♀️ I believe I need to stitch them cut from the top of the what will be shoulder down to where the sleeves come, then finish shoulders and neck 😞
Mark! Your gorgeous sweater bled! I had this happen on the very first sweater i made for myself. It was a fingering weight Caitlin Hunter pattern and i was crushed. I ended up overdying the whole thing, and i can wear it...but it's not the same. ☹️
This Pickering happened with a sweater I’m working on that has a lot is m1L increased and thank goodness I made it with negative ease because as I wear and stretch this out perfectly to my size the pocket flattened out. Phew 😅 I hope this helps a towards a solution. Good luck ❤
Hi Mark: Great learning video! Sorry about your sweater woe! I knitted a sweater a few years ago when I was newbie at colorwork and sweater knitting. I made an awful mistake at the yoke area that affected the fit. I must have misread the pattern or something. I finally decided to frog it a year later. However, I encountered bigger problems at frogging it. To this date, I haven’t been able to recover the wool. It is unfortunately still on time out. Thank goodness it was not expensive wool. A few years ago I learned to knit socks and encountered a pair where the ankle area had some looseness. I knitted several pairs of the exact same pattern and yarn in other colors. However that particular pair was a problem: same tension, needles, and everything. I asked my virtual friends, they all don’t quite know why either. Different colorway, slight different texture? Thanks for sharing, happy knitting! ❤
Hello, have you checked Ravelry for other knitters with the same issue for the neckline? Perhaps someone has a solution you could use. My other thought would be to pick up some stitches in the front and add some additional length of stockinette where the dip is to make it more circular than seashell shaped before moving on and adding the ribbing.
Mark, the sweater looks gorgeous - color bleed should go away gradually after few washes. You could add a bit of vinegar to the rinse. As for the neck - maybe a bigger collar - like shawl style could help. I was thinking of making a collar longer - kind of short turtleneck then folding it out and stitching it down to cover the uneven edge.
Well, you sure learned a lot from this sweater and so did I!! I’m so glad you showed all of the issues you had. I’ve never knit a sweater-looks scary. I hope you can figure something out because it is lovely. Good luck and don’t give up! You’re wonderful!
Hi Mark, Did either you or your husband go to William and Mary? I noticed a W&M hat and sweatshirt in 2 of your videos. I am class of ‘82 and my daughter graduated in 2019. Go Tribe. Love your videos.
Beautiful sweater...even with the issues you had to endure. I would put a lifeline in and redo the whole collar. I recently had a problem with a sweater for my daughter and had to frog the whole sweater and start over. It was the whole yoke being off with very different counts from doing the raglan. I would not frog your whole sweater. Just the neckline and decreases as you go up instead of increases as you go down. Something with what looks like short rows being off or a design decision from the pattern maker?? I would just go to a very simple vanilla collar from a different pattern maybe to re build thr whole collar/neckline? Idk-I am not as experienced but just thought it maybe be suggested. Rebuilding a neckline going the opposite direction may ruin the look of the stitches but may make you happier with the end result? I am curious as to your result when you decided.
For the collar, I would recommend not following the knitted portion. I would pick up stitches so that my collar is round in shape. This may leave extra material inside the sweater, but the collar will look much better.
What a shame. The puckering bothers me too. :( Beautiful work and a wonderful design otherwise. I want to see it in shades of pink on a grey background. Oooh, or shades of yellow maybe on grey. (Don't mind me, just thinking aloud.)
Is the puckering possibly linked to the short rows for the back? Maybe in the pattern they come too far forward or don't stagger out the ends of the short rows enough to make them blend out.
Mark, this is so helpful as I bought the supplies to make this sweater from Around the Table, so you’ve saved me from going through the same issues! I have a question for anyone here. I’m a newer knitter, and while I have done mosaic knitting, this project will be my first color-work. If I have the same yarn and know it is likely to bleed, do I trust the color catcher, or is there some sort of process that is common for over dyed yarn? Should I soak it like I do when I wet block things? If it doesn’t become a tangled mess, how do I get it to dry? Just curious about what the common practice is for this problem or if there is one outside of color catchers- thanks!
Wash the yarn before you begin. Use warm water and wool detergent or simply shampoo. If the yarn bleeds, rinse it until there is no bleeding any more and put vinegar into the last rinse. That usually does it for me.
@@nanikab.355 Thanks! Do you do this while it is still in a hank? How does it dry without getting musty? Do you hang it? I am mostly confused about the airing out part at the end :)
@@brennadavis8238 Yes, I do this while it is in the hank. I unravel the hank, i.e. I don't open the ties, but put the loop in the water. Or I even wash it in the machine (hand wash programme). In this case I put it in a pillow case, so it can't get too tangled and I can give it a good spin cycle, that shortens the time to dry significantly. Then I lay it flat, either on top of a towel or on a laundry rack. I don't hang it, because then the yarn might stretch in places and not so much in others. It doesn't take too long to dry, so there is no problem with the yarn getting musty. I do that all the time, as I also spin and the process of handspinning definitely requires the wash in the end.
This seams like a pattern issue. Perhaps contact the author of the pattern to find a solution. Or perhaps the bumpy areas are where your shirt collar covers it.
Would perhaps a crochet collar work? You could do step downs/step ups where the neckline is. You could knit another small "start" and then crochet onto that, to test it out without having to redo it on the finished product.
Oh dang! Sadly, knitting is sometimes a crap shoot. With regards to the neckline, that’s just poor design. I’m wondering if the designer bothered to have it test knitted because the shape is just so strange to have made it into the final version of a pattern. With regards to the yarn bleed, when blocking dark colour work on a lighter background, try adding a “Colour Catcher” sheet to the soak water - which I just saw sitting in a box on top of the sweater right after I typed this. Sorry, Mark, legit thought I was being helpful instead of telling you how to suck eggs. My bad. 😞
Here's my idea: pull the neckline ribbing out again and reknit it in garter stitch. The garter stitch neckband will roll down and it might roll down enough to conceal the puckering. I won't be offended if you think this is a shit idea coz maybe it is!
*** not going so drastic as to rip it out and knit it again, could it POSSIBLY be fixed by taking a basic needle and sewing thread on the underside and perhaps tacking that seam against the fabric under it that leads into the yolk area to kind of force it to lay in the opposite direction and debulk that area? I am all for trying minimal adjustments before drastic ones. Just a thought!***
Hi Mark, I'm so sorry for these mishaps. For the puckering I have a technically really easy solution. It sounds bonkers, but I've done it a lot and it works like a charm.
Shape a nice oval on the front by getting rid of the excess fabric at the front collar. It goes like this: "Draw" a more organic ellipse to the front. You do this by sewing an alternate line with contrasting yarn on the the flappy bits of the front. Follow this alternate neck line when picking up stitches. Remove the contrasting yarn. Knit the collar and check on the way, whether the curves are symmetrical and organic without puckering. Now the neck line is fine, but these flaps have become excess fabric inside the front ribbing. You cut the excess fabric off with about a quarter to 3/8 of an inch of seam allowance above the pick-up line. If your yarn is clingy like Shetland or Icelandic wool, you cut it off without securing anything. If the yarn is less clingy, just do a row of machine stitching or a small backstitch to secure it or whatever you do when securing a steek for instance, then cut. In the end you attach this little seam allowance to the collar with a loose stitch. I use herringbone stitch and just tuck the fuzzy ends underneath the herringbones. That makes a nice finish. Sewing it to the collar is easier, because stockinette stitch tends to curl towards the knit side. If the seam allowance is visibile as a sort of bulk on the collar, sew it to the body, there is more going on and you won't notice it.
Try this first with a swatch of the leftovers. That helps you find out what kind of securing you need (start by cutting a curved line without securing, then play with it a while to find out, if the fabric unravels). This helps make it less stressful to cut into the actual sweater. Just imagine, with knitting you produce stretchy fabric and fabric can be cut.
I've done this plenty of times, especially when knitting for others. Allowing myself to reshape by sewing instead of knitting has given me a whole lot more options.
Wish you all the best! Nanika
You are amazing! Thank you for that perfect solution!
Yes, remove the ribbing. Cut out the extra fabric from the puckers and secure the fabric. Pick up the stitches and reknit the ribbing. It’s like knitting surgery.
Beautifully described! I have also done this exact thing a couple of times and it works really well. It's such a beautiful sweater.
Nanika you are amazing!! What a solution!
Valuable information ❤
neckline isn't rounded enough, so it will always pucker. you need to go way further down into the body.
it's just a badly designed neck. how about picking up the puckered stitches a few rows lower? hard to describe how to do this in a comment. take the ribbing out, pick up the edge stitches, but in the puckered areas, pick up stitches a few rows lower in the knitting to make the curve smoother.
Exactly what I was thinking. I don't know for certain
whether it would work - but it seems that it is worth a try. As is, the neck just looks like it was made incorrectly. Such a shame - otherwise it is a beautiful sweater and fits so nicely!
I was about to suggest this too. And to make it cleaner on the inside, knit a longer collar and fold it over and stitch down on the interior side... I cannot for the life of me remember the name of that technique... But it would cover the extra fabric from picking up the stitches lower down in the yoke, and provide a clean edge.
Yes I was thinking this as well and if there isn’t enough MC fabric on the chest add a couple of short rows for front and back to make it a little rounder then do the rib, its such a lovely sweater and such a shame if its not changed to your or your husbands loving it❤. Ive had to do sweater surgery to tighten top down neck bands when too loose😮 and its so worth the effort 😊.
I was thinking, in this situation I would probably unwravel the ribbing completly. And pick up stiches for the ribbing again, picking up the stiches at the puckering bits much lower down, trying to make it round enough folowing the rest of the neckline.
Of course I would end up with extra fabric on the inside of the sweater, but for sure it would be smoother on the outside.
After this I would carfully sew this extra bits of fabric down so they dont stay hanging there😅
Hope this make sense
Sorry for the English, its not my first language.🙏
Yeah, I think this is the correct take. Eliminate the weird shaping entirely by picking up the neck band a few rows down in the puckered area and just doing a normal crew neck.
Yes!
As some others here have also suggested, I would contact the designer as the collar clearly has some design issues. It helps both you and the designer to sort the problem with the collar as you'll get instructions to a nice collar and the designer can avoid this problem in their future designs. Lovely sweater and thank you for your videos! You have a very calming presence, it's a pleasure to hear you talk about knitting and knit when watching. Greetings from Finland!
As a newer knitter, I really appreciate these trouble shooting and process videos. It’s so helpful to know what to look out for and know there are things I can do if I make a mistake.
I have never seen a neckline like that. I think any size you do , it will be the same . You really have to get rid of rows where it’s bulking out. I bow down to you for the patience you put into trying to correct that problem . It is a beautiful garment .
I think you should ask the designer about the neckline. I haven’t made enough sweaters to suggest anything. But I agree something is missing. I can imagine a collar shirt worn under the sweater to “hide” 🙄 the odd puckering. But you shouldn’t have to do that! Have you checked with your community at Around the Table? I’m sure someone in this chat will know. My heart goes out to you, I mean this is for your husband and like you said right by his face, and noticeable. Dang! BTWs, he looks great in it, and his quirky smile at the end made me giggle! 🤭
Possible idea to fix the neckline Mark. Put in a lifeline by picking up the left leg of all the stocking stitches just before the ribbing starts. Then rip out all the ribbing, and reassess. It is hard to explain in words without being able to show you but I would either look to figure out raising the centre front neck stocking stitch to eliminate the bumps, or pick up stitches for the whole neckline by dropping into the two side bump areas to make a smooth curve. Then knit the ribbing as desired, ( will have two little ‘flaps’ of the original neckline sitting behind this ribbing , which you could then potentially slip-stitch flat to the back of the neck ribbing, or if feeling brave or reckless (I would!), go in and secure the lowest stitches to the back of the ribbing and once safely secured so nothing can unravel, cut off the excess stocking stitch flaps. Good luck!
My gut reaction is to build out the neck a bit more than the original design, then do a rolled neckline with a wip stitch and see how that does.
Hi Mark. I think regardless of the mishaps, the sweater is gorgeous. I know you eyes ONLY see the pucker. But knitting isn’t always perfect. Maybe just try to take your eyes away from that part of the sweater and let your husband enjoy his beautiful sweater. I dont have any fix ideas so I will just cheer you on. Thank you for taking the time to show us how you fix the sweater and color. As always, thanks for a fun and interesting podcast. Patricia
Understand?! Are you kidding? I’d be devastated. I once left my while knitting bag with my favorite beautiful wip at an empty church midweek when I stopped to pray and knit. I drive 45 minutes as way before realizing that my project was missing. Thank goodness I figured it out and drive back to find it exactly where I left it ❤
This is a super helpful video - thank you for putting it out there and being vulnerable- and for calling out people who choose to be unkind- in my book- that's what the block button is for- there's no place for it in the fiber community. I actually gasped out loud when you said your colors ran- out loud. Glad the solution seems to have worked. No suggestions for the bunching issue at the neck... bravo for knitting a beautiful sweater. Thanks again for great content this week!
Mark, you have a beautiful knitter’s soul and this old knitters loves your videos. This is only a collar fail and in reality, a designer’s fail. They should have known the effect of chevrons on the fabric, therefore, the inappropriateness of picking up the cast on stitches pretending that you would get a smooth neckline. You need to get rid of those extraneous triangles. Thankfully, you used non superwash yarn for this sweater, so you can steek out those pesky triangles and pick up the collar stitches along a rounded edge. You know enough about knitting to have heard of steering and this is going to be just a little bit of a cheat on the pattern.
About the bleeding, never, ever trust the reputation of a dyer. I have seen colour bleed from the best of them, the kind of bleeding that recurs at every was, no matter what you add to the water. Just like knitting mistakes and patter errors, it’s part of a knitter’s life, frustrating but not lethal.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Mark! I do so love your channel. I love the longer length video. I like how you explain things. You have such a beautiful voice. I can listen to you all day❤
Never feel the need to apologize! You have a super podcast, full of ideas. Your voice….I could just listen to you all day‼️I’m so glad I found you. Keep up the fabulous work. Have you ever considered knitting a mosaic top down sweater? I’d love to find a pattern to try. I think it would be stunning. Again, thanks for being you!
Mark, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to be vulnerable. I learn so much from you, and as a new knitter I'm so grateful that you show the good, bad, and ugly of knitting. I'm really excited to hear that you are going to be dropping some tutorials! I'm amazed by the generous knowledge sharing of this community. Haters be damned. Fingers crossed you find a solution for your neckline issue. It really is a beautiful sweater.
Oh Mark, I actually felt my stomach lurch when you said the yarn bled 😮😢. And bravo for calling out any viewers who might make snarky comments on your channel! Absolutely- move on negative people! This place is not for you! Be kind or be quiet as my grandma always said. All the love,Pippa x
In complete agreement. Wise woman, your gran.
Hi Mark! I‘m so sorry, both for the bleeding (happened to me as well, it is devastating after all the work) and also the top front line. As others mentioned, I would also unravel the brim completely and pick up the stitches some rows lower down in the puckering areas. Putting a line in for an even result might be a good idea. If you want a clean look inside, you could knit a folded brim and sew it into the inside hiding the uneven line part. I know it is nerv wracking to undo some finished objects, but for a neat look and your happiness, face the enemy and redo it once more. Good luck and best wishes. PS: I‘m going to redo half of a cardigan because I will not give up on it. We can do it!
This was the solution I was thinking of when Mark first noticed the puckering. A folded collar will finish it beautifully.
Hi Mark. I believe the problem at the neck is a result of an "shaping echo" from the chevrons. I would try reworking the neck (yeah, again, sorry) but rather than using the existing live stitches, in those puckery places I'd pick up a few stitches *below* those live ones, trying to follow the shaping you want from the neckline. Then knit back up and do surgery. Don't sweat it - this is all part of making things. I've knit entire coats, only to rip them out and start again, and rip them out again, just to get the desired result.
BTW, thank you for your intelligent and sane presentations. I enjoy your videos very much. I'm not much into just watching someone knit, etc., but your informative videos are great. You are well spoken, clear and entertaining.
I love longform mark videos 😊 very relaxing
Because those two chunks of fabric at the neck stick up they’re pushing the ribbed neck up when it doesn’t want to. You could either try short rows in the collar so you avoid those sections a bit in the beginning to let them sit higher flat. Or what I’d do is rip out the whole collar and just pick up stitches lower down in those sections so that you get a more round (normal) collar shape to start with. You’ll have little flaps of the tops of those pieces on the inside that you can just tack down but at least on the outside should lay better.
Hi Mark, I suggest you take out the neck ribbing. Then pick up stitches evenly lower down , all the way around. If you have enough yarn, make a ribbed fold over collar sewn down.
Oh Mark, I have had this bleeding happen, but only with socks. If it were a gorgeous sweater like this I’d be beside myself. I’ve never pre rinsed my yarn either, and I’ve been knitting for 55 years.
We can all empathize when we find a problem after all the work is done. I think I would take out all the neck ribbing. Then pick up stitches around the neckline, except for the bunched areas. Baste a line through that area and pick up neckband stitches in the middle of that area. Make a turned down /sewn down neckband and enclose that extra fabric. This is only what I would do to save the project. I have cut sleeves off and reknit them. I just ripped a project back to the armholes. The pattern was designed by a tall person, I am 5' tall. I have to rework the colorwork pattern to fit. Happy knitting and good kuck with your project.
I was thinking you could do slow decreases over the places it puckers while adding extra stitches where the “corners “ are. Also you could reach out to the designer to see if there have been issues like this before and if there are known solutions. Best of luck!
I think there are two potential solutions - either, as others have mentioned, picking up stitches for the ribbing in a more curved line, a bit lower than the actual neckline edge, or, you could try re-knitting the ribbing and doing some short rows to “fill in” the base of that seashell shape
Mark, I’m so sorry. I completely understand your sadness after all much time and energy you put into your sweater.
My heart would sink. The expense of this kit and amount of work to make this beautiful garment. I would be angry. Thank you for depth and details.
If I make this I would just buy pattern with different yarn choice. Good lesson taught. Bless you on your next adventure.
I make a lot of quilts and color catchers are boss. Sometimes I use 3 at a time in my soak and they work well.
I’d actually looked at this pattern on Ravelry, but will pass because of the neckline. I notice a test knitter seems to have changed the neckline to a rounder style.
@wdbreezy I saw that too. I think it was not well thought out neckline.
The other projects on Ravelry show the same issue on the neck line, so it's not something you did but a definite mistake in the instructions. My guess would be a typo or something in the instructions of the short rows.
While you still have the ribbing in place, mark a nice curve joining the front to the sleeves either side by threading a tapestry needle with contrasting thread and sewing the curve with running stitches. Then take out all the neck ribbing and re-pick up the stitches, but when you come to the front, pick up the new sts along the new curve and then re-knit the neck ribbing. This will result in small flaps of surplus material that will sit inside the ribbing, but they won't be visible when worn.
Do not stress about it, though - this is something that brings joy to your life, not extra stress. Let me know if you need more details, maybe via Ravelry.
Oh no! Such a beautiful sweater! I feel your pain. I had bleeding happen on an intricate colorwork pattern- red with white colorwork became red with pink colorwork. The yarn cost me about $200 and I had it shipped from Europe. I tried everything to fix it and nothing worked. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t look at it for 2 years. I finally pitched it. I now use color catchers on every colorwork pattern. That neckline is very odd- I would have tried the same thing. I really don’t understand the point of that shaping at all. Maybe you could take out all the ribbing and pick up stitches and re-knit the entire collar. A folded collar would look nice on this sweater. You handled this a lot more gracefully than I did. A lot of profanity ensured during my ordeal. Goodness, I feel like swearing on your behalf. 🤬
I never even considered yarns could bleed, new fear unleashed!!!
Don't stress. Just use color catchers every time you use multiple colors, especially reds.
My thought is to put a lifeline in on the first or second full round below the last short row. Then you could snip the yarn on the row/round immediately above and pick out that row/round as though you were going to add an afterthought pocket. Once that row/round is separated from the lifeline round, you should be able to unravel the short rows and collar freely, then transfer the held stitches onto a circular needle and re-knit the short rows and collar from the bottom up with different spacing of the short rows- ie turn each short row farther from the end of the previous row so the slant is subtler.
43:03 I also hate redoing things. So many projects sit in timeout for months or years because I made a critical mistake and I can’t bear to undo all the work that came after…it’s a horrible feeling.
We work so very hard on our projects, and these frustrations are the times I question why I do this, but when you can solve the problem, you feel like a hero! Good luck
Hi Mark, I love your show. You are so professional and stick to knitting. Lots of knitting podcast I watch once and move on. I look so forward to your newest podcasts. THANKS
As other people have mentioned about picking up further down on the sweater to start your neck ribbing, you could do a folded over rib neckline to tuck in the extra fabric and hide it without having to sew it down on the inside. Hope the sweater turns out for you in the end, you did a beautiful job knitting it.
If you have a friend that sews, you could ask about
a fusible interfacing could be applied to the inside of the sweater to stabilize the shape you prefer.
There is clearly a fault with the neck design . If you refer to some of the older "traditional" designers you will begin to understand how to fit and shape. (try Elizabeth Zimmerman)
You can salvage this one . By picking up neck stitches where you want them to be and cutting away the excess to knit a smooth new rib you can achieve a nice neckline.
A modern designer who is great at fitting male necks and shoulders is Stephen West. Most of his designs are top down and incorporate great techniques for comfort and fit.
Like reading music , knitting has discipline that understood and followed brings comfort and confidence to the user.
Whoa Mark, I feel for you. Your idea of re-engineering the front collar seems like a good solution. May you be blessed with patience in your endeavor. Good luck and best wishes.
My first thought for the collar is to pick up the stitches in the front portion of the collar first and work them up a few rows before picking up the rest of the stitches around. In a way, reversing how the neckline was made on the body in order to compensate for the severe dip into the front.
I think it looks gorgeous regardless though ! And im so glad most of the bleed came out. Love the longer videos too, by the way :D
The neckline was created with short rows creating a scalloped effect, Therefore the ribbing should begin with short rows in the "dips" of the body scallop till you have an even tension around. No amount of blocking will release the tension of the scallop. That being said, it would not be easy. I suspect it would be easier to knit the ribbing first, the fill in the scallop as you join into the body. I absolutely love the colors and geometrics, you've done a great job!
So that’s how you put the paper yarn band in the middle of a cake! I always wondered…😂
I want to cry that your you are critical I myself would be proud and know as well as you are knitting 😊❤ your work will be perfectly fine chris
That puckering at the neck could be a design element. You planned it that way. I really like your ring.
Oh dang, I just saw how you get the spacer in the center of your ball 😲 that’s fabulous! Thank you forevermore
So sorry that happened to your beautiful sweater. I’m just returning to knitting after 30 years! And this video scares me because I’m not as an experienced knitter as you are! But that can happen to anyone. Your sweaters that I’ve seen so far are very beautiful and your work is great!
Add an asymetrical sort of collar neck line to open over the pucker? Change the finishing shape.
Hi Mark... In that puckering area where it starts to "stretch out" in the looks, I would try decrease shaping to get that stretched area to pull inwards to get it to suck towards the body.
Video was great, I love seeing how other ppl troubleshoot and then I have ideas for future projects, also you have a very calming voice lovely to listen to as I work on projects.
I love those tabs! And hurray for an upcoming ladderback tutorial :) ❤
I haven’t had a bleeding issue in my knitting, glad you fixed it. I don’t have any suggestions to fix the collar, sorry.
Hi Mark, might I suggest if you have enough yarn) making a longer polo type neck that folds over a flairs out a little to mask the join between the body and the collar. I am not sure if that would help and the only other thing I can think of is to pull up the stitches to tighten the tension in that area, but again it will show in the uneven tension created. The pattern is lovely and hubby looks good in it otherwise.
I have a solution to your neck problem if you dare to try it.
Undo whole neckline
Iron steam whatever you feel safe.
Then as you redo the necklace pick up on edge until area of bulge then go down one or two or even three rows my guess 2 should be ok pick up that stitch then when you get to middle section it should only be one maybe 2 rows different go round to other side do same then go round like normal rib but try on before finish you can adjust if needed as you go round pick up missed row just to tidy up not for missing stitches
Hope it helps
It has helped me many a time
Making such a thorough, well thought out video that details both Ws and Ls and your problem solving process - you're the saint! I hope some of the more experienced members of this community can give you a solution that works. Otherwise, as always, thank you for another beautiful video xx
That is indeed a very weird neckline. I have two thoughts on this. It might be possible to steam shrink the odd shaped puckers. The other would be if you have enough wool to knit the ribbing double length and fold it to the outside to make a neck similar to the sweater you are wearing. If you sew down the individual stitches rather than casting off you can then adjust the neckline to something more aesthetically pleasing. PS: love your channel. 🩵
Personally I don't hate the neckline and kinda like it. I think the shaping is a bit visually interesting even if not technically right. If you don't want to keep it then what about doing some overstitching/ embroidery of a tree/arrow in the corners or a U shaped leaf pattern across the seam in the contrast colors.
Great sweater! I was crying for you with these issues. I would rip,out the ribbing and pick up stitches to make a round neckline, then re work the neckline, maybe are a longer ribbed neckline and double it over with the extra inside the new collar. Good luck lovethevideo
It looks like you have extra rows on the right side (looking at video). Maybe just two rows. I would re-knit a new collar to right before the color work, wash, block, and see if that pucker happens again. If it does - it's the pattern. If it doesn't then you take out the collar, and then graft the new collar to the sweater. I've had to do the same thing so I know it's a lot of work. I'm interested to see the final solution. Thanks for posting.
Wow, I just made a note about Why Knot, this year I am only buying USA yarn! thanks
Your knitting and colorwork is beautiful. I feel your pain with the color bleeding and with the collar. The dyer didn't rinse the dye out enough. So sad for you. I don't like taking things out after I'm done either. All that work and to not have a satisfactory outcome is so disappointing.
Still looks good
I like the long videos
What about steek , cut out the neckline as you want it, reinforce and pick up stitches for a new neckline???
Hugs from Norway
I try to test each color in water separately before I block to check for bleeding. I always use color bleed sheets if it's a vibrant color.sorry it happened to you. It's heartbreaking 💔
So appreciate your honesty. This really helps me learn!
What about a Gansey neckline? They are often removed and reknit anyway with wear. It’s a small amount of 1:1 ribbing finished in stockinette that naturally rolls. Lovely! Hope it works. Have a look at The Real Wool Company pattern. I’m knitting the Gansey Folk. You can see an image of what I mean there. Greetings from Surrey England. x
I second Nanika’s comment- sweater surgery in just those two sections alone. Create a new front neck line and then maybe consider a folded over ribbed collar. I feel your pain brother. 🫶🏽
Hi Mark, have you done a video on steeking please? I have a sweater I made for my husband and have done everything I can up to steeking for the sleeves, I have a total mental block on this . 🤦♀️ I believe I need to stitch them cut from the top of the what will be shoulder down to where the sleeves come, then finish shoulders and neck 😞
Mark! Your gorgeous sweater bled! I had this happen on the very first sweater i made for myself. It was a fingering weight Caitlin Hunter pattern and i was crushed. I ended up overdying the whole thing, and i can wear it...but it's not the same. ☹️
This Pickering happened with a sweater I’m working on that has a lot is m1L increased and thank goodness I made it with negative ease because as I wear and stretch this out perfectly to my size the pocket flattened out. Phew 😅
I hope this helps a towards a solution. Good luck ❤
Hi Mark: Great learning video! Sorry about your sweater woe! I knitted a sweater a few years ago when I was newbie at colorwork and sweater knitting. I made an awful mistake at the yoke area that affected the fit. I must have misread the pattern or something. I finally decided to frog it a year later. However, I encountered bigger problems at frogging it. To this date, I haven’t been able to recover the wool. It is unfortunately still on time out. Thank goodness it was not expensive wool.
A few years ago I learned to knit socks and encountered a pair where the ankle area had some looseness. I knitted several pairs of the exact same pattern and yarn in other colors. However that particular pair was a problem: same tension, needles, and everything. I asked my virtual friends, they all don’t quite know why either. Different colorway, slight different texture?
Thanks for sharing, happy knitting! ❤
Hello, have you checked Ravelry for other knitters with the same issue for the neckline? Perhaps someone has a solution you could use. My other thought would be to pick up some stitches in the front and add some additional length of stockinette where the dip is to make it more circular than seashell shaped before moving on and adding the ribbing.
I'm so sad for your colour bleed problem. I would cry. I hope you are successful in removing it😢
As a sewist i know how to fix - darts (neck thing)
Mark, the sweater looks gorgeous - color bleed should go away gradually after few washes. You could add a bit of vinegar to the rinse. As for the neck - maybe a bigger collar - like shawl style could help. I was thinking of making a collar longer - kind of short turtleneck then folding it out and stitching it down to cover the uneven edge.
Well, you sure learned a lot from this sweater and so did I!! I’m so glad you showed all of the issues you had. I’ve never knit a sweater-looks scary. I hope you can figure something out because it is lovely. Good luck and don’t give up! You’re wonderful!
Hi Mark, Did either you or your husband go to William and Mary? I noticed a W&M hat and sweatshirt in 2 of your videos. I am class of ‘82 and my daughter graduated in 2019. Go Tribe. Love your videos.
Beautiful sweater...even with the issues you had to endure. I would put a lifeline in and redo the whole collar. I recently had a problem with a sweater for my daughter and had to frog the whole sweater and start over. It was the whole yoke being off with very different counts from doing the raglan. I would not frog your whole sweater. Just the neckline and decreases as you go up instead of increases as you go down. Something with what looks like short rows being off or a design decision from the pattern maker?? I would just go to a very simple vanilla collar from a different pattern maybe to re build thr whole collar/neckline? Idk-I am not as experienced but just thought it maybe be suggested. Rebuilding a neckline going the opposite direction may ruin the look of the stitches but may make you happier with the end result? I am curious as to your result when you decided.
For the collar, I would recommend not following the knitted portion. I would pick up stitches so that my collar is round in shape. This may leave extra material inside the sweater, but the collar will look much better.
Knowing the theme of this video, I kept telling you to soak the skein and see if they’ll run. But of course I never do that. 💔 for you!
Hi Mark, could you tell me what yarn and color you used in the first sweater you were wearing, I just love it! Thanks
What a shame. The puckering bothers me too. :( Beautiful work and a wonderful design otherwise. I want to see it in shades of pink on a grey background. Oooh, or shades of yellow maybe on grey. (Don't mind me, just thinking aloud.)
If you think the sweater is going to bleed, why don't you steam block it?
Love your channel, Mark. ❤
Is the puckering possibly linked to the short rows for the back? Maybe in the pattern they come too far forward or don't stagger out the ends of the short rows enough to make them blend out.
I was wondering if a Icord neckline would work or a crochet ribbing fpdc would work. Just a thought
Can you run some yarn at the seem for the color and just gather a little where the pucker is ?
💙😊
YOU COULD HAD TRY DAB REAL HOT WATER ON THE PUCKER PART OF NECKLINE JUST A THOUGH
ON THE BACK SIDE MAYBE IT WILL SHRINK IT
Mark, this is so helpful as I bought the supplies to make this sweater from Around the Table, so you’ve saved me from going through the same issues!
I have a question for anyone here. I’m a newer knitter, and while I have done mosaic knitting, this project will be my first color-work. If I have the same yarn and know it is likely to bleed, do I trust the color catcher, or is there some sort of process that is common for over dyed yarn? Should I soak it like I do when I wet block things? If it doesn’t become a tangled mess, how do I get it to dry? Just curious about what the common practice is for this problem or if there is one outside of color catchers- thanks!
Wash the yarn before you begin. Use warm water and wool detergent or simply shampoo. If the yarn bleeds, rinse it until there is no bleeding any more and put vinegar into the last rinse. That usually does it for me.
@@nanikab.355 Thanks! Do you do this while it is still in a hank? How does it dry without getting musty? Do you hang it? I am mostly confused about the airing out part at the end :)
@@brennadavis8238 Yes, I do this while it is in the hank. I unravel the hank, i.e. I don't open the ties, but put the loop in the water. Or I even wash it in the machine (hand wash programme). In this case I put it in a pillow case, so it can't get too tangled and I can give it a good spin cycle, that shortens the time to dry significantly. Then I lay it flat, either on top of a towel or on a laundry rack. I don't hang it, because then the yarn might stretch in places and not so much in others. It doesn't take too long to dry, so there is no problem with the yarn getting musty. I do that all the time, as I also spin and the process of handspinning definitely requires the wash in the end.
This seams like a pattern issue. Perhaps contact the author of the pattern to find a solution. Or perhaps the bumpy areas are where your shirt collar covers it.
What about an icord?
Would perhaps a crochet collar work? You could do step downs/step ups where the neckline is. You could knit another small "start" and then crochet onto that, to test it out without having to redo it on the finished product.
That neckline is eild
Oh dang! Sadly, knitting is sometimes a crap shoot. With regards to the neckline, that’s just poor design. I’m wondering if the designer bothered to have it test knitted because the shape is just so strange to have made it into the final version of a pattern. With regards to the yarn bleed, when blocking dark colour work on a lighter background, try adding a “Colour Catcher” sheet to the soak water - which I just saw sitting in a box on top of the sweater right after I typed this. Sorry, Mark, legit thought I was being helpful instead of telling you how to suck eggs. My bad. 😞
Hi just wondering do you make much for your husband
Here's my idea: pull the neckline ribbing out again and reknit it in garter stitch. The garter stitch neckband will roll down and it might roll down enough to conceal the puckering. I won't be offended if you think this is a shit idea coz maybe it is!
@mostlykitting do you have any ideas
*** not going so drastic as to rip it out and knit it again, could it POSSIBLY be fixed by taking a basic needle and sewing thread on the underside and perhaps tacking that seam against the fabric under it that leads into the yolk area to kind of force it to lay in the opposite direction and debulk that area? I am all for trying minimal adjustments before drastic ones. Just a thought!***
Mark I have gotten myself an interest in trying knitting 🧶 and trying todo in thank you 😊 😊 hristine