Monday, September 03, 2007

Fulmar is a tightly knit Aran sweater by Alice Starmore and is found in the out of print book "Aran Knitting". The original yarn was Scottish Fleet which knits to 30 sts and 40 rows per 4". Photos of the finished sweater can be seen on Wendy Johnson's Blog. She lists her finished sweaters here: http://wendyknits.net/wendy/knitting.htm

I want to be Wendy when I grow up. She has completed TWO Fulmars. TWO!!. First one is in green http://wendyknits.net/knit/fulmar.htm and is knit with Frangipani. Second one is in blue http://wendyjohnson.net/knit/fulmar.htm and knit in Bovidae Farm Sportweight.



I've been playing with swatching Fulmar in Wendy Guernsey. I have it in white, medium blue and soon in crimson red. What else do you do with yard sale money but buy yarn? The swatch has 2 purl edge stitches, 18 stitches of Chart B (the right twist cable with side oval cables), 2 purl divider stitches, 20 stitches of Chart C (the braid) and 2 purl edge stitches. Total of 44 stitches on Size US#2 or 2.75mm circular Inox/Prym needle.

Chart B measures 2 1/8" wide. Chart C measures 2 3/8" wide. 24 rows which is two chart repeats measured 2 3/4" in height. The check rib swatch measures out as 2 1/4" for 18 stitches.

so.....
Check rib 2 1/4
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Chart E 2
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Chart E 2
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Check rib 2 1/4

Total = 26-19/8 or 28-3/8" for ONE HALF of the sweater or 56-3/4" wide for total.

OH OH. If you look closely at the photo (double click for large size photo), the oval cable running alongside the 6 stitch cable is a twisted stitch cable. I do not like this cable as a twisted stitch as it looks and feels hard and, for me, looks odd. Part of this is probably from using a 5 ply twisted yarn to start with. I might skip the twisted stitch with this wool.

I'm going to have to think about what I'm doing wrong. I got spot on gauge with this yarn on 2.75mm needles in the check rib. I like my sweaters a bit oversized but this one would swim on my hubby.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Painful as it is, try going down in needle size to get correct gauge over the patterning. I did Stornaway recently with Guernsey yarn, and ended up on US 0's (2.0 mm) to get even close to gauge. And even at that, I used some of the patterns in small and some in medium size to get the desired result of a size large.

I will say the patterning looked incredibly wonderful at that tight gauge, though. Give it a try!

Laritza said...

Hummmmm.......I think the best thing to do is a full width swatch that way you take out the end bits that can add up......but still 56+ is kind of a LOT!

Sheila said...

The swatch is great. There is real definition to the cables.

Anonymous said...

This is a lovely pattern. It looks very difficult. It will be gorgeous in red. You knit incredibly fast.

Look forward to seeing the red one.
You blue swatch is really well defined.

Anonymous said...

Love the blue!!! love the definition!! For just the reasons that yu list I am doing the front of the body as my 'swatch'. I know, I know ... it is very labor intensive BUT I was going crazy swatching all the different cables. Originally I was planning to do only twelve rows and then make a decision but fortunately I came to my senses t di the full 24 rowns. When you put all the cables together you get a true gauge. I am using a 2.75 mm needle and it shows on my needle gauge as a US 2. The whole front really pulls in as it increases in length ... the cables are doing their job!!!