Fishtraps

Fishtraps for twins! These are for 4 year old twins my sons are friends with. Their birthday party is tomorrow so I finished just in time.

They are both knit in worsted acrylic (busy mother of twins asked for something easy for the laundry-harried) on sz. 6 needles. My gauge was 5 sts/in over stockinette. I was going for matching, not identical.

The Blue sweater has a contrast bottom hem on 90% of the body stitches. Between the pattern panels and the sleeves is plain stockinette. The sleeves each have one ribbed cable. The yoke follows normal raglan shaping.

The Maroon one has the Fisthrap pattern only on the front. There are ribbed cables down the sleeves and center back. The rest of the sweater is knit in K2 P2 ribbing. The yoke combines raglan and saddle shoulder shaping.

First Twin Fishtrap

Last night I finished up the first twin’s birthday Fishtrap. I’m satisfied with how it turned out, but I can’t say I love it. I’m unhappy with the fuzziness of the yarn and how it blurred stitch definition. Harumph.

However, it is still a perfectly serviceable sweater. And I’m sure the recipient will never notice all the things I don’t like about it. And if he gets some good wear out of it, the time spent will not be in vain.

The idea came from the January Fishtrap sweater. This was sized down with EPS to fit a 4 year old and knit seamlessly. The shoulders are done with a combination of raglan and saddle shouder shaping. The back of the yoke follows normal raglan shaping. The front does too until the raglan lines met the Fishtrap pattern. I decided not to deal with the mental wrestling of chart-eating stitchs. When the raglan lines intersected the chart I started sleeve-eating decreases every round, as in a saddle shoulder sweater.

I think it worked out ok, but should have switched back to raglan shaping before the saddle shoulder shaping ate too much of the sleeve. As it is the Fishtrap design goes nearly to the center of the shoulder and you can see that the neck doesn’t lay too flat. Not ideal, but it should be fine when on the kid.

Now I’m going to relax and knit socks before I tackle the second [wiser, more experienced] Fishtrap.

Fishtraps and the Right Twist

Both sets of sleeves are done and I just started the body section of my first Fishtrap (I'm making them for 4 YO twins)... Wow. My utmost respect goes to anyone who does this pattern for an adult. Rather an involved project.
I really like how the Fishtrap pattern is progressing, but... My left and right twists are not symmetrical at all. Has anyone else had this problem?? I'm doing them as EZ instructs in KA but she says that her right twists not an orthodox method. Would the orthodox method be closer to symmetrical?? Or perhaps I just don't knit evenly. I'm not going to rip this one out and start over, but if anyone has any suggestions I can make the next one differently. Thanks!

Fishtraps for Twins

My sons are good friends with some twin boys who are having their 4th birthday party June 2nd. And I want to make them sweaters (it's Oregon- you need sweaters in June.) And I'm set on Fishtrap. As EZ might say "it smacks of madness" to start two big projects this late in the game, but I want to do it anyway.

Lucky for me a size 4 sweater cannot accomodate all the pattern repeats so I'm planning a simplified seamless version.

I have a question though for anyone whose ever made one of these. Because I'm going to have so much stocking stitch exposed on the sides I will need to do something about the bottom edge. Should I do some kind of welt on just the stocking stitch portions? Or should it include Fishtrap also?



I just don't know what will or will not disrupt the patterns. But that's still a ways away-- my needle is still making the princess dress for my niece.

I had some trouble figuring out the correct rate of increase for the skirt. I know EZ mentions skirts in KWOT but I don't have that yet... but she talks about increases and angles for baby leggings in Knitter's Almanac- and that saved the day. So now we're motoring along nicely.

But until it's done and off the needle, I'll be making lots and lots of sleeves!