After seeing the gorgeous Bog Jackets here and in the book, I've decided that I cannot live without one!!
I've decided which yarn I'll be using, and I'm pretty certain I know the colors I would like, but before I jump in I have a few questions I'm hoping can be answered here.
1) How best to estimate yardage needed?
2) How do I measure the 'wingspan' in order to calculate the right number of stitches to cast on for additional sleeve length? (I have broader than average shoulders AND my arms are long, so I need to be certain on this one!!)
3) What is the best way to determine where to start the waist shaping rows? I'm hoping to end up with a sweater-length Bog which tapers at my waist, but am not sure exactly where to go about the shaping. Does it usually end up about halfway between cast on and armhole?
I think those are all my questions for now. No doubt there will be more later! I have some time to get all my ducks in a row for this project while I finish the Tomten I couldn't NOT make for my youngest. :-) I'm actually making some great progress on it, so I might have an FO pic later this week. Don't hold your breath, though!! ;-)
Thanks in advance!
Stacee
Hi Stacee. Those bog jackets are pretty seductive for sure. I haven't finished mine yet, and I am certainly no authority by any means, but I can tell you what I am doing and why...
ReplyDeleteAs far as where to place the waist -- I took a jacket I have that I think has a flattering waist fit and I measured down from the arm holes to the waist -- and that is where I am aiming to put the waist on the bog jacket. It happens to be a little higher than my actual waist -- so if I get the typically inevitable setttling length stretch that sweaters and jackets sometimes do, at the very least the waist shaping will be no lower than my actual waist.
As far as starting the waist shaping rows -- I'm a fair sized person so I am following the Big Girl Knits advice on shaping. They suggest a two inch knitted even waist and regularly spaced shaping into and out of those two inches. Once again, the jacket that I like also has gradual waist shaping. BUT, I do love the shape of the bog jacket in EZ's book and constantly wonder if I will have preferred her quicker tuck in and back out waist... I'll find out when I finish I guess.
As to the arms -- ditto. I measured a jacket I liked.
Yardage? I knit till I finshed one skein, measured how far it got me, and estimated from there how many more skeins I'll need.
Hope that helps alittle -- if only to know that someone else out there is navigating the same issues.
Happy knitting!
I agree with Mary about everything, very good advice, and if you go back a few weeks there have been a few question & answer posts about bog jackets.
ReplyDeleteRe the arms, what I did is this, based on my gauge, took the number of stitches already included for the arms, figured out how many inches that was, and then added the number of stitches I would need to get to my preferred sleeve length.
I haven't actually gotten to the sleeves yet, so it's just theory at this point, but it seems logical.
For your wingspan, I think if you follow the instructions in the book & just make the distance between the shoulder seams a little more, that should work - do as mary suggests & measure something that fits you perfectly & work from that number.
good luck! can't wait to see all these finished (including mine!!)