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The Emporia => A Good Yarn => Topic started by: b15erk on October 29, 2019, 16:30:04 PM

Title: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 29, 2019, 16:30:04 PM
I've knitted a lovely cardigan for the new Teeny Tiny baby, but it's a French translation, and I'm at a loss with some of the finishing.

I can do it various ways.  Firstly, as I would usually do it, but winging it because of the lack of instructions.  Second, I could try to find out how it should be done French style, which is why I'm here.

The pattern is lovely, it's Cache Coeur for preemies, by Thalie Creations.  The translation is poor (but then so is my French), but I've managed to knit the pieces perfectly well.  It's just the finishing off that is causing me some stress.  I seem to have some stitches left on the back piece which are unexplained (although I'm sure I can wing that bit).  The neckband is causing me most grief, as I have knitted 8 rows, but then the instructions say to knit several rows ss in a different colour, the same with the button bands.  Anyone have any idea how to deal with this?

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 29, 2019, 16:34:48 PM
Sorry, forgot the link.


CacheCoeurBabyCardi (https://www.ravelry.com/projects/remrafs/cache-cur-a-torsades)

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 10:42:13 AM
Well, I guess I'm on my own with this one!  :(  I think the two rows of contrast stocking stitch, may be to help ease the band evenly around the neck.  This seems sensible, but how to stop it unravelling?  One of the tutorials I've looked at says backstitching is the answer, but it seems a complicated way to go about things.

I think I may modify the pattern, and do it how I would normally.  Maybe cast off in SS to give more stretch?

I'm not a very good knitter, but had no idea that such a small cardi could be so troublesome!

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Greybird on October 30, 2019, 11:06:13 AM
Jessie I'm not a hand knitter so can't help much. Not sure what your band is like, but in machine knitting you often pick up the neck edge onto the needles, knit enough rows to double the band over, then change to contrast waste yarn for a few rows. You can then backstitch into the loops of the last row in safety before unravelling the waste yarn.
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 12:28:26 PM
@Jessie  Can you post a picture of where you are at and I will see if I can work it out for you.  My french is passable but I've never knitted in french before, so will give it a go for you, unless someone more proficient come along xx
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 12:47:14 PM
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

 @Greybird  and @Missie thank you so much, but the pattern is translated (?) into English ( think Google translate), and I'm trying to work with these instructions (see attached)

I have found a tutorial, it's in Spanish, but as far as I can see, this is the method. Spanish tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV8dtq77E5c).  I think it's 'backstitching' a collar/neckband.

Fingers crossed!

Jessie



Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 13:10:25 PM
@Jessie  I find things translated into english when a non-english speaker don't always make sense (and those english instruction sure are sparse!) and google translate is not always great.  I'll have a quick look at the french version
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: coffeeandcake on October 30, 2019, 13:57:06 PM
@b15erk. Hi Jessie.  I've just come across this thread.  What a cute little cardi!  The instructions say that the SS done in the different colour will be removed when joining the bands.  I wonder if you could make the joins with a kitchener stitch? 
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 14:08:05 PM
@coffeeandcake and @Missie , I've looked on various websites and the Spanish solution seems nearest to what is required.  If I can't make it work that way, I'll just cast off loosely, and stitch it on... :S

And then there's the button bands... ><

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 15:31:09 PM
Struggling a bit, and have had to unpick the back shaping a bit - the stitch count is out, and I'm not sure I've interpreted the back shoulder shapings correctly.  I'll have to look at the other sizes to see if there are some clues.

I'd like to sort it out, as it's a pretty cardigan, and I'd like to make a couple.  >:)

Jessie

Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 15:54:09 PM
Woah, those instructions aren't great in French either!  So my understanding is that you have to knit 8 rows for the neck band, one row of stocking stitch and then a few rows in a different coloured yarn, which are removed when assembling.......but doesn't actually tell you how it is removed!  Have you got 20 stitches outstanding on the back neck as well?  If so, I think I would be inclined to cast on 86 stitches, knit/pearl across the 20 stitches (whichever stitch is appropriate) and cast on another 86 stitches and create the neck band from that and stitch in place where needed or just cast off the 20 stitches and knit the neckband as says in the pattern and attach as per the spanish tutorial.

xx
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 15:55:13 PM
the stitch count is out, and I'm not sure I've interpreted the back shoulder shapings correctly. )

Jessie

Are you doing the smallest size?
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 16:09:29 PM
@Jessie I think there is an error in the pattern re stitch count.  If you are doing the smallest size, at 8cm after the cabled band, you need to cast off stitches on each side, 4 (ie 8 ), the 3 (ie 3), then 2 (ie 4) and 1 (ie 2) giving you 52 stitches, not the 56 in the pattern.  You then continue in stocking stitch until it measures 17cm after the cabled band and bind off again from each side 7 stitches (ie 14), then 6 (ie 12), giving you 26 stitches. Then this is the bit I'm unsure of, but I think you need to cast off 3 from each side, leaving you with 20 stitches and would refer you to my previous post re the neck band.

Hope that makes sense.
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 16:14:48 PM
@Missie , thank you!  At least it's not me!  I'm doing the largest size (72 sts back), and the stitch count goes off after the armhole shaping, and instead of 56 sts I'm left with 52.  I can work around that, but I'm at a loss as to what to do for the back neck shaping, which reads as follows:

Instructions read: At 17cm, (70 row) high after the cables, shape shoulders and bind off 1x7 stitches and 1x6 stitches. At the same time shape the neckline by bind off the 20 stitches and each side 1x3 stitches (stitches=sts

Does it read any better in French?

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 30, 2019, 16:18:58 PM
@Missie, re the neckband I have cast on 192 sts and worked 8 rows plus 1 knit row - I haven't gone nay further as I'm unsure how to finish it off.  I may just cast off loosely and stitch it on normally.

I thought I was ready to sew everything together, but I had to unpick the back, as it was too long to match the fronts...

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Greybird on October 30, 2019, 16:33:52 PM
I think the removal of the waste yarn is the same as the machine knitted method. When you have back stitched onto the main body through the loops of the last row of your main yarn, the waste yarn is unravelled because it has served it's purpose.
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 16:46:43 PM
I think the removal of the waste yarn is the same as the machine knitted method. When you have back stitched onto the main body through the loops of the last row of your main yarn, the waste yarn is unravelled because it has served it's purpose.

Interesting. I have only ever seen waste yarn used at the start of a piece of knitting, not at the end.  Doing at the end kind of defeats the object and makes it more difficult to remove it, doesn't it, as the stitches you need to get to aren't free? Or am I just being daft?
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on October 30, 2019, 17:04:27 PM
@Missie , thank you!  At least it's not me!  I'm doing the largest size (72 sts back), and the stitch count goes off after the armhole shaping, and instead of 56 sts I'm left with 52. 

It would help if I read the whole pattern and look at sizes properly  :|  I was looking at size A, which is the largest.  I assumed it went from smallest to largest!! So, yes, we were working from the same size.  I've had another look at the pattern and it says:

"At 17cm (70 rows) above the cabled band, form the shoulders by casting off 7 stitches and 6 stitches.  At the same time form the neck by casting off the middle 20 stitches and then 3 stitches from each side."

However, this doesn't use all the stitches by my estimations and leaves you with 13 stitches.  I therefore think she has missed out "each side" when telling you to cast off the 7 & 6 stitches. I think you probably need to cast off 7 stitches each side and then 6, whilst doing the neck bit and that should have all stitches used and cast off.
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Greybird on October 30, 2019, 17:10:52 PM
@Missie - it rather depends on the yarn. You can usually stretch the waste back from the loops to back stitch into them, especially if you use a very smooth yarn for the waste. If this is too difficult though, carefully press the waste yarn and the loops only of the main yarn (this makes unwanted unravelling much less likely). You can then unravel the waste almost up to your loops and only unravel it a couple of stitches at a time as you back stitch*. It's easier done than said! I usually used those plastic hair roller pins to hold the neckband in place so that it was evenly positioned.

* best not to answer the phone or the doorbell until you've finished!
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on October 31, 2019, 09:03:47 AM
All this has been a great help, and I'm determined to get the finishing underway today - not much doing at work, so I'll take advantage... I couldn't begin yesterday as I fell asleep when I got home, got up, and went to bed!

@Missie, yes, I think we agree that the stitch count on the largest size is out, so, I'm going to unpick the back to the last armhole shaping, and take it from there.

@Greybird , that sounds exactly like the technique I found here: SpanishBackStitch  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV8dtq77E5c) I don't think I'll use it here, simply because I have never done it before, and I'm not sure I'll be able to do it neatly enough.  So, maybe cast off and sew on normally...

Jessie

Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on November 04, 2019, 10:32:53 AM
Well, this is almost done - despite the instructions!

In the end I sewed the neckband on, as I just couldn't get my head around the back stitch finish with the bare stitches.

It all looks a bit bulky, even though it's 4ply, and I won't be using the pattern again.

I'll look for something similar, and use the cable rib pattern which looks very nice.

I've just got the button bands to do (as well as figuring out what to do with the non-button side of the band...)

Hopefully, it will be done today.

Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: b15erk on November 05, 2019, 11:37:55 AM
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

Finished!  Just sewn the last button on, and safe to say, there won't be another.

It's not a nice or user friendly pattern, but I loved the style of it, and the cable rib.  It's also quite a bulky pattern, and would benefit from raglan, or grown on sleeves, and maybe picking up the stitches on the neckband.

So, here it is, the Cache Coeur for preemie, by Thalie Creations.


Jessie
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Lilian on November 05, 2019, 16:10:45 PM
That is so cute!  <3
Title: Re: Attaching a button band (French style)
Post by: Missie on November 06, 2019, 10:43:36 AM
Yay!  Well done Jessie.  It looks great. I agree with you re the picking up the stitches on the neckband!