Due to numerous inquiries about the Weighted Companion Cube sweater, I thought I would spend a little time elaborating so I can go back to coming up with even more ridiculous sweater ideas instead of answering the same questions over and over.
# Where might I find the pattern you used for the sweater?
There really isn’t a pattern. I used a raglan recipe for the entirety of the sweater. I then combined this with the companion cube colourwork chart. So I cannot tell you exactly how to knit this, but I can provide you with some general guidelines.
# WORDS, THEY HURT MY BRAIN. WHERE IS PATTERN???? >:[
There is no real pattern. Only a mash-up of two existing things. One being a raglan recipe and the other being the colourwork chart.
# OK, I understand this. How am I suppose to knit this thing?
You will need to know how to knit intarsia in the round. And how to pick up stitches (for the ribbed neck.) If you want hearts on the sleeves you will need to know how to duplicate stitch. I will elaborate on none of these things as googling is sufficient should you not know. (And googling is how I learned how to knit.)
With all that out of the way, you should knit a flat test swatch of the colourwork chart. Sure, you could just knit a regular swatch with only one colour but I suggest this because #1 you need to know how/if the chart will fit across your chest and #2 you will find yourself relying on this swatch quite frequently while knitting. Trust me.
# What did you use for your sweater?
Worsted weight, Cascade 220 Wool in colourways 8401, 8400, 9477, and 7801. I’d give exact yardage if I knew it, but a lot of this yarn was left over from previous sweaters. I knit the sweater on 7s, and my gauge was 5st/7r per 1 inch. My colour chart test swatch came out to about 7 inches and a quarter across from circle edge to circle edge (disregarding horizontal stripes.)
Some of my raglan recipe maths which will most likely not be applicable to you, your gauge and/or your measurements but I’ll include anyway:
neck-size: 13 body length: 40 sleeve length: 16 wrist size: 6
total neck stitches: 65 back stitches: 22 sleeve stitches: 5 front stitches: 25 right-front/left-front stitches: 6/6 center front stitches: 13
# Chart is perfect size! I know two methods of finishing intarsia rows in the round! I know my gauge and my measurements! I’ve filled out my raglan recipe paperwork! All my yarn is separated into bobbins! What now??
You will need at least 13 center front stitches. This is to accommodate the perpetual vertical stripes along the front of the sweater. If you don’t have enough like I did initially, move stitches from the back to the front. Know exactly where the most center stitch is among these stitches and follow the chart for the vertical stripes.
I suggest casting on with the dark grey only to provide an anchor for you to begin knitting with your bobbins. And you will appreciate this when you pick up the stitches for the collar ribbing.
After you join your knitting in the round, you will need to shift the beginning of your row to where a sleeve meets the front. This is to hide whatever imperfections might occur from your w&t or YO/k2tog at the end of your rows.
# When should I start the chart??
That is largely up to you, but if you want the horizontal striping to go all the way around the body like on my sweater, you will need to make sure whenever you get to the horizontal stripes in the chart is after you have set aside the sleeves. The colourwork swatch you knit earlier will aid greatly in figuring out where and when to begin the chart proper on the sweater.
# I don’t know how to knit, have no ambition to learn, and/or have no knitter friends willing to knit this for me. How much would I have to pay for you to make me one of these?
I am not taking commissions at this time. I appreciate the interest, though.
I’m incredibly surprised by the attention this sweater has drummed up, especially since I did not think much of it at the time of conception or after it was completed. And I have actually been too embarrassed to wear it out in public.
I hope this answered any questions you might have had and help you create your own WCC sweater. I have some additional thoughts and musings on the ravelry project page and also an entire flickr set of progress photos. I look forward to seeing others’ sweaters!
OK, now seriously. Let us never speak of this again.
