{"id":36996,"date":"2017-10-13T18:16:47","date_gmt":"2017-10-14T00:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=36996"},"modified":"2019-01-25T09:32:32","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T16:32:32","slug":"problem-solving-my-crochet-zen-sweater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/problem-solving-my-crochet-zen-sweater\/","title":{"rendered":"Problem Solving My Crochet Zen Sweater"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-hands-grasped-title.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-37010\" title=\"zen sweater front hands grasped title\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-hands-grasped-title-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-hands-grasped-title-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-hands-grasped-title-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-hands-grasped-title-769x1024.jpg 769w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a>The Zen Sweater has several things going for it.<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>I really appreciate the raglan style sleeves. They make fitting less of an issue and soften my broad shoulders.<\/li>\n<li>I like that the pattern is interesting without being too flowery. It is simple enough that it was easy to switch with a yarn that had minor recurring color changes, instead of making yarn changes for stripes.<\/li>\n<li>I like that the yarn is super fine gauge, sock yarn or size 1. Since I am still pretty new at crocheting sweaters, I wasn&#8217;t willing to invest in the higher quality yarn. Instead, I used <a title=\"loveknitting.com Lion Brand Sock Ease yarn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loveknitting.com\/us\/lion-brand-sock-ease?utm_source=bing&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=US&amp;currency=USD&amp;sku=YLI023_206&amp;utm_source=bing&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=181101604&amp;utm_term=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lion Brand Sock-Ease, also a size 1 sock yarn<\/a>. Fiber content was 75% wool and 25% nylon.<\/li>\n<li>I partly chose this pattern because it is a more solid sweater without looking heavy.<\/li>\n<li>The project was very portable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Where can you get the original pattern?<\/h4>\n<p>The pattern is in the <a title=\"Interweave Crochet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.interweave.com\/crochet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Interweave Crochet<\/a> Spring 2015 issue, designed by Natasha Robarge. I began crocheting it not quite a year ago on an airplane. The yoke went very smoothly. However, when I got to attaching the underarms and beginning to work the body in the round, something didn&#8217;t line up. <em>(click on any photo to enlarge)<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37013\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37013\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-yoke-adding-extra-4-rows-on-back-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37013 size-medium\" title=\"The main part of my zen sweater yoke is done and I am adding on the 4 rows to the back.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-yoke-adding-extra-4-rows-on-back-1-269x300.jpg\" alt=\"The main part of my zen sweater yoke is done and I am adding on the 4 rows to the back.\" width=\"269\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-yoke-adding-extra-4-rows-on-back-1-269x300.jpg 269w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-yoke-adding-extra-4-rows-on-back-1-768x857.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-yoke-adding-extra-4-rows-on-back-1-918x1024.jpg 918w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37013\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The main part of my zen sweater yoke is done and I am adding on the 4 rows to the back.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37014\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37014\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-starting-armholes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37014 size-medium\" title=\"Here I have just finished the first round that attaches the front and back so that the main body can be crocheted in the round.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-starting-armholes-300x211.jpg\" alt=\"Here I have just finished the first round that attaches the front and back so that the main body can be crocheted in the round.\" width=\"300\" height=\"211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-starting-armholes-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-starting-armholes-768x539.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-starting-armholes-1024x719.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37014\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here I have just finished the first round that attaches the front and back so that the main body can be crocheted in the round.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>There are some modifications you need to know about<\/h4>\n<p>Fortunately, I was able to contact <a title=\"Natasha Robarge on ravelry.com\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ravelry.com\/people\/Aperfectloop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natasha Robarge on ravelry.com<\/a>. She responded to me very quickly and was extremely gracious and helpful. The fix for making the body work was simple and soon I was on my way to completing that part. <em>I have made a pdf of all changes discussed, which you can find a link to below.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37015\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37015\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-beginning-body-in-the-round.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37015 size-medium\" title=\"And here it is after the first couple of rows of the main body.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-beginning-body-in-the-round-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"And here it is after the first couple of rows of the main body.\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-beginning-body-in-the-round-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-beginning-body-in-the-round-768x467.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-beginning-body-in-the-round-1024x622.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37015\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">And here it is after the first couple of rows of the main body.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The changes to finishing the body affected the sleeve instructions. Again, Natasha was very helpful. She provided me with a detailed revision, as well as guidelines to make sure I was looking at the pattern correctly.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37022\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37022\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-body-done-5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37022 size-medium\" title=\"The main body of my zen sweater is finally done!\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-body-done-5-300x270.jpg\" alt=\"The main body of my zen sweater is finally done!\" width=\"300\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-body-done-5-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-body-done-5-768x691.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-body-done-5-1024x921.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37022\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The main body of my zen sweater is finally done!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At this point, I got confused. After I had tried several times to proceed, I decided to set the project aside for a while. I finished <a title=\"5 Lessons from Herrschner\u2019s Radiant Ripples Crochet Afghan\" href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/5-lessons-from-herrschners-radiant-ripples-crochet-afghan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this afghan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>Quirks in my sleeves<\/h4>\n<p>When I returned to my zen sweater, I was more relaxed about the problem solving and able to see some things about the pattern that I hadn&#8217;t taken into account when trying to apply the changes before. I thought more about how the pattern was supposed to continue and then was able to use the instructions provided.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37023\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37023\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-partial-sleeve.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37023 size-medium\" title=\"It was nice to see how the sleeves blended well with the rest of the pattern of my zen sweater.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-partial-sleeve-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"It was nice to see how the sleeves blended well with the rest of the pattern of my zen sweater.\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-partial-sleeve-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-partial-sleeve-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-partial-sleeve-1024x685.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37023\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It was nice to see how the sleeves blended well with the rest of the pattern of my zen sweater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once I had gotten one sleeve going, the rest of it and the other sleeve were finished quickly. The only other minor problem I had was in finishing the border. I am pretty sure I did one sleeve border upside down, so-to-speak, but someone would have to look very closely to figure this out.<\/p>\n<h4>A handy pdf of the zen sweater pattern modifications<\/h4>\n<p>While you can get the helpful modifications by clicking on the purple button just below, I should remind you again that you will need to get the original pattern from Interweave Crochet because it is copyrighted by the magazine.<\/p>\n<p><em>(The pdf will be available again in the near future. I am currently updating how I deliver my pdfs. If you sign up for my newsletter, you will get notified when this is available again. Or you can bookmark this article and check back at your convenience. If you are currently working on the sweater, after you sign up for my newsletter, email me and I will send you the pdf via email.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>One of the things I like about crocheting my own sweaters is that I can make the sleeves long enough. I am somewhat taller than average and am forever fighting long sleeves that are 2-3 inches too short. The zen sweater sleeves taper, so I tried them on a lot to make sure they weren&#8217;t getting too narrow at the wrist.<\/p>\n<h4>This is definitely a sweater I would try again<\/h4>\n<p>I think I am finally ready to try a project with some higher quality yarn, so just started a vest with some silky smooth 100% merino wool I have been saving. My daughters have been making eyes at my zen sweater, though, so there is a good chance I will try another one or two in the future.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37026\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37026\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-back-view.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37026 size-medium\" title=\"Here I am modeling the back of the sweater.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-back-view-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Here I am modeling the back of the sweater.\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-back-view-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-back-view-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37026\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here I am modeling the back of the sweater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37028\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37028\" style=\"width: 212px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37028 size-medium\" title=\"zen sweater side view\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"and the side...\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view-768x1089.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view-722x1024.jpg 722w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-side-view.jpg 1949w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37028\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">and the side&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-view.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-37030\" title=\"zen sweater front view\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-view-247x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-view-247x300.jpg 247w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-view-768x934.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/zen-sweater-front-view-842x1024.jpg 842w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 247px) 100vw, 247px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Zen Sweater has several things going for it. I really appreciate the raglan style sleeves. They make fitting less of an issue and soften my broad shoulders. I like that the pattern is interesting without being too flowery. It is simple enough that it was easy to switch with a yarn that had minor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[100,19],"tags":[119],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36996\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}