Herbstlied - Swatching the Acorn Sweater

This is Herbstlied (translated from German means Autumn Song), the cover sweater from New Style of Heirloom Knitting, the wonderful Japanese knitting pattern book with only a few non-essential words written in English.

It's going to be my summer knitting challenge.

For the past several evenings, I've been working on a swatch.

It's been slow going. I'm guessing this 14 X 6 swatch took about 8 hours. Now I know what I need to do to get gauge so the sweater will fit. Even more important, I have figured out all the Japanese symbols in the stitch pattern charts plus the mystery of the how to knit the eight stitches at the end of the oak leaf lobes. (See end of post for detailed oak lobe instructions.)

The swatch yarn is Louet Topaz worsted weight Merino yarn knit with a #4 Knitpicks Options needle. Final yarn choice is still undecided. I do know it will not be this color (ginger) which makes me look three days dead.

The unwashed, unblocked swatch measures 10.25 inches from the stem (the center of the sweater) to the side seam. That will make 41 inch sweater, a good size for me. I'm hoping there are no surprises when I wash the swatch.

If you are thinking of knitting this sweater and want the fun of figuring out the eight stitches of the oak leaf lobe yourself, stop reading now.

Even knowing how it's done, I can't look at the stitch chart and see how it indicates a cable. Being able to read Japanese probably would have been helpful.

Instead I studied the stitches in the picture at the top of page 69 and figured out one way to do it. It may or may not exactly match the Japanese instructions in the pattern book.

This isn't going to make any sense unless you have the book, page 69.

The Eight Stitches of A

• Put the 3 shaded stitches on a cable needle and hold in back.
  
• Turn the next five stitches into one stitch as follows:
  
  • slip-knit-psso, knit, k2tog
    
  • turn work and purl three stitches you just made
    
  • turn work
    
  • slip, slip, knit, pass two slipped stitches over knit stitch
• Purl three stitches from cable needle.

The Eight Stitches of B

• Put five stitches on a cable needle and hold in front.
  
• Purl three stitches from left needle (the shaded stitches in the chart).
  
• Turn the five stitches on the cable needle into one stitch as follows:
  
  • slip-knit-psso, knit, k2tog
    
  • turn work and purl three stitches you just made
    
  • turn work
    
  • slip, slip, knit, pass two slipped stitches over knit stitch