Before I finally bind off the Whippet from ANKESTRiCK, I want to show you the progress once again. I'm knitting the long version, but I still didn't knit it quite as long because I assume that the yarn will still slacken quite a bit during tensioning.
The long version has lateral increases compared to the short version of the whippet. Maybe you can see that on the right picture? In the short version, the hole pattern goes through the sides.
I like the Whippet already very much. The Milano yarn is excellent and it also wears quite wonderfully, I was already allowed to try with Kerstin's short Whippet. Maybe I should have knitted one size smaller, it could be a little more snug. Let's see how the shape will still change by stretching.
The first sleeve is finished and for the second sleeve I used a Colibri Double Pointed Needles. Since I usually knit sleeves with the Magic Loop, I just wanted to try out whether it might not be at least as fun with the double pointed needles.
And lo and behold, it goes faster! The first part of the sleeve is knitted in the lace pattern, before the forearm follows in the rib pattern. I have to see how the rib pattern can be knitted with the double pointed needles and whether too strong "bars" arise, because Milano does not really "forgive".
As always, when I get to the last sleeve of a larger project, I like to finish now and already have the next project, the Cusi Cardigan posted in my mind... You know, right?
You can find the tutorial for the Wippet Cardigan at ANKESTRiCK, who also answered a few questions about her label here the other day.
The Milano yarn is available in all colors in my store, I also wrote about my Whippet here and here, and you can find some more "Whippets" in Milano in my Facebook group.
This month I have the Whippet Cardigan from ANKESTRiCK on the needles. You can find many beautiful pattern for sweaters and cardigans at ANKESTRiCK and I wanted to learn a little more about who is behind it and how it comes to the beautiful designs. Without further ado I sent Anke a few questions. Have fun reading!
Welcome, Anke, I am very happy that you are here today. Since when do you actually knit?
Dear Marisa, thank you so much for your questions. What could be better than talking about knitting? I've been knitting since I can remember, but I never thought that one day it would become a profession!!!
How did you come to Ravelry and to sell your own tutorials there?
After a knitting break of about 10 years, I suddenly felt like starting again in about 2010 and was looking for inspiration for a scarf and found the clapotis pattern on ravelry. A
wonderful light scarf with drop stitches. Since you have to register at ravelry, (and I couldn't wait) my name is Fallmasche on ravely.
I then first knitted 6 or 7 clapotisse. Everybody who wanted one (or
or not) got one. So I have (re)discovered ravelry and my knitting pleasure.
Even in the past I "designed" mainly sweaters and jackets for myself. I have simply knitted,
I used to knit classically and sew the pieces together - and spoiled a lot with it.
Through ravelry I discovered top-down knitting and was eager to learn. And
Since the pieces had an immediate attention, I found it very appealing to write pattern for it and just tried it. I also loved that the Enginstructionsttern are much easier and make more sense.
Naima is one of the most famous designs from ANKESTRiCK. Top-down and without seams.
What do you do in real life? Or are you a full-time knitwear designer? If so, what did you do before, or what led you there?
I studied fine arts and was for a long time self-employed as a graphic designer. But in a very difficult time for me, I could no longer work. Knitting has saved me mentally
and I was very active on ravelry. So it was a smooth transition and I am very grateful for it. I now feel like I have found my real "calling".
On the left, the Antler sweater, well known in the knitting world, and on the right, the Walk Along.
From the idea to the finished tutorial: where do you get your inspiration from?
I have found after some time that I work in series. Usually at the beginning there is a nice yarn or a top-down construction that fascinates me. Then I start with a rough idea of the finished piece. I'm especially interested in the neckline and knitting a good fit in one piece from the top down, so that you don't have to sew or pick up stitches again. Most of the time the idea changes a lot during the
Knitting - if the technique or yarn wants something different than I do, I'm happy to go with it.
As I knit, ideas for the next piece come and so it goes until no more ideas come to the design or another top-down technique intrigues me and it all starts again!
If an idea settles in my head long enough, I do a little math and start right away. I don't do sketches because the idea in my head is always much more precise and gets stuck on details that I couldn't draw at all.
If I think this or that construction and yarn would be good for an idea, but it often results in something completely different. But the initial idea is never completely gone, it shows up again in another project. And that's what I like so much - it always remains exciting for me. The downside is that there are often moments when nothing works out, I have to start over again and again, and the finished piece takes a very long time. But still, just working off an idea would bore me.
Is there a special story about the Whippet Cardigan? E.g. how it was created, what inspired you, why it comes in two variations, etc.?
The Whippet was the rare case where the idea, the yarn and the technique worked together from the beginning.
worked together. I wondered to myself. No ribbing, no pondering - just knit, write, done. Mind you, I only had the long version in mind, but it had to stay a bit exciting 🙂 .
The day starts with office work. Answering questions, organization, coordination. This work takes up a large part of the day. The knitting and writing of the pattern is then rather the icing on the cake and can also not really be planned (at least not for me). I do that mainly in the evenings and at night, when there is some peace and my head is free and open for developments. Those are then the most beautiful moments 🙂
Is there a particular favorite among your own knitting tutorials?
Yes, I really like the "Naima", a classic winter jacket. I knitted it in 3 variations because I couldn't get enough. The "Whippet" is an all-rounder - I wear the long Whippet version all year round. But I also knitted a winter version for my mother, which I like very much. And the most beautiful I still find the "Friday again (anew)". It meets all my requirements for a simple classic design, with knitting and wearing fun.
and fun to wear.
But the most beautiful piece is always the next!!!!
On the left the elegant sweater Boe and on the right the Friday anew, a newer version of the Friday again
I have knitted different stitch samples for my long Whippet. You can see two of them here, on the left the needle size 2.75mm and on the right the needle size 3.5mm. And then on the far right the pinned whippet, nicely grown, isn't it?
According to the pattern, a gauge of 25 sts and 32 rows should be achieved with the main A needle. For me, this worked with 3mm needles. So I knit Whippet with fine gauge needles A) 3mm as main needles, B) 2mm for the collar, C) 2.5mm for the shoulders and D) 3.5mm for the pattern set.
In general, I find these needles yes by the way so what pretty!
I'm usually one of those knitters who knit knit stitches a little tighter than purl stitches. As I've mentioned before, that's pretty stupid when you knit one part back and forth and another part (the sleeves) in rounds, as I'm doing now with the Whippet. The result is irregular rows in the back-and-forth knit, and the sleeves are offset by evenly right-knitted rounds.
There are several alternatives to create a more uniform knit pattern.
// Smaller needle size for back rows
You can simply knit the left rows with a smaller needle size. But since I don't knit whippet with my click system because of the thin needle, it's kind of a hassle because then I'd have to mess around with two different circular needles.
// Interlaced right and twisted purl stitches
Another possibility is to knit the purl stitches twisted. In this case, you do not bring the thread from below, but from above through the stitch. This is a shorter way and often the knitting pattern becomes more even. However, this twist must then be reversed in the right rows by knitting the knit stitches interlaced. That would be quite possible here with Whippet, but it is then too exhausting for me to constantly consider whether I must now interlace, twist or knit normally.
// More thread tension
The third option is to increase the thread tension in the back rows, for example by wrapping the thread once more around the finger. This is how it works for me.
Give it a try!
About the beginnings to my Whippet-Verion I have reported here.
At the Saturday coffee and on Instagram I have already told it: I have chosen a new in-between project. One that I'm really knitting just for me. No time pressure. No headaches. Just bought a great tutorial, picked out the perfect yarn - Milano - and now I'm knitting away. In between, when I have time, without pressure.
I was already able to motivate some of you, how great! Maybe you also still have desire? I knit the long version, or at least a longer version than the short version. Since the cardigan is knitted top-down, you can try on conveniently in between.
If you also fancy a light, summery version of Whippet and want to knit with Milano, you can find all the colors in my store. It's really a great yarn and is also great for shawls (there's a shawl coming soon here, of course, and you'll find a Milano tutorial in my book, too). The great thing about most Lamana yarns is the wide variety of colors. There is actually always something suitable... For my current #streifenhörnchen cloth on my needles, that I can show you hopefully soon unchained, I knit natural tones:
However, I must warn you already, because Milano has just like the original yarn in the Whippet pattern of the short version a yardage of about 180m per 25g and knits accordingly with thin needles. But if you are not afraid of that, you can happily buy it! The matching fine knitting needles I have also bought (because I need thinner needles than fit on my Click system) and because I think they are great, they are also here with me already in the most common lengths of 60cm and 80cm.
Back to Whippet. I know that some of you are a bit afraid of English pattern. I can understand that, especially for this kind of projects, because it is not without it. But there are two versions of Whippet, a short and a long cardigan. The tutorial for the short cardigan is also available in German!instructionsttern for the long cardigan are in English. I bought both, because I was still unsure whether short or long...
Anyway, Whippet is now pinned. Hard to believe that it will become a jacket!
Cozy and light: mohair bliss
Perla cardigan for late summer
Looking for a home for your needles? You can find the needle bags here
You can find all Maschenfein pattern here
On the left, the 
