Wool and Cats: Knit me a Lopi !

Knit me a Lopi ! is an illustrated tutorial which explains the main steps for knitting a Lopi.
Thus, it doesn't show you how to knit a particular sweater.

If you want to have a look on my Lopis or to know more about icelandic wools, you can read my post about it here.

On purpose, for this tutorial, I've used other yarns than icelandic yarns to show that you can easily knit such a sweater with other types of wools.

The pattern used here is one of my own creation.

I've used the yarn Magic+ de Bergère de France (rosée et écru) et some stash yarns Nature Spun de Brown Sheep Co. (Tangerine and Lullaby).

Requiered skills :
- working in the round with circular needles and double-pointed needles;
- reading a color chart ;
- at least two-colors knitting.

Materials : circular needles of different sizes (usually 40- 80- 100 cms) + double pointed needles + 2 stitch markers + stitches holders + a tapestry needle + a model you like.

The first step is the GAUGE. The needle sizes given in the instructions are only recommandations. Then, use whatever needle size to match the gauge if necessary. Stitch gauge is more important than row gauge. Indeed, you can knit less or more rows to achieve the correct garment length.

The Lopi starts by knitting the Body.

When the stitches are casted on, be careful to join without twisting stitches when you're joining in circle.

Round begins at left side of body. Put a stitch-marker where it's joined.

After the edge (usually ribs), at the first row of st. st. knitting, if you need to increase, make a M1R.

In Iceland, the women knit with continental method. But you can knit the way you use to (french or swiss one).

On the pics below, how to hold the yarns with the continental method.

On the wrong side, the tangerine yarn is carried loosely across the garment. You can twist it with the white one if stranding over more than 3 stitches. I don't do it for 3 stitches but for more, at least 5-6 stitches.

We get this :

If you pull the color not in use too tightly, the garment will be uneven and inelastic. That's why I like twisting the yarns over at least 5 or 6 stitches.

In the some patterns, you may knit with 3 or 4 colors...

On the wrong side, we get this :

On the right side :

Then, knit the body until the desired lengh to underarm.

Put some stitches before and after the stitch-marker on a holder. The number is given in the pattern.

Those remain stitches will be used for underarms.

On my Lopi, they are on the blue holder.

Then, you can knit the sleeves.

To begin the sleeve, you can use double-pointed needles or a small circular needle.

I like beginning with double-pointed needles as women do in Iceland.

At the beginning of the rows, put a stitch-marker.

When the first color chart is knitted, I use a circular needle for the main color.

You have to increase evenly. Increases are on each side of the stitch- marker, between the first and the second stitch.

On the left side of the marker, make a M1R.

On the right side of the marker, make a M1L.

You can see how to make them on this video here and the pics below.

Knit each sleeve until the desired length.

Put some stitches before and after the stitch-marker on a holder (the number is given in the pattern) or on a contrasting color thread.

When the 2 sleeves are knitted, I can knit the yoke.

The Yoke

You join the sleeves to the body on the largest needle by knitting the remaining stitches of the sleeves and the body on the same needle.

The first sleeve knitted on the yoke is the left one.

At the end of the knitting of the first sleeve, we get this :

Knit the stitches of the body until the next holder to underarm, and thus the second sleeve. Follow the instructions of your pattern to get the number of stitches you need to knit until the second sleeve.

Below, ready for the yoke :

And how is the underarm at this step of the work :

Put a stitch-marker between the last stitch of the back of the garment and the first stitch of the first sleeve (left one).

Then you should start working the color chart of the lopi.

If you're knitting without a color chart, you just have to follow the decrease instructions.

Change to shorter circular needle when necessary.

You should try it on you ...

See how are the underarms which you'll join.

To join underarms

First, you should put now all stitches on holders.

To joint underdarms, you can sew them or graft them.

To sew the stitches : bind off the stitches and sew them together.

To graft (weaving or kitchener stitch) : on upper piece, go back into one stitch and come out of next stitch. On lower piece, go back onto one stitch and come out of next stitch.