Designing a Sweater Using Elizabeth Zimmermann's EPS // Casual Friday S05E28

[@frittiesnz8669]

Oooh I love guessing games! My thought is that you're going to sew the dark button on top of the red button to create your own two tone button with a bit of substance - the red as a glimmer around the edges would be stunning. 🤣 I'm sure there will be lots of fabulous guesses coming your way! Yetta's suggestions were great and would be worth trying! Maybe a walking foot would be helpful as well? I've also used (many years ago) a fine fabric stabilizer which dissolved in water; I think it was intended for fine lace work. Thanks for yet another fascinating episode full of goodies to look into 👍

[@xbaczewska4197]

I think that is what is gonna happen, too. A whole red button would be "too much" and too contrasty. Not your style. But the dark on top of red would mirror the pocket lining concept.

[@SeattleSusan]

That's exactly what I thought - putting the darker smaller button on top of the red one.

[@lindarose712]

Great minds… that’s just what I thought when I noticed that the black buttons are slightly smaller than the red. Clever, and a design choice in keeping with Rox’ style.

[@yettaoshea8869]

For the buttonholes You need a stabilizer. You can use regular stabilizer on the back and use tissue paper on the top that you can tear away. It also looks like you need to widen the zig zag and maybe loosen the pressure on the presser foot a little. Consider making a corded buttonhole. To make a corded buttonhole you stitch over a cord ( heavier thread) as you zig zag down the sides. It provides stability inside the stitching and the added benefit of reducing stretch. Have you thought about using button loops instead of button holes? It’s an esthetic change but it eliminates the whole problem of button holes.

[@sonjanordahl3158]

I always find your videos so interesting. I love you walk throughs of your design process. I have learned so much about modifying designs or making my own. Thank you.

[@xbaczewska4197]

Am loving your sweater design! Brilliant to use moss to mimic the Aran effect. That really de-klunkifies the way an EPS often looks.

[@anhu8528]

I'll be looking forward to your button choice. I've seen where the guesses were one button on top of the other. It's interesting, I'm not sure I'd be able to use them as functional that way (I have fumbly fingers). It was interesting to see what people say about your spinning. My brain went completely different. I guess it depends on why you are dyeing the wool. I would have dyed each wool with the same due at the same depth of color to see how each fiber type takes up color, then knit the squares with half natural yarn and half dyed. I hope you'll show us what you do! Thank you so much for your program. I learn so much from you.

[@ccpperrett7522]

Re-watching this video, Roxanne. I loved it my first time watching it. Now I have a whole year's perspective and have learned so much from you since then. Thank you for such great teaching videos.

[@TheAlixCat]

Button guess - layering the smaller dark button on top of the red button - I think that would be a really cool effect. I have enjoyed watching this evolve - thanks for sharing your journey!

[@krazedvintagemodel]

Miss Roxanne, I could listen to your explanations for hours! You are able to express how my mind works when I have an idea for creating. Curious, analytical, and mathmatical. I have crocheted without patterns for years, and my approach to knitting is the same thought process minus the experience. I have just ordered yarn for my first sweater which will be my starting point! Thank you so much!

[@Sarina5648s]

So glad to have enough experience that the sizing and formulas make sense!

[@valeriekoochin3569]

Another good video, always something to learn from you! I was actually hoping to find something on reversing E. Zimmerman’s hybrid saddle shoulder sweater recipe from bottom up to top down. I have never done a saddle shoulder before! I fell in love with the look of “Big Blue” Jared Flood posted on a blog using EZ’s recipe. I really would prefer top down so I don’t have to worry about length of sleeves and body till the recipient can come and try on!

[@LottaSocks]

Button Guess : Larger button faces, smaller in back, to stabilize. I’ve done this many moons ago: usually same size, attach (sew) buttons to a separate “band”. Sweater will have button holes on both sides. 1)removable for washing. 2)baby sweaters, if want buttons on right (or left)…easily switched. The removable bands can either be knit, or made of fabric or decorative ribbon. These days, I’m lazy. No buttons, wear open mostly. BUT!! I’m liking the button band knit along w the sweater; seeing more designers w this concept lately! Oh, don’t like to sew…I will if I Must…but I’ll re-design a pattern first! lol

[@theastewart6721]

Hi Roxanne. Very interesting podcast! I love Vivian’s book on the 8 schools of modern knitting. I found all of them fascinating! Her projects are really pretty and unique. I think you could use whichever one speaks to you with your breed study wool! I’m looking forward to seeing what you choose. The Reverse engineered sweater is coming along nicely. I see some comments about your use of the buttons and I have to agree that you may put the darker button on top of the red so a hint of red peeks out! Your 1970’s sweater design is lovely. I can’t wait to see how it progresses. Thanks for explaining the process to us. So interesting! Thank you very much for another great podcast. I find it very relaxing to watch on a quiet Sunday morning. Have a wonderful week!💕

[@NanZingrone]

This is going to be gorgeous! I love the stitches you've chosen and moss stitch is such a great solution for that segment.

[@nottheborg836]

that shell top is absolutely gorgeous

[@sheryltisdale]

Love your reconstructed sweater! Really enjoyed learning about the 1970's process with Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method, great video Roxanne!!!

[@pialindeg]

Living in Denmark, being danish and very happy that you honour Vivan for her extraordinary talents. I love to dive into Vivians books - always buy them without looking in them, because there are always very interesting things to find. One of Vivians later books Danish Nightshirts - there is a special technique for knitting a row , which crosses over the other stitches- goes in the other direction (hard to explain) very interesting - and I tell because other people or you Roxanne, might be especially interested in this technique. Your spinning project sounds inspiring in combination with Vivians Modular knitting. I have started a minor ambitious project, making kitchen cloths in every modular technique. Thanks for your podcast. I think you will have a better outcome with your buttonholes, if you put a layer of "tear-away"paper under when you sew. You can get it in quiltstores - you need the tape that washes away.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I tried that technique when I first got the book! It was one of the stitch patterns that intrigued me most. :-) I think I showed my swatch in a previous Casual Friday, probably a year or two ago (maybe longer!)

[@jmullen1584]

I love to look at your knit book library behind you as you talk. So many interesting books!

[@linedegl4966]

you should give danish knit designer Lærke Bagger a look. she is the queen of scrap knitting, and has gained a crazy amount of esteem in europe within just a single year. i can definitely recommend her book!

[@eileenfb1948]

Thank you for Andrea's channel. So amazing. Love your channel too.

[@lesleydrury1240]

Breed project. What about using the right angle squares? Use could use the natural and the dyed to create the strips for each square or multiple squares

[@skraterfield]

There is so much in each of these videos! I'd never heard of shadow knitting; but I this is *the one* for my husband. broadly planning to make the Block Pullover from the book for him. I think I may try switch it to a "modified drop shoulder" sweater" (from your recent video), and possibly put some sleeve decreases on each side of a centered "block". Waiting on my 2nd hand book to arrive in the mail.

[@davidgarza7568]

Your reverse engineered sweater is turning out awesome! So cool to watch your process And see how you make decisions. For your blanket I like the idea of the stripes. I really enjoy your broadcast.. Keep up the great work! I appreciate you! Stephanie from California

[@sewhappysarahr8912]

As always, a very helpful video. I wonder if wash away stabilizer would work for your sweater....

[@lifenchen657]

Try the tulip buttonhole of Techknitter

[@bendiehintz1175]

You might want to try the Jelly Roll blanket but a bakery bears KF Jones it’s very good for using up scrap

[@emveecee]

Fascinating, thanks for another wonderful video!

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

I like to see all the thinking and preparation you do before starting to knit. Much less ripping this way !

[@karenb136]

My guess on the buttons is that you will alternate them color wise going down the sweater and possibly put one or more as decoration on the pockets?

[@professorrhyyt3689]

For the spin/dye project: A shawl knitted and then dipped in gradually stronger dye so as to form a gradient from undyed to "max-dyed".

[@AnneGoggansQHHT]

Dip dye each yarn with half dyed and half left bare. You will have stripes in each wool accentuating a color and the bare yarn

[@elaineenstone6834]

The use of your breed study in a modular form sounds really interesting and I look forward to seeing your choice. I am learning so much by watching your podcast and will wait to see if my ideas of buttons match yours. Assuming you were to have 9 buttonholes, starting at the bottom with 3 red followed by 3 grey followed by 3 red. 🇬🇧

[@astaarens3886]

Hey! You might be interested that Meg Swansen (EZ's daughter) has a series of articles in the 2010 Vogue Knitting magazines (I think the first one was in Early Fall edition) talking about her mothers EPS. She made a few modifications to improve the transition of decreases and make it look smoother. I don't know if they're available online to read but maybe you can find a physical copy.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I have several Schoolhouse Press Patterns, and The Opinionated Knitter which have updated EPS info, but since they were published long after the 1970s, I "can't" use that information for my 1970s project, because I want to use only resources available during that decade. :-)

[@cathysmusic2244]

Have you used a tear away stabilizer while you sew the button hole. It might help. Some even have a sticky side to adhere to the band. Good luck 🤞

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I did use tearaway stabilizer! :-)

[@cathysmusic2244]

@@RoxanneRichardson phooey! I think you're wise to test different techniques. I'm glad you share trials and how it works!

[@TrudySchwartzBurrill]

You could dye the dark dark wools and experiment with over dying and shadow dying. Like using neon yellow over the black wools comes out very electric green. It’s fabulous experimentation.

[@bethliebman8169]

I like Vivian's patterns. I hope you return to your plan of knitting an historical inspired Danish Night Shirt you talked about last summer. I like your new design for your 1970s sweater.

[@xiomarastabacksmith1908]

Where do I find the show notes? Love your show. Thanks very much.

[@peggytoman6997]

I think you are going to double layer the buttons

[@mariehansen2534]

Hello there, I enjoyed your visit this morning, you certainly have a challenge on your hands but it will come together. I hope to find a tutorial on how to lengthen a Sweater body because I thought it was long enough but a few more inches would be nice, times like this, I really miss my Mother's knowledge. Lovely to catch up and will see you again soon.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

It is possible to lengthen a sweater, but how you do it/whether you can do it depends on the stitch patterns involved. I did a video on it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2qwqnWqYqh9qas

[@Sequoya]

Great episode!

[@sharimasson]

Hi Rox - do you always knit bottom up sweaters? Do you have info on using EPS for top down?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I knit top down occasionally, but prefer at least knitting the body bottom up. I'd suggest Walker's book, Knitting From the Top, if you want to work out an approach for top down sweaters that fit you.

[@gz9gjg108]

70s Sweater: I would consider offsetting the center diamond by 1/2 repeat vertically, so you don't have three diamonds in a row. BTW, look at Starmore's Kinsale - very similar "vibe" to your design

[@lisshaw2679]

Fabulous video 😊 please tell me where you got your cute sheep tee from please

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I probably bought it at a yarn shop or a knitting event marketplace. It was years ago.

[@xiomarastabacksmith1908]

Roxanne, thank you for the great show. Where can I find the show notes?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

That depends on what sort of device you're using. If it's a mobile device, click on the shallow V to the right of the video title. If you're on a computer, click on where the video description says SHOW MORE.

[@elisabethkronqvist3987]

In Vogue Knitting, p. 121 in my edition, there is a metod of stabilising steeks with single crochet stitches, which might be useful. It seems as if it'd leave a neater edge for vertical buttonholes, but I've no idea how it'd work out in brioche. This is a gorgeous cardigan, well worth the time and effort to work out the best kind of buttonhole.

[@kristiesales3028]

hi can you maybe please make a video of the seamless raglan sweater in knitting with tears i also have the book...☺

[@heathersharp-keys8240]

What about the one that had black and white stripes with blocks of different color throughout?

[@joanmachado9063]

Great video thank you

[@maker5035]

Layering the buttons, ie red behind black? So red peeks out framing the black button? I'm an accomplished sewist. I don’t believe a sewing machine button hole would work w brioche stitch. I might experiment w hand binding the buttonholes w a buttonhole stitch. It would strengthen the hole. Curious to know how you proceed!

[@heathersharp-keys8240]

What sizing does she use for her garments? There's a really cool top I like. Thanks

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Each garment is presented in one size, with the complete layout of the "school" shape shown for each piece. The pieces are very simply shaped -- usually rectangles, making them very easy to add length or width to them. I flipped through quickly to see what the sizes were and saw one had a finished measurement of 39 1/2'', but another had 52''. So they vary, and they are very easy to modify because of the geometry of the modular designs.

[@heathersharp-keys8240]

@@RoxanneRichardson I don't have the talent to do anything but change the suggested yarn to something without mohair or $50 a skein and it calls for 11 skeins. I've never actually been able to modify, so I try to pick it size larger, so when I screw up and can't figure out where I went wrong, I make it a design elements and move on I've been trying to test knit a yoke sweater and can't get past row 3. I even switched to a smoother, tightly twisted yarn and still ended up frogging 4 times. Anyway, I love your videos. I learn so much. Thanks for the reply.

[@xbaczewska4197]

Dark buttons over red buttons to make one button, mirroring pocket-lining concept.

[@hazeldonner1855]

I have become confused with your 1970’s project. I thought you were going for fairisle 🤔. I was looking forward to that. The pattern you are deciding on with moss st sides might effect the length especially at the armholes. Isn’t there a different gauge length between st st and moss st?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I explained last week why I decided to switch directions on the 1970s sweater. Moss stitch row gauge is different than stockinette, but there is enough surrounding stockinette to counteract that, so the row gauge isn't an issue.

[@hazeldonner1855]

@@RoxanneRichardson sorry. I had watched last weeks where you explained about the Pouch thing but I didn’t grasp you were changing your idea of fairisle. I hope you will do that one day. ❤️

[@goswamigeeta]

Please don't risk machine button holes, as completing this cardigan with the same ýarn is important.

[@sasharaj]

I was thinking that hand-sewn buttonholes might work for you, but I wouldn't use thread, 50 weight for example. You might use 12 weight, cotton perle; take a look at Sulky brand. Or a fingering weight yarn.