u/CieloCiel1234

I got some cashmere yarn from Japan (Cashmere Russo as it's translated) a while back but couldn't bring myself to use it - first cause I didn't get a sweater quantity (it was really expensive) and second the weight was light fingering. I happened across Colourmart as suggested by some redditors and was able to get some 154g of fingering cashmere yarn at a much lower cost.

I knew I still didn't have enough for a full sweater if I double strand those two yarns but I figured I could at least make the body and collar with it.

Dug up some older stash (Patonyle Artistry) and finished off the sleeves with it. Made the torso shorter as I wanted a more cropped look and crochet in some elastic thread so that it hugs my body (I'm so shit at keeping tension around my ribbed area)

Nothing fancy, it was a straight forward sweater which I needed before embarking again on a more complicated project. Just wanted to share with you guys, the weather is getting colder now in the Southern Hemisphere!

Pattern:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/minna-no-sweater

Hi Mods, not sure if this is the right flair, I've messaged the designer and probably will continue to reach out to her but it's not been very helpful. It's also my first complicated wearable with shaping and incorporating different stitch patterns.

I've read through the pattern heaps of time, and I am driving myself nuts trying to visualise different parts of the pattern while keeping track of the increases (which changes the rows and stitch counts of each section). I have not started the pattern yet as I want to get a general sense of how the knitting process and finding myself very overwhelmed.

The designer has also taken to shorten subsequent rows after the set up into something like

Row 7: Zig Zag P5, C2L, P6 Diamond P5, C2L, P6, C2R, P5

Basically omitting the additional cables and basket stitches at the start and between each section

I get that because those section instructions doesn't change over a few rows, it's the same stitch but I can't visualize it and I'm trying to see if there's a way to put it into excel so I'm able to tell row by row what I'm doing.

(I've emailed the designer asking which section constitutes a diamond as stated in the pattern and which is Zig zag and she explained it but it took a while before I realized she expected me to understand there are cables and basket stitches between those section)

In addition to that, there are increases that are done into the basket stitches and later on into the Zig Zag patten.

I'm not ranting, I really would appreciate any advice given as to how I can start this as I really want to learn and be better at reading patterns, there are schematics included but they are filled with so many various instructions for different sizing in one page that it's not helpful for me right now.

Do I just cast on, give it a go? I could try putting it into excel so it's easier to see (she gave a picture of the completed work and marked out where the increases are so I can check that as well)

I'm sorry if it's not appropriate or anything, I really tried reading through and understanding and I'm still a little loss. :(