why re-invent the wheel?

Back in February, I mentioned re-knitting Hoods Up using 2 colours because I didn’t have enough of any one colour – well, what was I thinking? (forehead slap!) Omega - it’s a two-colour hoodie  design already (Serial Stuff 4) that I’ve had a ton of compliments on, so, just remake it with the Honiburd cotton!
That’s the best thing about using a charting device – I have the shape already, and I actually did make a swatch in the black.  Often, different colours can have quite drastic differences in the gauge, especially black cotton because of the way it is dyed and, especially standard gauge work because it is finer and the gauge is more crucial than for a mid gauge or bulky garment.
As you can see, I went with black and the paper bag tan. All I have to do is put the new stitch and row gauge into my KR11 and I’m ready to go. I do want pockets on this one – my original Omega is WCD, very fitted, and I didn’t do pockets, but I’ve often thought I should add them, so with this one, I’m adding them in a way to eliminate having to sew them on as patch pockets. I made the pocket from Hoods Up – same number of stitches and rows because it’s the same yarn, but instead of a fixed edge cast-on, I just cast on waste yarn and ravel cord (to have open stitches at the bottom edge) and knit the pocket - two of them actually, one in reverse of the other -  removed on a garter bar and set aside.  Knit the front up to the same row as the top of the pocket. Took the front off on another garter bar, rehung the corresponding pocket at the centre edge, put the front back on and continued to knit.
To join the bottom of the pocket, make the hem band same as in either pattern and hem it - band finished and right side is hanging on the needles. The bottom edge of the pocket - hang it starting from the centre edge and then hang the bottom stitches of the front on top. Pull both/all through band stitches, manually knit the loose row and chain off. The centre edge of the pocket gets joined in the front/zipper band and the only hand stitching to do is that last little half side of the pocket before the slope – so much quicker and neater than hand-sewing-on in any method! And it matches the more sophisticated finishing methods of  Omega  but I will go with the zipper technique from HU!

KR11- Silver Reed Charting Device

HU – Hoods Up
WCD – Wool Crepe Deluxe
PBT – paper bag tan