The following tips were compiled from the Ample Knitters email list.
Their tips reflect their own experience with their resized Diamond Patch Sweater
worked in the yarns they selected.
Please note that your chosen yarn may work up differently,
especially in regard to "growing" in width or length.
Smaller sizes, such as the 42" and 48" given in the pattern,
will not "grow" to the extent described below.
As with all knitted garments, working a swatch is the key to success! - Jill Vosburg
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Diamond Patch Tips from Ample Knitters List (thanks to Carol and Betsey!):
Carol's Tips: Most Important Note - The first row "grows" about 8" when it's put together. So what everyone has done is work a patch that you like, measure it, and see how many you need to equal your EXACT measurements and then knit the first row. It will grow enough to be perfect size with the right amount of ease. SO......do first row to your EXACT hip measurement (or bust measurement if making a shorter version). 1. I wasn't sure when I got to row 37 if I should still knit the last stitch. Yes, is the answer. It just makes that row easy to pick up like all the others. 2. The ssk I like better for this design is the s1 as if to k, s1 as if to purl and place the left needle in front of 2 stitches on the right needle and k2tog. It looks great with the preceding k2tog. 3. I agree with another AK knitlister who said, don't worry when you get to the neck. It will look way too big, but as Jill promises it comes in shape nicely following her instructions. 4. I did 3" more on my sleeves to make them short rather than cap sleeves, i.e. many more repeats :) 5. This should have been first. The swatch is the key!! Play with the needle size and number of stitches until you get the feel of fabric you like and the size. Then the rest is easy. **MOST IMPORTANTLY - the first row grows about 6" when it is all "connected" so keep this in mind..... Betsey's Tips I originally did the neckline just the way it is described in the DPS booklet. You do a row of single crochet around the neck, and then pick up the neckline stitches and knit several rows of * K1 through back loop, P1* ribbing. It looked OK, but I really wasn't thrilled with the rather hard line left by the single crochet - it just wasn't as fluid as the rest of the knitting. I fretted about it a bit and decided to rip! The second time, I just picked up the stitches along the neckline the same way you pick up stitches for a new patch. Then I started off with 4 rows of garter stitch, to more closely tie in the neckline with the patch design. Then I started the ribbing. I really like the way the garter bit looks - now the neckline patches are framed on all sides with garter like the rest of the patches. Then I looked at the centered double decrease I had done per Jill's instructions and thought, why don't I do the same type of centered decreases as I did in the patches? IOW, do *k2tog, slip marker, SSK* and have the two columns of stitches side by side in the neck decreases the same way they run up the center of each diamond. So that's what I did, plus about 8 rows of the twisted 1x1 ribbing before the bind off. Tried it on and was happy!!