Lime Swing

Here's my friend Ellen modeling my new knit, Lime Swing. She just happened to walk into Knitting yesterday wearing the perfect matching T-shirt, so I grabbed the sweater and put it on her for photos! Fit her like a dream, and I almost gave her the thing.

I am still in love with the Easy Way concept and find that the things I knit from this straight-line method are fast and fun and adjustable. The only thing I don't like is that mostly they are bottom up. I like top down knitting, so I decided to make this one from the top down.
Here's the pattern, size 38,  top down, size 8 needles, worsted weight yarn...
My new way to do this is with a crochet provisional cast on, but it is not necessary. I just like it because I know there will be no ridge at the neck when I put the stitches on for the collar band. And no seam at the shoulder. But if you just want to cast on, you can always pick up stitches for the collar and fronts from the top (cast on) edge of the back. Or use some other preferred provisional cast on.

Cast on 56 stitches and knit garter straight for 6.5". It is important to slip the first stitch of every row to facilitate picking up shoulder/sleeve/collar stitches later.
When you have knit the back 'yoke', put the stitches on hold (or a second circular needle) and join two new balls of yarn and pick up 18 stitches at each shoulder ( the cast on stitches) to begin the fronts. (Leave 20 stitches unknit for the neck)
Knit in garter for 6.5" and then you are ready to cast on the underarm stitches, 24 for each armhole. There will be fiddling, since you will have to decide when to cut one ball of yarn as you join the fronts to the back.  You will have 18+24+56+24+18 stitches total. Keep in garter for a few more rows, like 6 ridges or 12 rows. Switch to pattern stitch.

The pattern stitch I used is garter rib: row 1 (right side) : K. row 2: K2, P2
I increased 2 sts ( m1)every six or so rows along both edges of the center front starting 12 ridges down from the 'shoulder'. (aren't I specific? hahaha) Actually it was one stitch in from the edge.

Knit until you like the length. I did the sleeves next, picking up 54 sts in each of the edge chains of the shoulder ( not the underarm stitches). Knit in pattern for 3 inches or so, (I knit it flat, not in the round this time)  and then begin to decrease every 9th chain ( still keeping the slip first stitch routine.) I got as far as 44 stitches before I ran out of yarn. You could do the sleeves in the round and decide on your own decreases. The stitch pulls in and looks as tho the sleeves are super skinny, but blocking brings everything to its correct size.
Collar: From the front: Pick up one stitch from each edge chain, turn and knit the first row (you're on the back side so it is purled on the front) and then knit in garter ridge pattern for about 3.5". Sew underarm to sleeve, and sew the rest of sleeve. Done and ready for wet blocking. It took me four days to make it....super easy super fast.
  
The armhole is squared off at the bottom, which are the cast on 24 mentioned above.
 The yarn is Fibra Natura Sensational by Universal Yarn, 100% Merino, 90 yards per skein, and this took every inch of ten skeins.



X marks the m1 increases along the front edge. I wanted the fronts to come closer to meeting so the increases continue down to the hem.