Rainbow Brite no Seetaa (レインボーブライトのセーター)

It's the holiday season (in 2017) and it was finally time to start on one of my (many) sweater project(s)!  It was hard to figure out which yarn would be used first in my sweater foray - after all, I have two (2!) whole boxes of sweater projects waiting to be made! :P  I settled for using my Knitting Fever Painted Desert yarns and my Chiaogoo 4" US 3 needles.  And here's how my adventure went along:

First, I had to figure out exactly what kind of sweater I wanted to make.  Because the yarn itself was a colorful gradient-ish yarn, I figured if I made the simplest of sweaters, it could work out nicely with the yarn.  Thus, my first yoke sweater was born.  Then I had to figure out how to actually make it.  After doing a few searches and rummaging around the web a bit, I found: The Yoke-u-lator!  Based on the instructions/"guidance" for The Yoke-u-lator and some guidelines from Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Top Down Sweaters, here's what I did:

1. Using the Twilight yarn (aka Yarn A), I casted on 210 stitches and joined in the round.
2. Row 1: Start the first round with a 1x1 ribbing using Yarn A.
3. Row 2: Continue 1x1 ribbing pattern using the Maroon yarn (aka Yarn B).
4. Row 3-5 (3 rows): Continue in pattern switching from Yarn A to Yarn B until the ribbing is x cm (x in), ending  in Yarn A.
5. Row 6: With Yarn B, switch to stockinette stitch.
6. Row 7: With Yarn A, continue stockinette stitch, increasing 12 stitches evenly over the  round (additional 17 stitches, total 227)
7. Row 8-10 (3 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending with Yarn B.
8. Row 11: With Yarn A, increase 11 stitches evenly over the round (additional 20 stitches, for a total of 247).
9. Row 12-16 (5 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
10. Row 17: With Yarn A, increase 11 stitches evenly over the round (additional 22 stitches, for a total of 269).
11. Row 18-26 (9 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
12. Row 27: With Yarn A, increase 11 stitches evenly over the round (additional 24 stitches, for a total of 293).
13. Row 28-30 (3 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
14. Row 31: With Yarn A, increase 6 stitches evenly over the round (additional 49 stitches, for a total of 342).
15. Row 32-42 (11 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
16. Row 43: With Yarn A, increase 12 stitches evenly over the round (additional 28 stitches, for a total of 370).
17. Row 44-56 (13 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
18. Row 57: With Yarn A, increase 12 stitches evenly over the round (additional 30 stitches, for a total of 400).
19. Row 58-66 (9 rows): Starting with Yarn B, k in the round and alternating with Yarn A, ending in Yarn B.
20. Row 67: Time to split the sleeves from the body!  K 119 sts & place a marker; slip 102 sts onto another knitting cable to "make" the first sleeve.  Cast on 43 sts and join it to the "back" side. K 120 sts & place a marker; slip 102 sts onto another knitting cable to "make the second sleeve.  Cast on 43 sts and join it to the "front"s side.
21. Row 68-75 (9 rows): k139, p3, k126, p3, k20 (291 sts)
22. Row 76: k137, k2tog, p3, k126, p3, k20 (290 sts)
23. Row 77-88 (12 rows): k138, p3, k126, p3, k20 (290 sts)
24. Row 89: k136, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k123, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k18 (287 sts)
25. Row 90: k the knits, p the purls (287 sts)
26. Row 91: k135, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k120, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k17 (282 sts)
27. Row 92: k the knits, p the purls (282 sts)
28. Row 93: k134, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k118, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k16 (278 sts)
29. Row 94-224 (130 rows): k the knits, p the purls (278 sts)
30. Row 225-240 (15 rows): k, p to create a 1x1 ribbing (278 sts)
31. Bind off bottom.

As I was nearing the bottom of the sweater, I realized that I would not have enough yarn for the sleeves (much less the rest of the bottom of the sweater!).  So, off I went to the same place in which I picked up Yarn A to buy a substitute variation of it: 30 Egyptian.  While it wasn't quite exactly the same, it was close enough to the coloration and gradation of Yarn A.  It had to do since I needed more yarn for sleeves (and it was seriously my only option anyways)!  

Now time for The Sleeves.  I initially picked up 25 sts for each sleeve and started the sleeves.  As they grew longer, something was just wrong with my sleeves - they were oddly puffy!  So, I ripped out my sleeves and started again.  I found that I had to initially start with a different number of stitches for each sleeve because of the way I had split off everything. So here's how it went:
For the Right side:

1. Picked up 16 sts for a total of 118 sts.
2. R-Sleeve Row 1: k11, p3, k104 (118 sts)
3. R-Sleeve Row 2: Decrease every 5 sts (for a total of 20 sts) except for the p sts & last 3 sts (last 3 sts = k, k2tog) (98 sts)
4. R-Sleeve Row 3-5 (3 rows): k the knits, p the purls (98 sts)
5. R-Sleeve Row 6: Decrease every 5 sts (for a total of 18 sts) except for the p sts (82 sts)
6. R-Sleeve Row 7: k4, k2tog, k, k2tog, p3, k70 (80 sts)
7. R-Sleeve Row 8-20 (13 rows): k the knits, p the purls (80 sts)
8. R-Sleeve Row 21: k8, k2tog, k, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k2, *k6, k2tog*, repeat * 5 times (71 sts)
9. R-Sleeve Row 22: k14, p3, k2tog, k to end (70 sts)
10. R-Sleeve Row 23-110 (88 rows): k the knits, p the purls
11. *R-Sleeve Row 111: k15 (k to the last 2 start), k2tog tbl, p3, k to end (69 sts)
12. R-Sleeve Row 112: k16, p3, k2tog, k to end* (68 sts)
13. R-Sleeve Row 113-120 (8 rows): repeat R-Sleeve Row 111 & 112 alternately, decreasing a total of 8 sts (60 sts)
14. R-Sleeve Row 121-140 (20 rows): k the knits, p the purls (60 sts)
15. R-Sleeve Row 141: k13 (k to the last 2 start), k2tog tbl, p3, k to end (59 sts)
16. R-Sleeve Row 142: k14, p3, k2tog, k to end* (58 sts)
17. R-Sleeve Row 143-150 (8 rows): repeat R-Sleeve Row 141 & 142 alternately, decreasing a total of 8 sts (50 sts)
18. R-Sleeve Row 151-180 (30 rows): k the knits, p the purls (50 sts)
19. R-Sleeve Row 181-190 (10 rows); k. p to create a 1x1 ribbing (50 sts)
20. Bind off.

For the Left side:

1. Picked up 29 sts for a total of 131 sts.
2. L-Sleeve Row 2: k8, k2tog, k1, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k3, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 9 times (119 sts)
3. L-Sleeve Row 3: k8, k2tog, p3, k to the end (118 sts)
4. L-Sleeve Row 4-5 (2 rows): k the knits, p the purls
5. L-Sleeve Row 6: k4, k2tog, k, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k2, 8k5, k2tog*, repeat * 8 times (99 sts)
6. L-Sleeve Row 7: k10, k2tog, p3, k to end (98 sts)
7. L-Sleeve Row 8-9 (2 rows): k the knits, p the purls
8. L-Sleeve Row 10: k4, k2tog, k3, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k2 , *k4, k2tog*, repeat * 7 times (84 sts)
9. L-Sleeve Row 11: k4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2, k2tog, p3, k to the end (80 sts)
10. L-Sleeve Row 12-20 (9 rows): k the knits, p the pursl
11. L-Sleeve Row 21: k8, k2tog, k, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k2, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 5 times (70 sts)
12. L-Sleeve Row 22-110 (89 rows): k the knits, p the purls
13. L-Sleeve Row 111: k6, k2tog, p3, k to end (69 sts)
14. L-Sleeve Row 112: k7, p3, k2tog tbl, k to end* (68 sts)
15. L-Sleeve Row 113-120: repeat R-Sleeve Row 111 & 112 alternately, decreasing a total of 8 sts (60 sts)
16. L-Sleeve Row 121-140 (20 rows): k the knits, p the purls (60 sts)
17. L-Sleeve Row 141: k4, k2tog, p3, k to end* (59 sts)
18. L-Sleeve Row 142: k3, p3, k2tog, k to end* (58 sts)
19. L-Sleeve Row 143-150 (8 rows): repeat R-Sleeve Row 141 & 142 alternately, decreasing a total of 8 sts (50 sts)
20. L-Sleeve Row 151-180 (30 rows): k the knits, p the purls (50 sts)
21. L-Sleeve Row 181-190 (10 rows); k. p to create a 1x1 ribbing (50 sts)
22. Bind off.

After spending nearly six (6!) months, I finally have another hand-made sweater!  I learned a lot from this sweater like: 1) how I should've used the helix method instead of knitting by rows (there's a "line" on my sweater that won't block out 😒 - thankfully, it's on the "side" of my sweater so, it's not so obvious when I'm wearing it - well, in all honesty, it depends on which angle you're looking at me to see the "line" 😜), 2) I need to better plan out my sweater (versus just winging it at every step of the way) so that I can avoid mistakes (like the line in my sweater or re-doing sleeves three (3!) times!) or ripping out large chunks of my sweater (multiple times) to get it (mostly) right and 3) never finish a sweater at the peak of one of the most humid summers on record so I can take pictures and post my blog in a much more timely manner 😜.

Here's my final steps:

Played yarn chicken 😌 ... And ... (barely) WON)! 👍🤘👊 

It's been washed and being blocked on my Coco Knits Gauge Cloth & Inspinknity blocking wires (looks like that line isn't gonna be blocked out 🙄)

Here's what it looks like completely washed and dried:

Front

Left

Back

Right

Overall, I'm happy with the sweater (although I wish it'd be a bit cooler so I can wear it) and am looking forward to another sweater adventure!  😍