Sweater Weather

While it's not quite sweater weather where I live, it's definitely time for another sweater! 🙌. Using my Caron Plum Perfect yarn (I bought this yarn back when I made my very first sweater (in 2014)) and my Denise US8 (5mm) needles, I pulled out my Strange Brew book (which was gifted to me; the book is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!) and used their basic top-down yoke formula.  I measured myself and found that my chest was 37" which meant that I needed to make a M sized sweater using my DK weight yarn.  Here's what I did:

1. Cast on 104 sts using the long-tail cast on method.
2. Work a 1x1 rib for 5 rows.
3. Follow the set-up round, a total of 120 sts
4. Next was increasing Round 1 (continue in stockinette st) for 8 rows, totaling 312 sts; in row 6, I realized my gauge was really tight so I switch to US10 (6mm) needles.

It was time to make sure I was heading in the right direction.  I tried on what little I had and found that the neckline which seemed ok at first, was really stretching out quite a bit; no longer was it a little wider than a crewneck but not quite a boatneck, it was beyond a boatneck and would be falling off my shoulders soon! 😳😒. I re-read my book again and ripped it back out to the ribbing portion.  Then, I changed to my US10 (6mm) needles and redid the set-up and Increase Round 1 again.  Still, it was not coming out right.  So, I emailed tincanknits (the author of the book) and asked them what they thought of my progress.  They answered a few days later (they were at KnitCity - lucky folks!) and provided me more clarification.  Here's what I did:

1. Rip back to the first Increase Round 1(for a total of 144 sts)
2. Knit for 8 rows, maintaining 144 sts (using my Chiaogoo US10 (6mm) needles)
3. Increase Round 2 for a total of 216 sts
4. Knit for 14 rows, maintaining 216 sts
5. Increase Round 3 for a total of 264 sts
6. Knit for 4 rows, maintaining 264 sts

I found that at this point, it was deep enough to separate for the sleeves.  I skipped Increase Round 4 and the short rows in the back portions (this time around).  It was time for Yoke Separation.

1. Separate 53 sts for the sleeve, cast on 15 sts, knit 87 sts for the front, separate 53 sts for the other sleeve, cast on 15 sts and knit 70 sts for the back.  The instructions actually said to cast on the same number of sts for the front and back but when I tried that, the back flared out in a weird way so I had to rip it back and used the numbers above.
2. Knit 5 rows, maintaining 187 sts
3. It was time to give some shape to the body; *k3, k2tog* 14 times, k3, k2tog, p5, ssk, k3, *k2, k2tog" 17 times, k3, k2tog, p5, ssk, k3 for a total of 149 sts
4. K72, k2tog, p5, ssk, k53, k2tog, k2, k2tog, p5, ssk, k2 for a total of 144 sts
5. *K2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog* 3 times, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, *ktog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog* 3 times, k, k2tog, p5, ssk, k46, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k, k2tog, p5, ssk, k for a total of 124 sts
6. Knit 1 row
7. *K4, k2tog* 5 times, k2, p5, ssk, k2, k2tog, k39, k2tog, k6, p5, k2tog, for a total of 110 sts
8. Knit 1 row
9. K2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k6, k42tog, k2, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k4, p5, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, ssk, p5 for a total of 90 sts
10. Knit 11 rows.

It was time for another sweater check.  It fit ... But ... The top portion was puffy and a bit wrinkly in a funny way.  In short, it was terrible!  I ripped everything out back to where I separated for the sleeves and tried again.  Here's what I did:

1. Separate 53 sts for the sleeves.
2. K86, p4, k65, p4 for a total of 159 sts
3. Knit 15 rows
4. K3, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 4 times, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4, ssk, p4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 4 times, k5, ssk, p4, k2tog for a total of 149 sts
5. Knit 4 rows
6. K3, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k4, k2tog, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 4 times, k6, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, ssk, p4, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k6, k2tog, *k8, k2tog*, repeat * 3 times, k6, ssk, p4, k2tog for a total of 130 sts 
7. Knit 4 rows
8. K2tog, k5, k2tog, *k9, k2tog*, repeat * 4 times, k2, ssk, p4, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k, k2tog, *k9, k2tog*, repeat * 3 times,  k8, ssk, p4, k2tog for a total of 120 sts
9. Knit 40 rows
10. Purl 1 row
11. Split for the front (77 sts) and back (53 sts)
12. Back: 1x1 ribbing starting and ending with a p st; knit for 12 rows
13. Front: 1x1 ribbing starting and ending with a p st by picking up a st 3 sts before the last st; knit for 6 rows   
14. Bind off

Time for the sleeves:

1. Pick up 6 sts for a total of 59 sts
2. P2, k55, p2
3. Knit 15 rows

Time to do a sleeve check: it seemed to fit fine but ... It was starting to look like one of my other sweaters ... B-o-r-i-n-g ... So, I thought, what if I could put a purl section on top of my shoulder too?  At least it would look a little different than my other sweaters ... So, here's what I did:

1. The pattern should be: P2, k25, p4, k26, p2
2. When you get to the p4, rip it all the way back down to the collar and purl it back up from there.  I know ... It sounds crazy  but, it looked a little odd to start it where it was and since I didn't plan it out, I wasn't smart enough/think creatively enough on how to make it more decoratively.
3. P2, k2tog, k24, ssk, p4, k2tog, k25, ssk, p2 for a total of 55 sts
4. Knit 2 rows 
5. *P2, k2tog, k23, ssk, p4, k2tog, k24, ssk, p2* for a total of 51 sts
6. Knit 2 rows
7. Repeat * above for 47 sts
8. Knit 2 rows
9. Repeat * for 43 sts
10. Knit 2 rows
11. Repeat * for 39 sts
12. Knit 37 rows
13. Repeat * for 35 rows
14. Knit 2 rows
15. Repeat * for 31 rows
16. Knit 16 rows
    
17. 1x1 ribbing for 5 rows
18. Bind off
    

Ta-da!  A finished sweater!

 

Front

 Side

 Inside Sleeve

 Inside side

Back

Now, it just needs to be cool enough for me to wear it! ❄️☃️

09/18/20 Up-date: After getting a chance to wear this a few times, I felt that my collar was just a bit too wide.  So, I added four (4) additional rows to decrease the collar from 104 stitches to 54 stitches and used Jenny's Stretchy bind off to bind off. Now, the collar is as it should be. 🙌 🎉👍