June 2012

Some people have had trouble understanding the neck shaping in this pattern. I’m happy to address any problems you have if you e-mail me or PM me on Ravelry. I think the part that is hard to understand is where the pattern says “knit to the end of the row” in the neck shaping part. The first instruction for the neck shaping says to leave 8 stitches (at the center front edge) on the needle and turn the work. After that you will decrease 4 stitches also at the center front edge, but you do not knit these 8 stitches again. When I say “the end of the row, I mean “the gap between the 8 stitches and the rest of the front.” I’m sorry for the confusion. I hope this note helps. I am not at home now and can’t rewrite the pattern or upload a new version at the moment. But I will try to figure out a better way to say it and correct the pattern when I get home again.

Okay try these instructions instead of the instructions in the pattern when you get to the neck shaping part.
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Shape front neck: Beginning with a purl side row work to within 8 stitches of end of row. Place marker. (These 8 stitches will stay on the needle, but will not be knit again, until you pick them up for the neck band later.)
Turn.
Slip first stitch, knit next stitch, pass first stitch over second and drop. (one stitch decreased.) (17 st +8)
Turn work. Purl next row to marker. Turn.
Decrease one stitch; knit to end of row. (16 st +8)) Purl to marker.
Continue to decrease 1 stitch at marker on each knit row, (2 more times) until 14 stitches (+8)
remain on needle. End with a knit row. Cut yarn, leaving about 18 inches. Do not bind off.
Slip the back stitches to the right hand needle.

Left front: Attach yarn at armhole slit and work across in pattern. Continue left front until the
band is the same length as right front band. This is easy to determine. Just slide the left front
along the needle till it lies next to the right front. End with a purl row.
Knit across to within 8 stitches of the end. Place marker. Turn. Work across. Decrease one stitch at end of next row just before marker and every outside row, by knitting the last two stitches before the marker together. Continue until 14 stitches remain. End with a purl row. Cut yarn, leaving 18”.
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I have knitted this pattern many times and have finally written it down and am offering it as a free download. I hope there aren’t any mistakes in it, but if you find one please let me know so I can fix it for the next person.

I’m not crazy about seaming, so I write my patterns with as little finishing as possible. The sleeves are set in, but the body is worked in one piece including the button bands. The finishing then consists of sewing in the sleeves and sewing on buttons. My patterns are written for circular needles, but this one is knit back and forth on a circular needle.