So, I’ve made the Little Sister Dress, and the grand plan was to also have a big sister sweater…jumpin’ out on the design limb. If it works out right, and if I can take charge of my brain afterwards, I’ll think about writing it up. :)

Also, the ice cream cone buttons? Check out Fastenation Studio, and find some fabulous buttons for whatever you are knitting! Hannah does a great job with her stuff!

10/29 - ok, the more I knit on this, the more I know that I am NEVER going to write it up. Sorry, peeps. It’s really more of a hack than a pattern, the way I’ve done it. So here is what I’m doing:

Found a cable pattern I really liked (see mug cozy) and knit a strip long enough to go around the kid (about 24-25” for this one). I started with a provisional cast-on, and when it was long enough, I did not bind off…just put the sts on a holder.

Then, based on the numbers from my sweater pattern, I picked up stitches for the fronts and backs along one edge of the strip (I have a total of 196 sts), and I knit up from there, splitting for raglan sleeves after about 3 repeats of the cable pattern (which I also included at the front edges). I then provisionally cast on sleeve stitches (68 for each sleve) and bound off 4 at each underarm, started raglan decreases and v-neck-ish decreases after a few rows.

After knitting all the decreases so I had a good length and neckline, I slipped my live stitches to waste yarn until I was ready to knit the shawl collar, which I did by picking up all the side and neck stitches, and knitting short rows starting on row 3, then an additional 9 rows of k1, p1 rib. Bind off in pattern.

Next, I picked up stitches on the other side of the waist strip, one for each row because I want the “skirt” to be a little fuller than the sweater. I did 8 sts in garter, then used the lace pattern from Traveling Woman shawl for the sweater bottom…I have a total of 20 pattern repeats, plus 15 (garter border), which equals 295 sts.

When the time came to knit the sleeves, I put the sleeve sts on needles and unzipped provisional cast on. I was getting 9 rounds/inch, so I knew I would need about 108 rounds (sleeve 1 ended with 109 rounds) for 12” sleeves. I am decreasing every 7 rounds (10x), and adding a lace panel (to match hem) on the outer front edge of the sleeve. These will likely be 3/4-length sleeves next season, and I am hoping the sweater will still be quite wearable that way. :)

11/5 - Confession time: I have not blocked the thing, and I am not sure I will. Well, I probably will…but even without, I think it turned out pretty great! As a matter of fact, I think I love it!

11/10 - I blocked it. Why do I fight the blocking? It is so much MORE AMAZING that I’ve even re-blogged it! (But, I’ve also left some of the pre-blocked photos here to remind myself of the magic…)