OKAY. Since I can’t count and this ended up off-center, I’m finally giving up and saying fuck it to the idea of a sweater - but I also have put in SO MUCH WORK on this that I can’t bear to frog - so I’m going to knit a few more rows in red on the top, bind off, and mount it with some batting behind it. It will be our Christmas door decoration.

I have no idea who to credit for the original design here. I’m just charting out a sweatshirt someone took a picture of. If anyone’s got a lead on the designer, I will gladly give credit.

Also, this project had 3 favorites before I even ordered the yarn and 11 before I cast on. You people are weird and I love you.

Yarn/Pattern Choice Math:

Border is an 8-stitch repeat, so sweater body will need to have a multiple of 8 sts. Border is 19 rows tall.

Design is 180 rows tall including borders and spacing. Roommate’s sweatshirt gives this about 20.5”, give or take, which is like 35 rows per 4”, so I think I may eliminate the top border, which gives me 161 rows - 31 rows per 4”, which is more reasonable. Also he can deal with a longer shirt, so I can probably go as long as 29 rows per 4”.

Back is 137 sts wide including some spacing. Roommate’s sweatshirt gives this 20”, which is 27sts per 4”.

Result: Sport weight on small needles (US3?); I’m thinking Knit Picks Brava and this pattern.

Swatching: Initial swatching with some leftover Brava Sport and US2 needles is looking like I’m only going to be able to make 22-23 sts per 4”. That means something like 115 per front/back panel if I want it to be a 20” wide sweater. I might be cutting it a little close.

Back design is 113 sts wide, casting on 125 sts = 6 sts on each side. This gon’ be tight. 10 rows of ribbing got me 1 3/8” - purling one row and going directly into the pattern. Starting at stitch 7 of the border so everything will center nicely (accounting for the two selvedge stitches).

Ooo, this DROPS pattern includes increases. Excellent, more room for pentagrams when I do the back.