This is a really fun pattern; well-written and knits up quickly. (I only worked on it sporatically here and there, so don’t take my start and finish dates the wrong way. If this was my only project, I could have done it in a week or so.) The drop-stitch rows make the fabric build wonderfully fast, and the construction is clever without being complicated. I hope others are inspired to knit this, it is a really fun and satisfying knit. (Also note that my “tricky” in the title comes from the original pattern heading “tricks”, not because it’s necessarily difficult or “tricky” to make. I’d call this a low-intermediate pattern, medium for early knitter (without much sweater experience), or “easy” for experienced knitters or anyone used to shaping and seaming.

Working notes:

Starting with a sleeve in order to get gauge. This yarn is great for this particular stitch pattern combination, it looks “retro” already.

It takes a little jiggling or “finesse” to get the decreases and BO shaping to line up nicely with the pattern rows, but I think it’s fine. I’m taking notes on what part of the pattern I’m in when I do each step so that when I make each front, it will line up with the back.

-On the fronts, I’ve added an extra pair (and sometimes even two) of “short rows” in seed stitch for each wrap stitch pattern (just before row 2, as the pattern indicates) because this drop stitch row has so much stretch and flexibility in either direction. I want to block it stretched long, so I’m giving it extra seed stitch per wrap stitch to allow for that extra stretch. It’s taking a little fussing, though, on the second front, to make it match up to the size of the first one.

-Pinned the pieces together and tried it on, it seems rather bulky…maybe not altogether flattering. Must every project go through a “doubting phase”?

Update: I think it’s okay. With one front finished and four out of five parts pinned together, I think with blocking, it will be fine.

-I’m wet-blocking the pieces each individually before sewing them together, so that I can have nice, even shapes that fit (like the sleeves to the shoulders) and so that I can “stretch” the fabric before I even assemble it. It just seems easier that way, because I don’t have a dressmaker dummy.

-I’ve taken photos of the finished pieces, knit and blocked, and laid them out to create a sort of “schematic” in case anyone else wants to knit this up. It shows the shape; I think the particular detail that doesn’t show in the pattern pictures is how dramatically flared-out wide the bottom edge is.

Also, note I’ve left the top of the edging stitches live, I will Kitchener those together at the back of the neck (instead of binding off and then seaming, to make a smoother join).

-Seaming this together is fun: the drop stitches line up really well at all seams (including the sleeve shaping at the shoulder), so I mattress-stitch each section of garter rows and then simply thread the yarn up through the drop stitching, to stitch the next garter section, leaving the yarn in between slack enough to ride along with the drop rows. Speedy!

-WOO! I Kitchenered the collar in seed stitch! I pored the internet looking for directions to graft in 1x1 rib, figuring that I would simply line up purls to purls and knits to knits, and then make my middle (grafting) row in the opposite pattern, a knit stitch between each pair of purls, a purl between each pair of knits. But I had a hard time finding these instructions.

Finally, I landed on a simple typed line, meant for remembering Kitchener grafting in ANY pattern. It said: The first time through a knit stitch you purl, second time you knit. The first time through a purl stitch you knit, second time you purl.

So that is how I did it. Only actually not, because in seed stitch, you’re knitting your purls and purling your knits, so I reversed it: the first time through a purl you purl, the second time you knit, etc…. I think I did fine for half the row, then I got off-count a bit (which doesn’t surprise me.) At any rate, the join is nearly invisible. Invisible enough! I call this project “FINISHED”.

Oh, yeah: instead of sewing a ribbon along the inside of the shoulder seam to keep it from stretching out, I simply single-crocheted a line. Also, I tacked the collar into this line at strategic points, because I noticed the weight of the seed-stitch border tended to pull out the fold of the collar when I tried it on. Now, tacked, the collar should stay folded right where I want it.

UPDATE:
This garment is standing the test of time. I wear this a lot. Definitely a great little pattern.