I have rewritten charts!

No shaping, shorter body.

The row gauge seems completely unrealistic. I guess the lace bit is going to be a bit of an adventure, too. I’ll try the chart as written, but I expect I’ll be making my own chart.

8 inches to lace marker placement. 35 st before and after chart sts.

I’m following the chart with a few minor changes. I’m doing the twist every other row so I don’t have to worry about it on the wrong side and so it looks more deliberate. I’m also doing paired decreases (k2tog to the right of the twist, ssk on the left side of the twist) instead of the only one written so they lean in the directions they are supposed to. I won’t know if it’s really working until my second round through the chart, but ten rows in looks pretty good.

My paired decreases look awesome, so score there. I think the problem with the chart is that it asks you to repeat rows 14-19 when you really need to repeat 12-19 in order to get the smooth diagonally increasing lace wedge and consistent yos on either side of the twist as established before you are asked to repeat the last six rows. I’m going to rip back and test it.

I was right. Adding rows 12 and 13 are essential to the lace shape and solving the missing yos. The chart has to be redone, so I’ll draw it up and post it when I get a second.

MODS:

• k2tog for right-leaning decreases and ssk (psso would work too) for left-leaning decreases.
• LT every other row so I don’t have to worry about it on WS. There’s also an easier way to do them than as written so you don’t have to take anything off the needle. See here.
• Two charts: Slightly Modified Icarus Chart = looks like sample except LT and directional decrease mods. Cleanly Modified Icarus Chart = eliminates yos that seem out of place, directional decrease, and LT mods.
• Crocheted edge around neckline to clean up the bind-off (I did sloped instead of the usual bind-off).

At 14”, I decreased 4 sts every other round three times so I would have 168 sts at the separation of front and back.

Had to modify the neckline bind-offs so I wouldn’t end up with a hugely long armhole on the fronts. Using the sloped bind-off method, I bound-off 2 sts 1 time and 3 sts 6 times every other row until I was down to 10 stitches. That got me to exactly 7.5”.

I thought I was home free with the sleeve caps, but they have thrown me one more curve ball. I’m a bit anal about symmetry. The right sleeve cap is fine as far as I’m concerned, but I’m going to have to redo the left one, doing ssk, yo around instead of yo, k2tog. This pattern twists the cap, so instead of sitting up on top of your shoulder as you would expect, on the left side it shifts to the front, where it bunches at the armpit when you wear it. The right cap twists to the back, so not as much bunching there unless you always fold your arms behind you or something like that (you weirdo ;]). Blocking might help. If it does, I won’t bother redoing the one cap.

Blocking didn’t help the sleeve caps. I’ve decided to redo them both. I’m going to do them without any short rows, so they will be shapeless and shorter.