I’d been thinking about how to incorporate pleats into a design for a while.

The basic way I worked each pleat is: K4, sl 1, K4, P1, K6. Then, when they were at the desired length, I put the first five stitches on a DPN (ending with the slipped stitch), the next five stitches on a second DPN (ending with the purl stitch) and then turned that DPN 180 degrees, and the next six stitches on the back needle, forming a “Z” shape with the stitches.

As in a three needle bindoff (in this case four needle) I knitted the first stitch from the middle DPN with the first stitch of the back needle, then the next four stitches from all three needles and the last stitch from the remaining front needle with the back needle. Offsetting the stitches in the bindoff like that decreased the fullness of the pleat a little bit.

For the collar, I used a picot edge, knitting four rows in stockinette, then a row of K2tog, YO and then knitted four more rows in stockinette.

For the button band, I did my first double buttonhole facing, using instructions I found in the big Vogue Knitting technique book.

This is my second all original design and I’m so happy with how it turned out!