Heavily modified the pattern to knit this top-down as a raglan sweater. I love the look of this sweater, but really dislike set in sleeves.
I cast on 82 stitches (to account for 77 stitches around plus an extra 5 stitches for the overlapping button band). During cast on I placed stitch markers as follows: co 5 s, pm, co 15s, pm, co 9 s, pm, co 32 s, pm, co 9 s, pm, co 15 s, pm, co 5 s.
R1 (which will be the right side): k4, slip1, slip marker (sm), k to last 5 stitches slipping markers as they come, sm, slip 1 stitch, k4. Turn.
R2: (wrong side): k4, p1, sm, knit to last 5 sts slipping markers, slip last marker, p1, k4. Turn.
Repeat these 2 rows 1 more time.
Next row is a buttonhole row on the right side:
R5: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, sl1, sm, knit to last 5 sts, sm, sl1, k4. Turn
R6: repeat row 2.
Next you will start the increases. Remember to place a buttonhole equally spaced for the length of the buttonband you are making. For this sweater I placed a buttonhole at rows 15 and 27.
R7: k4, sl1, sm, * knit to next stitch marker, m1 (lifting bar between the stitches, place on left needle, knit it through the back loop), sm, k1, m1 * - repeat * to * 3 more times, knit to last marker, sm, sl1, k4. Turn.
R8: k4, p1, sm, knit to last 5 sts, sm, p1, k4. Turn
Repeat rows 7 and 8, 16 times (a total of 32 rows).
Before starting next right side row, place the last 5 stitches of the row (the buttonband with no buttonholes) on a dpn. Repeat row 7 to last 5 stitches now on the dpn. Knit these 5 stitches together with each of the corresponding first 5 stitches of the row to connect the bottom of the buttonband. Be sure the band with the buttonholes is in front, and the dpn is in back.
You will now start knitting in the round basically following the Thistle pattern in reverse.
I placed the sleeve stitches on waste yarn (I had 39 sts for each sleeve. They are the stitches held between sm 2 and 3, and between sm 4 and 5) and cast on 10 stitches for the underarm and then joined the front to the back, knit the back stitches, put the 2nd sleeve stitches on waste yarn, co 10 more stitches, and continued knitting around. I removed the stitch markers during this round, and placed a stitch marker in each underarm, with 4 of the co stitches towards the back, and 6 for the front. I also included a purl stitch as a false seam to mark the sides just like in the Thistle pattern. I ended up with 150 st around (includes the 2 purl stitches) for the body. I had to increase on 2 of the knit rounds to go from 146 to 150 sts total.