Take #2 on this pattern, knitted from the top down. I had made another version earlier, but the finished sweater was too big, and made with the wrong kind of yarn (squishy, cuddly).

This version uses up yarn I’ve had forever: Saucy 100% mercerized cotton. It’s a purely craft-store cotton. Knits like rope, has lots of sharp bits of hay stuck in the twist, and probably cost me 99 cents per skein back in 1987.

Modifications
When I knit this sweater the first time around, I worked the body from the top down (sewed in the sleeves later) and made some minor changes to the decorative motifs. With this sweater:

-- Knit from the top down, with knit-in, set-in sleeves and minimal seaming.

-- The front decorative panel will run from the top collar edge all the way down to the bottom hem.

-- “Onion domes” on the front decorative panel will be all the same size (not decreasing in size, as in the original pattern). The motif is also reversed, with the pointy twist closer to the center of the sweater.

Included here are my notes from the project. If it makes sense to anyone at all, it’ll likely be someone who has been adventurous enough with knitting from patterns to invent and modify on the fly, understanding the construction of garments and how to scramble up a pattern and still make it turn out semi-okay. In other words, a somewhat experienced (though certainly not perfect) knitter.

Figuring out how to knit set-in sleeves from the top down
I’m still seeking the perfect top-down system. Here’s the method I used on this project.

The sleeve piece is a straight arm with the “bell” for the armhole/cap. I divide this into three sections, starting with the topmost:

1) the curved upper sleeve cap fitting over the point of the shoulder

2) the almost uniform slope forming the sides of the bell

3) the flare at the bottom of the bell, which creates the underarm shape.

Similarly, the armhole edges of the front and back pieces have sections:

1) the vertical line beginning at the top of the shoulder down to the underarm

2) the underarm flare which matches up with the sleeve underarm.

My system for knitting from the top down is, basically, to first work a piece of the back and fronts, across the top shoulder edges (let’s call this the YOKE). Then, I pick up stitches along the outer edges of this piece, forming the sleeve cap. This sleeve cap gets a bit of shaping. The resulting piece (front, sleeve cap, back, sleeve cap, front) is then worked as one garment, increasing stitches as needed for the sleeves’ sloping armhole increases, down to the underarm flare. Underarm shaping is worked for fronts, sleeves, and back, then the sleeve stitches are put on holders for later completion, and the body is knit down to the hemline.

Step 1
Calculate stitch shaping for sleeve cap.

On the original pattern (I’m knitting size 39-1/2), find the instructions for SLEEVES, and “Shape Cap.”

The first cluster of decreases is for the underarm flare. Knit in the normal bottom-up way, you’d bind-off (BO) 3 sts then BO 2 sts on each side of the sleeve, forming the FLARE.

Then there’s a section of uniform decreases, 1 st at each edge every other row, 16 times. (SLOPE)

The last section of instructions forms the central top sleeve cap. For this size, 24 sts remain. On each side of the sleeve, BO 2 sts (20 sts rem) and then BO 3 sts (14 sts rem), then BO the final 14 sts.

For top-down knitting, we reverse all this.

I know for the final sleeve cap shaping, I start with 24 sts. This is the number of stitches that I’ll want to pick up from the outer edges of the YOKE.

So, how many rows of the back and front pieces do I need to make for the YOKE?

I used the somewhat standard calculation of picking up TWO stitches for every THREE vertical rows. So, if I want to end up with 24 stitches for the sleeve cap, I need 36 rows in which to do it.

Thus, the YOKE needs to start off with the uppermost 18 rows of the BACK piece, and 18 rows of the FRONT piece. These will be knit seamlessly from across the back, shaping the back neckline, shaping the front neckline, then knitting a little ways down the front(s) of the sweater.

Here’s how:

On the original pattern, find the BACK instructions, and the section that says “Shape armholes.” This gives some instructions for shaping the underarm flare (more on that later), and then “work even until armholes measure…” This is the section of the BACK between the shoulder blades, and where I’ll starting the YOKE.

CASTING ON
For my size, I need 75 sts. I cast this on using a provisional method, as I’ll soon be picking them up and working from the top down, once the sleeve caps are underway.

Work 12 rows.

BACK NECKLINE
Now it’s time to start shaping the back neckline. I look at the original pattern and see that there’s a long section of centrally located stitches (25 sts) to be bound off, and two tiers of additional bind-offs (5 sts and 5 sts) to shape the roundness of the neckline.

This will leave 25 sts on either side of the central 25 sts, 10 of which will get bound off for neck shaping, and 15 of which will carry forward for the FRONT piece.

Instead of binding off, I’m putting the center 25 sts on waste yarn to pick up later for the neck edging. Do this now.

The other back neckline shaping will be done using short rows instead of binding off, for a smoother line and so I can also put those stitches on waste yarn for the back neckline.

Row 13 (WS, left shoulder): P 25 sts. Turn piece and set a short-row pin as described in NonaKnit’s tutorial. I’ll abbreviate the short-row turn & pin thing as just PIN.

Row 14 (RS): Knit 25 sts (to end).

R15: P 20 sts. PIN.

R16: K 20 sts (to end).

So that’s helped slope the edge of the back neckline a bit. Add these 10 sts on the inside of the neckline (closest to the center 25 sts on the waste yarn) to the waste yarn. The short row pins will get picked up later, when the whole neckline is finished at the end of the project.

Do similar shaping on the 25 sts for the right back shoulder.

TOPS OF SHOULDERS
Many sweater patterns have a slight slope shaping at the tops of the shoulders, where the front and back pieces would be stitched together. This usually means binding off a few stitches at the outer shoulder edge, then a few more stitches on the next row, until binding off the complete top shoulder. This sweater will be knit seamlessly from the back of the shoulders, across the top, and down the front. So, the pattern’s shoulder slope will be adapted using short rows.

Of the original 75 cast-on sts, the center 25 are on a holder for picking up later for the collar trim. An additional 5 + 5 sts at the inner neck edge were also placed on the holder, after short-row shaping. The leaves 15 sts on each outer side of the YOLK.

The final pattern instructions for the BACK section read: BO 5 sts at each shoulder edge 2 times. So, working from the inner edge, I work 5 sts, PIN. Work 10 sts (picking up the first PIN), PIN. Work all 15 sts (picking up second PIN).

Mark this row -- it is the top center row of shoulder and completes the back part of the YOLK.

FRONT
Working each side separately, repeat the short-row shaping over the 15 sts of the FRONT. (3 groups of 5 sts)

Work additional “plain” rows as needed over these 15 sts until the FRONT measures the same number of rows as the BACK. (Total rows along outer shoulder edge = 18 + 18 = 36.)

This completes the foundation YOLK of the sweater, and it’s time to pick up stitches for the sleeves.

SLEEVES
My earlier calculations (above) let me know I want to pick up 24 sts along my 36 rows of shoulder edge for the top of the sleeve.

Do this, placing markers between the sleeve stitches and the front & back stitches.

The sweater is now laid out on one long cable needle with the fronts, sleeves, and back all in order, ready for fast knitting now. The decorative insets will be knit-in later.

Sleeve-cap shaping takes place on the first long knit row. Here again is the sleeve-cap shaping from the pattern: “BO 2 sts (20 sts rem) and then BO 3 sts (14 sts rem), then BO the final 14 sts.”

I use short-rows again. Begin first long knit row, working across the FRONT until the marker for the sleeve. Visualize the 24 sts of the sleeve broken into sections using the numbers above: 2A : 3A : 14 : 3B : 2B.

Work across 2A and 3A and 14 sts, then PIN and turn for a short row. (When appropriate, pick up and complete short-row pins.)

Work across the 14 and 3A, PIN.

Work across 3A, 14, 3B, PIN.

Work across 3B, 14, 3A, 2A (this should be where a sleeve marker is), PIN.

Work across entire sleeve section, then BACK. Repeat sleeve-cap shaping on other sleeve, work across FRONT.

SLEEVE SLOPE
This pattern has shaping along the SLOPE of the sleeve. As I work additional complete rows, I increase 1 stitch at each sleeve edge, a total of 13 times. (My calculations above note a total of 16 of these 1-st increases, but the next 3 will be done in rows when there is also shaping on the FRONTS and BACK.)

UNDERARM
The FRONTS, SLEEVES, and BACK all have underarm shaping. On the last few long rows for the sleeves, I work as follows:

RS (knit): increase 1 sts at each edge of FRONT, SLEEVES, and BACK.

WS: purl.

Repeat these two rows 2 more times.

RS: Increase 2 sts at each edge of FRONT, SLEEVES, and BACK.

WS: purl.

RS: Knit across FRONT. Cast on 6 sts. (This represents the final 3 sts increased at the underarm for the FRONT and the BACK).

Place sleeve stitches on a holder. Knit across BACK. Cast on 6 sts. Knit across FRONT.

I cast on using a provisional method that keeps these 6 sts on waste yarn, to be picked up later when finishing the sleeves.

BODY
Whew! Now sleeves on are holders for later knitting. Body is easy: stockinette stitch with just a little increasing along the side “seams.”

This pattern has a decorative split side seam at the bottom edge. Normally, half of this is knit on the fronts, half on the back, and the two parts are seamed together.

In this version, knit from the top down, I can more closely match the “twist” at the top of the decorate motifs by knitting a 2x2 cable twist at the top of the motif, working the additional cable twist rows while the front and back pieces are still being worked together in one long row.

When the decorative motif is complete (the equivalent of Chart A and Chart B in the pattern), then I split the piece and work the fronts and back separately, with 6 sts of seed stitch at each edge of the side slits.

FINISHING THE BACK
Work 11 rows of seed stitch across all BACK stitches. Bind off in seed stitch for a neat edge.

FINISHING THE FRONTS
Work until the stockinette part of the fronts is equal to the back. Place the stitches for each of the fronts on holders. The bottom seed-stitch edge will be knit after the inserts are done.

DECORATIVE INSERTS
I decided to change the pattern to have a decorative panel running down the entire front of the sweater, instead of just the chest area.

Working out the measurements, there was space for FOUR repeats of the main motif, knit across a span of 20 sts each, separated by the 4-st columns of twisted stitches. The bottom edge of the insert has a 2-stitch edge (one for selvedge, one visible) and the top of the insert has a handful of stitches that are mostly knit as seed stitch and decreased for neck shaping.

I picked up the stitches for the right insert along the long edge of the right front. I knit a few rows of garter stitch to help make the transition between the vertical edge of the front and the horizontal pattern of the insert look more subtle.

I also decided to try reversing the motifs, so the seed-stitch domes had their broadest part at the outer edges of the inserts, and the twist pointing inwards.

Worked each insert, left and right, separately, to desired length.

For finished edge, I also picked up the required 100 stitches around the neckline. Working as one LONG row, I knit a few rows of garter stitch up one insert edge, around the neckline (including the k2tog shaping at the back of the neck as described in the pattern) and down the long edge of the other insert. Bind off knitwise.

The long finished edges of the inserts were then carefully sewn from the bottom across three of the four motifs, leaving the fourth motif open for the neckline.

Now it looks like a real sweater!

Stitches were picked up along the bottom edge of the front, including those stitches on holders, and the final bottom seed-stitch border was knit horizontally as one piece for neat edge matching the back.

MORE SLEEVES
Not done yet! To finish the sweater, I then pick up the sleeve stitches from holders, including the 6 sts cast on earlier for the underarm. Sleeves are knit in the round to desired length, including four motifs encircling bottom edge. Sleeves will end just above the wristbone.

One advantage of building this sweater this way is that the sleeves can be knit at the same time (on separate cable needles). I’m using ancient yarn from my stash and had no idea whether I’d have enough. I can knit the sleeves, a few rows each, paying attention to how much yarn is left. Maybe it’ll end up with elbow-length, or 3/4 length, or full length -- but at least they’ll match! And everything else on the sweater is complete, except weaving in the ends and blocking, so I don’t need to reserve yarn for anything else.

Final assessment

Glad to have used up this Saucy yarn, but I sure wouldn’t knit anything from it again. I knit fairly even stitch tension, I think, but this 100% cotton shows every micro-variation in each stitch. Doesn’t look smooth and professional.

For the pattern modifications, I’m generally pleased. I like the full front inset of motifs, and the way the bottom edge of the sleeves looks.

I forgot that the side vent is designed to be higher on the hip than I would like. I tend to wear lower-cut jeans so the side vent opens above the waistline on most of my pants. I should have placed the vent lower on the garment and made it shorter.

Fits me perfectly as an 8-month pregnant person. Will be interesting to see how it hangs when I’m back to normal size.