by Susan Todhunter

My favorite time of year is coming – that time when we fold up our cozy cabled winter sweaters and exchange heavy wool yarns and scratchy mohair for smooth cotton and luxurious silk; that time when we wear short-sleeved little tees and feel the warm sun on our arms.

This little cotton tee makes me think of a meadow full of summer flowers.  Its yoke motif offers a relaxing retake on the traditional winter wool Fair Isle, by substituting a one color per round, slipped stitch design for the more fidgety two color per round Fair Isle.

Its sew-free, finish-free design works up quickly - beginning with the ribbed neck, increasing at the yoke, pausing briefly to put the sleeve caps on holders, then shaping and ribbing the waist before returning to complete the sleeves.

"Meadow" is worked in a slightly loose gauge for summer coolness, in mercerized cotton yarns.  A cotton/silk yarn, used in the yoke design, adds subtle textural variation.  I chose the two contrast color yarns simply because they looked good with the main color and I had them in my stash.  Vary the design and make it yours by choosing your own contrast colors the same way.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X] (shown in size S)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

MATERIALS
Yarn
[MC] Tahki Cotton Classic [100% cotton, 108 yds/150g]; #3453; Watermelon; 5[5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8] skeins
[CC1] Classic Elite Classic Silk [50% cotton, 30% silk, 20% nylon, 135 yds/50 g]; #6916; Natural; 1 skein
[CC2] Classic Elite Provence [100% cotton, 205 yds/3 oz]; #2609; Parchment; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #6/4mm circular needles, 16 inches and 24 inches long
US #6/4mm double-point needles
US #7/4.5mm circular needles, 16 inches and 24 inches long
US #7/4.5mm double-point needles

Notions
yarn needle
6 stitch markers, with four that are differently colored
2 stitch holders for sleeves

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Make One Left (M1L) – lift the strand of yarn between the stitch just worked and the
next stitch and place it onto the left needle, with its front leg to the right.  Knit into the back of this stitch.

Make One Right (M1R) - lift the strand of yarn between the stitch just worked and the
next stitch and place it onto the left needle, with its front leg to the left.  Knit into the front of this stitch.

Slip One (Sl1) – Slip the next stitch with the yarn in back.

Basic Rib
Round 1: (K1, p1) around.
Rep Round 1 for patt.

DIRECTIONS

Next round [Increase round]: Change to larger 16 inch needle and [k1, M1L, k1, M1R] to end. 128[128, 136, 152, 160, 160, 160] sts.

Change to larger 24 inch needle.  Work 5[8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 15] rounds in St st, then work 23 rounds in Meadow Pattern as follows:

Meadow Pattern:
Round 1:  With CC1, knit.       
       
Rounds 2 and 3:  With MC, knit.

Rounds 4 and 5:  With CC2, [k3, sl1] to end.

Round 6 [Increase Round]: With MC, [k2, M1L, k2, M1R] to end. 192[192, 204, 228, 240, 240, 240] sts.

Round 7:  With MC, knit.

Rounds 8 and 9:  With CC2, knit.

Rounds 10 and 11:  With CC1, [sl1, k3] to end.

Rounds 12 and 13:  With MC, k2, sl1, [k3, sl1] to last st, k1.

Rounds 14 and 15:  With CC1, [sl1, k3] to end.

Rounds 16 and 17:  With CC2, k2, sl1, [k3, sl1] to last st, k1.

Rounds 18 and 19:  With MC, knit.

Rounds 20 and 21:  With CC2, [sl1, k3] to end.

Round 22:  With MC, knit.

Round 23 [Increase round]:  With MC, *k6[3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2], M1L, k6[3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2], M1R; rep from * to end. 224[256, 272, 304, 320, 320, 360] sts.

Note: Use differently colored markers for markers A through D to help you keep track of which is which.

Next Round:  With CC1, k64[76, 81, 91, 97, 98, 108] sts for Back, place marker B (mB), k48[52, 55, 61, 63, 62, 72] sts for sleeve, place marker C (mC), k 64[76, 81, 91, 97, 98, 108] sts for front, place marker D (mD), then k48[52, 55, 61, 63, 62, 72] sts for sleeve.

Continue with MC only.

Sizes 1X, 2X, 3X only:
Row 11 [RS]: K to mC, k28, W&T. 
Row 12: P to mD, p28, W&T.
Row 13: K to mC, k32, W&T. 
Row 14: P to mD, p32, W&T.

All sizes:
Resume working in the round, picking up and working remaining wraps, and work even in St st with MC until work measures 7.5[8, 9, 9.5, 10, 11, 11.5] inches from end of ribbed neckband, including all short rows.

Body
Work even in St st until piece measures 5[4, 3.5, 3, 3, 3, 4] inches from underarm, or desired length to beginning of waist shaping.

Next Round: *Knit to 2 sts before next m, k2tog, sl m, ssk; rep from * three times more, knit to end. 8 sts dec. 
Work even in St st for five rounds.
Rep last 6 rounds 2[3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 1] time(s) more. 116[128, 144, 164, 180, 204, 232] sts.

Work Rounds 1-5 of Meadow Pattern, then knit 2 rounds with MC, and 1 round with CC1.  Then work 1 round with MC, decreasing 8[10, 12, 12, 12, 10, 8] sts evenly around using the k2tog dec.  108[118, 132, 152, 168, 194, 224] sts rem.
Cont with MC, change to smaller 24 inch needle and work 2 inches in Basic Rib. 
BO in rib patt.

SLEEVE
With larger dpns, MC, RS of body facing, and starting at center of underarm, pick up and knit 3[2, 3, 3, 4, 8, 8] sts from cast on, k across held sleeve sts, pick up and knit 3[2, 4, 4, 5, 8, 8] sts across cast on to center of underarm, pm for beg of round. 54[56, 62, 68, 72, 78, 88] sts. 

Work 1[1, 1, 1.5, 1.5, 2, 2] inches in St st.
Change to smaller dpns and work 5 rounds in Basic Rib. 
BO loosely in rib patt.

FINISHING
Wash in cool water and block sweater to measurements. Weave in ends.

Susan loves designing for knitters who want sew-free, finish-free patterns, with interesting details incorporated as the design takes shape.