by Norah Gaughan

I have recently become addicted to top-down knitting. I know, I know, I am late to the party.

I started out a fan of bottom-up circular knitting and switched over to seaming when I was expected to design in pieces. I still like a variety of constructions, but I am currently having fun playing with the top-down process and new ways of thinking.

Wanting to get the effect of a sleeve cap without sewing it in, working the sleeve last or making short rows, I came up with a new solution -- I think. It's oh-so-possible that folks have done this before me and I haven't noticed. I probably "unvented it" as Elizabeth Zimmermann used to say.

This sweater starts with the back shoulders and is worked down for a few inches, then the front shoulders are picked up and worked down, joined in the round, finally picking up the top of the sleeve as I went.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
shown in size S with 4" of ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 36[40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60] inches
Length: 24.5[25, 26, 26.5, 27.5, 28, 29] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Berroco Abode [100 % wool; 98 yds/90 m per 50g skein]; color: Mallard 8822; 10[11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #8/5mm needles for working in the round

Notions
stitch markers
spare needles to hold sleeve sts (or holders, or string)
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

DIRECTIONS
Shoulders
Note: The shaped portion of each front shoulder are worked separately and then joined into one piece when you cast on for the center of the neck. The back shoulders are picked up along the cast on edges of the front shoulders and then joined into one piece when cast on for the center of the neck.

Left Front shoulder:
Cast on 8[8, 11, 11, 13, 13, 15] sts.

Work Left Front chart (Row 1 is a WS row), increasing as shown on chart. 13[13, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20]sts.

Right Front shoulder:
Cast on 8[8, 11, 11, 13, 13, 15] sts.

Work Right Front chart (Row 1 is a WS row), increasing as shown on chart. 13[13, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20]sts.

Joining Row [RS]: Working sts as they appear, work Right Front, cast on 54 sts for neck and continue across the Left Front – 80[80, 86, 86, 90, 90, 94] sts.

Work 1 WS row, working sts as they appear.
Break yarn.

Left Back shoulder:
With RS facing, pick up 8[8, 11, 11, 13, 13, 15] sts along cast on edge of Left Front shoulder.

Work 2 rows following Left Back chart.
Note: Row 1 is a WS row.

Cast on 6 sts at the beg of the next 3 WS rows and work them, as shown on chart. 26[26, 29, 29, 31, 31, 33] sts.

Right Back shoulder:
With RS facing, pick 8[8, 11, 11, 13, 13, 16] sts along cast on edge of Right Front shoulder.

Work 1 row following Right Back chart (Row 1 is a WS row).

Cast on 6 sts at the beg oåf the next 3 RS rows and work them, as shown on chart. 26[26, 29, 29, 31, 31, 33] sts.

Joining Row [RS]: Following Body Chart beg on Row 1, work Right Back piece, cast on 28 sts for neck continue across the Left Back. 80[80, 86, 86, 90, 90, 94] sts.

Beg working Body Chart, up to the end of Row 8. Do not break yarn.

Set-Up Rnd: Work chart over 80[80, 86, 86, 90, 90, 94] sts, sm, knit to next marker, sm) twice.
Work this rnd 3[2, 1, 0, 0, 0] more times.

Increase Round: (M1, k to first purl st on chart (for some sizes this might be 0 sts), work rest of chart, k to marker, M1, sl marker, k3, M1, knit to 3 sts before next marker, M1, k3) twice. 8 sts increased.

Work Body Chart up to Row 12, work Rows 1-12 once more, then transition to Main Chart, and at the same time, work Increase Round every 5th[4th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd] rnd 6[8, 10, 5, 7, 17, 24] times more. Then work Increase Rnd every 3rd rnd 0[0, 0, 10, 10, 4, 0] times. 270[286, 314, 354, 378, 410, 442] sts

Continue following Main Chart and, when all 72 rows have been worked, transition to Body Chart, working as long as necessary until piece measures 15.5[15.5, 16, 16, 16.5, 16.5, 17] inches from the underarm cast on.

Decrease Round: [Knit to first p st of chart (k2, k2tog) 21 times] twice. 166[175, 196, 214, 230, 246, 266] sts.

Purl 2 rnds.
BO in purl.

Decrease Row [RS]: K2, k2tog, k to last 4 sts, ssk, k2.

Repeat the last row every 12[10, 10, 6, 6, 6, 6] rows, 4[5, 5, 9, 9, 10, 11] more times. 43[45, 48, 51, 55, 61, 65]sts.

Work straight in st st until sleeve measures 11.5 inches from the underarm, ending with a WS row.

Purl 1 row.
Knit one row.
BO in purl on the RS.

Sew sleeve seam and underarm seam.

SLEEVES option b: worked in the rnd
Slip 41[45, 48, 59, 63, 71, 77] sts of one sleeve onto dpns.

Starting in center of cast on sts from the body, pick up 5 sts, knit held sts, pick up 5 sts across remaining cast on sts. 51[55, 58, 69, 73, 81, 87] sts. Join in the rnd.

Work 11[9, 9, 5, 5, 5, 3]rnds even.

Decrease Round: K2, k2tog, k to last 4 sts, ssk, k2.

Repeat the last round every 12[10, 10, 6, 6, 6, 6] rnds, 4[5, 5, 9, 9, 10, 11] times more. 41[43, 46, 49, 53, 59, 63]sts.

Work straight in knit until sleeve measures 11.5 inches from the underarm.

Purl 2 rnds. BO in purl.

FINISHING
Starting at the left shoulder, with RS facing, pick up 100 sts around the neck. Purl 3 rnds. BO in purl.

Block to measurements. Weave in ends.

Norah Gaughan is the full time design director at Berroco. The author of Knitting Nature, and Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Babies & Toddlers as well as co-author of Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Afghans, she's just completed her 14th eponymous volume for Berroco, Norah Gaughan vol 14. You'll be able to see items from this booklet in January 2014.

Meanwhile, check out earlier booklets on berroco.com