Pattern of the Month

Instructions.

The pattern is worked back and forth on circular needles, in 5 stitch repeats over four basic rows:

1st Row: Wrong side facing, {p3, k2}.
2nd Row: {K1, yfwd, slip1, k1, psso, p2}
3rd Row: As first.
4th Row: {K2tog, yfwd, k1, p2}

Body:

Note: The back and fronts are knitted as one piece up to the armholes.

With smaller circular needles cast on {100/110}120 stitches and work 6 rows in garter stitch, noting that the first row is a wrong side row.

Next Row: (Wrong side facing, 1st pattern row), knit 4 and slip this 4 sts on to a safety pin or stitch holder. Change to larger circular needles and commence pattern thus: k2, *p3,k2; repeat from * to the last 4 sts. Turn, slipping the last 4 sts onto a safety pin, without knitting them. [{92/102}112 pattern sts]
[Editor's note: these 4 sts are to be knitted separately later on the smaller needles and then sewn on to form the front borders.]

Next Row: (2nd pattern row), p2, *k1, yfwd, slip1, k1, psso, p2; repeat from * to end.

Next Row: (3rd pattern row), as first pattern row.

Next Row: (4th pattern row), p2, *k2tog, yfwd, k1, p2; repeat from * to end.

Continue in pattern for 10 inches (or desired length), ending with a 4th row pattern, and wrong side facing to begin the next row.
[Editor's note: I wanted my top a little longer and knitted 12½ inches here, which was 11 four-row pattern repeats in my version.]
Change back to smaller circular needles and knit 1 row plain, (garter stitch).

†† Leave the main work on the circular needles to one side now, still with wrong side facing - the row you have just knitted is not completed until after you make the front borders.

Front Borders:

At this point you need to go back to the 4sts you left on safety pins on each side of the work, to make the front borders.

Using the pair of smaller needles, and working each set of 4sts separately, rejoin the wool and continue to knit the borders; it is important you join the wool and start knitting from the correct side of each border to continue in the right sequence for garter stitch.

This means that, provided you have followed the instructions exactly as above, for both borders, you need to join the wool at the edge which will later be sewn to the main body.
So for the right front start working on the 4sts from the wrong side, with the main body to your right, every row knitted - (the right front border is on the left when the wrong side of the work is facing you).
And for the left front start working on the 4sts from the right side, with the main body again to your right, every row knitted - (the left front border is on the left when the right side of the work is facing you).

Work each border in garter stitch until, when very slightly stretched, the border fits the length of the main body that you have just knitted, finishing the left border on a wrong side row, and the right border on a right side row. For both borders the yarn end will be at the edge next to the main body. Break the yarn.
The borders should be about half an inch* shorter than the main body so that they will fit when very slightly stretched.
*[Editor's note: half an inch is about 2 rows with this gauge of wool. The right border should be relatively slightly shorter than the left.]

Now return to your main work, on the circular needle. With wrong side facing, take up your last row of plain knitting (see the marker above ††) and complete the row by knitting the 4 sts of the right front border - make sure the border is not twisted. [{96/106}116sts].

Turn the work (right side facing) and knit across all {96/106}116 sts and then complete the row by knitting the 4 sts of the left front border - make sure the border is not twisted. [{100/110}120sts].

Now divide for front and back, with wrong side facing, knit the first {25/29}32 sts (includes your extra 4 sts at front border) and place these sts on a stitch holder, to make the left front, later.

Continuing without turning, cast on 3 sts using the working yarn, knit these 3 sts, knit {46/52}56 sts cast on 3 sts. Leave the remaining 32 sts on a stitch holder, to make the right front, later. [{52/58}62 sts].
Turn and commence working back.

Back:

With right side facing, work straight in garter stitch (every row plain) for 8 inches (or the required length for the arm hole), ending with right side facing.
[Editor's note: I worked approximately 42 rows].

Shape shoulders by casting off {3/3}3 sts at the beginning of the next 4 rows, {3/4}4 sts at the beginning of the following 2 rows, {4/4}5 sts at the beginning of the following 2 rows, and {4/5}5 sts at the beginning of the following 2 rows, and leave the remaining {18/20}22 sts on a stitch holder.

Left front:

With right side facing return to the left front, slipping the {25/29}32 sts you left on the stitch holder back on to a left hand working needle. Rejoin the wool at the armhole edge to start your next row.

[Editor's note: it is worth double checking here that:

• you are working on the left front,
• you have the right side facing,
• you are ready to start knitting at the armhole edge, and,
• if you start a knit row that this is in keeping with the garter stitch pattern.

If you have completed the steps as written, this should be how it works out.]

Cast on 3 extra sts with the working wool; knit across these 3 sts followed by the {25/29}32. [{28/32}35 sts]. Continue to work in garter stitch until 8 rows less than on back have been worked to the start of the shoulder shaping, ending at the armhole edge with right side facing to commence the next row.
[Editor's note: I worked approximately 34 rows].

**
To shape the neck, knit to the last {8/9}10 sts; turn and place these {8/9}10 sts on a safety pin or stitch holder. Decrease 1 st at neck edge on every row, until {17/19}20 sts remain.
Work a few rows straight until front matches back to shoulder shaping, ending at the armhole edge, with right side facing.

Shape shoulder by casting off {3/3}3 sts at the beginning of the next and following alternate row, {3/4}4 sts at the beginning of the following alternate row, {4/4}5 sts at the beginning of the following alternate row, then cast off the remaining {4/5}5 sts.
**

Right front:

With wrong side facing return to the right front, slipping the {25/29}32 sts you left on the stitch holder back on to a left hand working needle. Rejoin the wool at the armhole edge to start your next row.

[Editor's note: it is worth double checking here that:

• you are working on the right front,
• you have the wrong side facing,
• you are ready to start knitting at the armhole edge, and,
• if you start a knit row that this is in keeping with the garter stitch pattern.

If you have completed the steps as written, this should be how it works out.]

Cast on 3 extra sts with the working wool; knit across these 3 sts followed by the {25/29}32 sts, [{28/32}35 sts].

Commence working in garter stitch and make buttonholes on the following 6th and 28th (wrong side) rows as follows:

Buttonhole row 1: (wrong side), knit to the last 6 sts, cast off 2, knit to end.
Buttonhole row 2: (right side), k4, cast on 2 over the cast off sts from previous row, knit to end.

Continue to work in garter stitch until 8 rows less than on back have been worked to the armhole edge, ending at the armhole edge with wrong side facing to commence the next row.
[Editor's note: I worked approximately 34 rows].

Work to complete the right front exactly as the left from ** to **.

Neck Border:

With right side facing and smaller needles, starting at the top of the right front border, k{8/9}10 sts from stitch holder, pick up and k9 sts up right side of neck, k{18/20}22 sts from back neck, pick up and k9 sts down left side of neck, then k{8/9}10 sts from stitch holder. [{52/56}60 sts].
Work 4 rows plain in garter stitch; cast off (from wrong side).

To Make Up

Press very lightly on wrong side under a damp cloth. Join shoulder seams, using a flat seam, (or by grafting, working from the wrong side and making a purl ridge on the right side).
Sew front borders neatly in place using a flat seam, and sew in all ends.
Sew 2 buttons in place to match the position of the buttonholes.

Materials

About 7 x 100g balls of a chunky or "big" wool that knits to the required tension on 7½mm needles.

No 2 (7mm), and No 1 (7½mm) circular needles.
A pair of No 2 (7mm) needles.

Two 1½ inch buttons.

Tension

11sts x 16 rows to four inches measured over stocking stitch on 7½mm needles.

Size matters

I made the main size shown in black text, which is a slightly large on me (UK size 12-14, maximum size 38 inches). The original pattern was multi-sized, so I have included {2 smaller size options}, in red ink with curly brackets, as shown.

They are sized to fit {34/36}38 inches, and actual sizes more like {35/38}42 inches.

Length from top of shoulder in my version is approximately 21 inches.

See "adapting the size".

A word on the wool.

I used a pure wool Aran knitted double throughout, and this was about 450m as if knitted with a single strand of bulky wool.

Original knitted in Patons Pablo.

Abbreviations:

yfwd: yarn forward - bring the yarn to the front of the work and when you knit the following stitch, you will have created an extra stitch, in a way that makes a decorative eyelet hole. "Yarn forward" or "yarn over needle" is often used in conjunction with knitting 2 sts together (so you avoid increasing the overall number of sts) in knitted lace patterns.

psso: pass the slipped stitch over - "s1, k1, psso" or "slip, slip, knit" ("ssk") is a method of knitting 2 sts together but into the backs of the sts rather than the usual "k2tog" which knits into the fronts. When decreasing by knitting 2 sts together, the resulting stitch "points" either to the right, (k2tog) or to the left (s1, k1, psso). They are used in combination, for example, in lace knitting, or raglan sleeve decreasing, to create symmetrical decreases.

garter stitch: the simplest stitch pattern of all - every row is knittted, (when worked back and forth on two needles), and the back and the front of the work look the same. It makes a fabric that stretches vertically.

Disclaimer
(well...almost)

In transposing any pattern it is always a risk that errors will be introduced, in spite of dedicated proof reading.
If you have any problems with this pattern, please and I will try and assist.

I have checked and double checked, that I have written all the "right" and "wrong side" instructions correctly - despite this, I remain concerned that an error may still have crept in. If you have any doubts at all, please contact me as above.

Adapting the size:

Altering the size is fairly simple, as you are knitting a big rectangle, with the pattern being a 5 stitch repeat. Working to the required gauge, means that every addition of 5 sts gives you almost 2 inches extra room. Once you get to divide the work, you change to working garter stitch (no pattern), and can work it out so that half the sts go to make the back, leaving a quarter each for the two fronts. If you do not have stitches divisible exactly by four you can put the extra ones into the back, and incorporate them into the back neck.