Party Time Sweater

Materials:

• RED HEART® Boutique Swanky™: 5 (5, 6, 7, 8) balls 9012 Tuxedo
• Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 6mm [US 10] straight needles (for body and sleeves)
• Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 6mm [US 10] 24” (60 cm) circular needle (for neck)
• Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5mm [US 8] straight needles (for cuffs)
• Stitch markers
• 5yd (4.5m) smooth matching light weight yarn (for seaming)
• 5mm [US H-8] crochet hook (for slip stitching seams)
• Yarn needle

Gauge: 20 sts = 4” (10 cm); 16 rows = 4” (10 cm) in Lace pattern

Measurements:

• Directions are for size Small. Changes for sizes Medium, Large, and 1X are in parentheses.
• To Fit Bust: 36 (38, 40, 42)” (91.5 (96.5, 101.5,106.5) cm)
• Finished Bust: 34 (36, 38, 40)” (86.5 (91.5, 96.5, 101.5) cm), take this measurement when piece is “hanging”
• Finished Length: 20 (21½, 23, 24½)” (51 (54.5, 58.5, 62) cm)

Abbreviations:

• k = knit
• k2tog = knit next 2 sts together
• k3tog = knit next 3 sts together
• p = purl
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• yo = yarn over
• * = repeat whatever follows the * as indicated

Instructions:

Special Techniques:

3-Needle Bind-Off = Hold needles of stitches to be seamed parallel and with right sides together, with 3rd needle knit together first stitch from each needle, *knit together next stitch from each needle, pass first stitch over 2nd stitch and off right needle; repeat from * until all stitches have been knit from the 2 parallel needles and only one stitch remains on the right needle. Fasten off.

Crocheted Slip Stitch Seam = Begin with a slip knot on the hook, *with yarn in back of work, insert hook from front to back through both thicknesses and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops on hook (one loop remains on hook); repeat from * across to complete seam. Fasten off.

Pattern Stitch
Lace Pattern (over an odd number of sts)
Note: Slip stitches as if to purl.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *yo, slip 1, k1, yo, pass the slipped st over the knit st and yo and off the right needle; rep from * across.
Row 2: *P2, drop the next yo off the needle; repeat from * to last st, p1.
Row 3: K2, *yo, slip 1, k1, yo, pass the slipped st over the knit st and yo and off the right needle; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 4: P3, *drop the next yo off the needle, p2; repeat from * across. Repeat Rows 1–4 for Lace pattern.

Notes
1. Boutique Swanky yarn is absolutely stunning, and will make a spectacular sweater to wear either for special events or with jeans. There are a couple of factors to be aware of that will enhance your experience in making this pattern. The yarn is heavy so figure all measurements by holding your work up allowing it to drape then carefully laying it flat to maintain the hanging length. It is also multi-ply so can split if using sharp needles. The open work stitch pattern is very easy, but has a lot of yarn overs which tighten up on the cable of circular needles. Because of these factors, straight, blunt-tipped needles are recommended. Since the yarn is slippery, bamboo works better than slick metal.
2. Back and Front are worked separately, back and forth in rows, beginning at the lower edge.
3. Stitches are picked up across armhole edge of body to begin each Sleeve. Each Sleeve is worked from shoulder downwards.
4. It is easier to count rows by counting the ridges on the wrong side: every two rows make one ridge.

BACK
With larger straight needles, cast on 85 (89, 95, 99) sts loosely. Work in Garter st (knit every row) for 3 rows. Work in Lace pattern until piece measures about 13 (14, 15, 16)” (33 (35.5, 38, 40.5) cm) from beginning; end with a wrong side row.

Shape Armholes
Notes:
1. When instructed to work in Lace pattern “as established”, work the next row of the Lace pattern lining up the stitches as in previous rows. This may require working more or fewer stitches before beginning the */repeat portion of the instruction.
2. When binding off a yo, bind off the yo along with the k1 and count this as only 1 stitch bound-off.
Row 1 (right side): Bind off 8 sts, work in Lace pattern as established to end of row—77 (81, 87, 91) sts.
Row 2: Bind off 8 sts, work in Lace pattern as established to end of row—69 (73, 79, 83) sts. Work even in Lace pattern as established until armholes measure about 7 (7½, 8, 8½)” (18 (19, 20.5, 21.5) cm); end with a wrong side row.

Shape Neck and Shoulders
Row 1 (right side): K14 and place these 14 sts on a holder for right shoulder, k1, *k2tog, pass 2nd st on right needle over first st and off needle; repeat from * across to last 13 sts (1 st remains on right needle), k13 and place these last 14 sts on a holder for left shoulder.

FRONT
Work same as Back until piece measures about 18 (19½, 21, 22½)” (45.5 (49.5, 53.5, 57) cm) from beginning; end with a wrong side row. Note: The armhole shaping should be complete.

Divide for Neck
Row 1 (right side): Work in Lace pattern as established over first 20 sts and place these sts on a holder for left front, k1, *k2tog, pass 2nd st on right needle over first st and off needle; repeat from * across to last 19 sts (1 st remains on right needle), work in Lace pattern as established over last 19 sts—20 sts remain on needle for right front.

Right Front
Next Row (wrong side): Work in Lace pattern as established.
Next Row (right side): K3tog, work in Lace pattern as established to end of row—18 sts. Repeat last 2 rows 2 more times—14 sts. Work even in Lace pattern as established until right front side of entire piece measures same as Back; end with a wrong side row. Place stitches on a holder.

Left Front
Return left front stitches from holder to larger straight needles, ready to work a wrong side row.
Next Row (wrong side): Work in Lace pattern as established.
Next Row (right side): Work in Lace pattern as established to last 3 sts, k3tog—18 sts. Repeat last 2 rows 2 more times—14 sts. Work even in Lace pattern as established until left front side of entire piece measures same as Back; end with a wrong side row. Place stitches on a holder.

Join shoulders with 3-Needle Bind-Off.

Neckband
With right side facing and circular needle, beginning at right shoulder seam, pick up and k32 (34, 36, 38) sts evenly spaced across back neck, 14 sts down left front neck edge, 16 (18, 20, 22) sts across front neck, and 14 sts up right front neck edge—76 (80, 84, 88) sts. Place a marker for beginning of round and prepare to work in rounds.
Round 1: Purl.
Round 2: Knit. Bind off loosely as if to purl.

SLEEVES (make 2)
With right side facing and larger straight needles, beginning immediately following underarm bound off edge, pick up and k38 (39, 40, 41) sts evenly spaced across armhole edge to shoulder seam, pick up and k1 st in shoulder seam, pick up and k38 (39, 40, 41) sts across armhole edge to other underarm bound-off edge—77 (79, 81, 83) sts. Work even in Lace pattern for 7 rows. Place a marker at each end of the last row worked. Continue to work even in Lace pattern until piece measures 18 (18, 19, 19)” (45.5 (45.5, 48.5, 48.5) cm) from beginning; end with a wrong side row.

Cuff
Change to smaller straight needles.
Row 1 (right side): *K2tog; repeat from * to last 3 sts, k3tog—38 (39, 40, 41) sts. Work in Garter st for 6 rows. Bind off as if to knit.

FINISHING
With right sides of pieces together and crochet hook, using Crochet Slip Stitch Seam technique, slip stitch the underarm bound-off edges of Front and Back to marked sections at top of Sleeves. Slip stitch the side and sleeve seams. Weave in ends.

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