Enchanted Knit Top

Materials:

• RED HEART® Boutique Swanky™: 5 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls 9853 Midnight Blue
• Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 4mm [US 6] 24” (60 cm) long circular needle
• Stitch holder
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle

GAUGE

19 sts = 4” (10 cm); 26 rows = 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette st (knit on right side, purl on wrong side). CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge.

Directions are for size Small. Changes for sizes Medium, Large, 1X, and 2X are in parentheses
Finished Bust: 35½ (39½, 44, 48, 52)” [90 (100.5, 112, 122, 132) cm]
Finished Length: 24 (24¼, 24½, 25¼, 25½)” [61 (61.5, 62, 64, 65) cm]

Special Stitches
kfb (Knit into front and back) = Knit next st but do not remove from needle, knit into back loop of same st and remove from needle.
pfb (Purl into front and back) = Purl next st but do not remove from needle, purl into back loop of same st and remove from needle.
ssk = Slip next 2 stitches, one at a time as if to knit, to right needle, insert point of left needle through front of sts, knit these sts together through back loop.

Notes
1. Top is knitted in one piece beginning at lower edge of back. At back neck, center stitches are placed on holder for neck opening and shoulders worked separately. Piece is then joined again and front is worked from front neck edge down to lower front edge.
2. Increases are worked at edges of back to begin dolman sleeves. Stitches are decreased later at edges of front to complete the sleeves.

Instructions:

Enchanted Top Pattern Construction Chart

TOP
Beginning at lower edge of back, cast on 84 (94, 104, 114, 124) sts. Work back and forth in rows on circular needle as if working with straight needles.

Garter Band
Work in Garter st (knit every row) for 8 rows.

Back
Beginning with a right side (knit) row, work in Stockinette st (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) for 62 rows (or desired length to beginning of sleeves, ending with a wrong side row).

Increase for Dolman Sleeves
Row 1 (increase row – right side): K1, kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1—86 (96, 106, 116, 126) sts.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3 (increase row): Repeat Row 1—88 (98, 108, 118, 128) sts.
Rows 4–31: Repeat last 2 rows 14 more times—116 (126, 136, 146, 156) sts.
Row 32: Purl.
Row 33 (increase row): Repeat Row 1—118 (128, 138, 148, 158) sts.
Row 34 (increase row – wrong side): P1, pfb, purl to last 2 sts, pfb, p1—120 (130, 140, 150, 160) sts.
Rows 35 and 36: Repeat last 2 rows—124 (134, 144, 154, 164) sts.
Row 37 (increase row): Repeat Row 1—126 (136, 146, 156, 166) sts.
Row 38: Purl.
Row 39: P5 (for cuff), knit to end of row, cast on 20 (18, 16, 14, 12) sts at end of row using backward loop or cable cast-on—146 (154, 162, 170, 178) sts.
Row 40: Purl to end of row, cast on 20 (18, 16, 14, 12) sts at end of row using backward loop or cable cast-on—166 (172, 178, 184, 190) sts.
Row 41 (right side): P5, knit to last 5 sts, p5.
Row 42: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 20 (21, 22, 24, 25) more times.

Divide for Neck
Row 1 (right side): P5, k58 (61, 64, 65, 68) for one shoulder, place next 40 (40, 40, 44, 44) sts on holder, knit to last 5 sts, p5 for the other shoulder—63 (66, 69, 70, 73) sts for each shoulder.

Note: You will now work both shoulders at the same time using separate balls of yarn. Take care to always use one ball when working the first set of shoulder stitches and the other ball when working the other set of shoulder stitches.

Row 2 (wrong side): Purl all sts of first set of shoulder sts, join a 2nd ball of yarn at beginning of next set of shoulder sts and purl all sts.
Row 3 (neck decrease row): P5, knit to last 3 sts of first set of shoulder sts, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, knit to last 5 sts of next set of shoulder sts, p5—62 (65, 68, 69, 72) sts for each shoulder.
Row 4: Purl across all sts of both sets of shoulder sts.
Row 5 (neck decrease row): Repeat Row 3—61 (64, 67, 68, 71) sts for each shoulder.
Row 6: Purl across all sts of each set of shoulder sts.
Row 7: P5, knit all remaining sts of first set of shoulder sts; knit to last 5 sts of next set of shoulder sts, p5.
Rows 8–15: Repeat last 2 rows 4 times.
Row 16: Purl across all sts of both sets of shoulder sts.
Row 17 (increase row – right side): P5, knit to last 2 sts of first set of shoulder sts, kfb, k1; k1, kfb, knit to last 5 sts of next set of shoulder sts, p5—62 (65, 68, 69, 72) sts for each shoulder.
Row 18: Purl across all sts of both sets of shoulder sts.
Row 19: P5, knit all remaining sts of first set of shoulder sts; knit to last 5 sts of next set of shoulder sts, p5.
Row 20: Purl across all sts of both sets of shoulder sts.
Row 21 (increase row): Repeat Row 17—63 (66, 69, 70, 73) sts.
Rows 22-37 (37, 37, 41, 41): Repeat last 4 rows 4 (4, 4, 5, 5) more times—67 (70, 73, 75, 78) sts.
Row 38 (38, 38, 42, 42): Purl across all sts of both sets of shoulder sts.
Row 39 (39, 39, 43, 43) (increase row): Repeat Row 17—68 (71, 74, 76, 79) sts.
Rows 40 (40, 40, 44, 44)–45 (45, 45, 49, 49): Repeat last 2 rows 3 more times—71 (74, 77, 79, 82) sts.
Row 46 (46, 46, 50, 50) (increase row – wrong side): Purl to last 2 sts of first set of shoulder sts, pfb, p1; p1, pfb, purl across all sts of next set of shoulder sts—72 (75, 78, 80, 83) sts.
Row 47 (47, 47, 51, 51) (increase row): Repeat Row 17—73 (76, 79, 81, 84) sts.

Rejoin at Front Neck
Row 48 (48, 48, 52, 52) (wrong side): Purl across all sts of first set of shoulder sts, cast on 20 (20, 20, 22, 22) sts using backward loop or cable cast-on, do not change to 2nd ball of yarn continue with current ball, purl across all sts of next set of shoulder sts—166 (172, 178, 184, 190) sts.

Cut yarn still connected near middle of row.

Work now resumes using single ball of yarn.
 

Row 49 (49, 49, 53, 53): P5, knit to last 5 sts, p5.
Row 50 (50, 50, 54, 54): Purl.
Rows 52 (52, 52, 56, 56)–58 (60, 62, 66, 68): Repeat last 2 rows 4 (5, 6, 6, 7) more times.

Decrease to Complete Dolman Sleeves
Row 1 (wrong side): Bind off 20 (18, 16, 14, 12) sts, purl to end of row—146 (154, 162, 170, 178) sts.
Row 2: Bind off 20 (18, 16, 14, 12) sts, knit to end of row—126 (136, 146, 156, 166) sts.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4 (decrease row): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—124 (134, 144, 154, 164) sts.
Row 5 (decrease row): P1, p2tog though back loops, purl to last 3 sts, p2tog—122 (132, 142, 152, 162) sts.
Rows 6 and 7: Repeat last 2 rows—118 (128, 138, 148, 158) sts.
Row 8 (decrease row): Repeat Row 4—116 (126, 136, 146, 156) sts.
Row 9: Purl.
Row 10: Repeat Row 4—114 (124, 134, 144, 154) sts.
Rows 11–40: Repeat last 2 rows 15 more times—84 (94, 104, 114, 124) sts. Work even in Stockinette st for 62 rows (or until same length as same section of back).

Garter Band
Work in Garter st for 8 rows.
Bind off loosely.

FINISHING
Neckband
Round 1 (right side): With right side facing, knit 40 (40, 40, 44, 44) back neck sts from holder, pick up and k37 (40, 43, 46, 49) sts evenly across left front neck edge, pick up and k20 (20, 20, 22, 22) sts across front neck cast-on edge, pick up and k37 (40, 43, 46, 49) sts evenly across right front neck edge—134 (140, 146, 158, 164) sts.

Place marker for beginning of round and prepare to work in rounds.
Round 2: *P9, p2tog; repeat from * to last 2 (8, 3, 4, 10) sts, purl any remaining sts—122 (128, 133, 144, 150) sts.
Round 3: [K18 (19, 20, 22, 23), k2tog] 6 times, knit any remaining sts—116 (122, 127, 138, 144) sts.
Round 4: [P2tog, p17 (18, 19, 21, 22)] 6 times, purl any remaining sts—110 (116, 121, 132, 138) sts.
Round 5: [K25 (27, 28, 31, 32), k2tog] 4 times, knit any remaining sts—106 (112, 117, 128, 134) sts.
Round 6: [P2tog, p24 (26, 27, 30, 31)] 4 times, purl any remaining sts—102 (108, 113, 124, 130) sts.
Round 7: [K23 (25, 26, 29, 30), k2tog] 4 times, knit any remaining sts—98 (104, 109, 120, 126) sts.
Round 8: Purl.
Bind off loosely.

Cut a length of yarn about 36” (91.5cm) long.
Remove the sequined thread from the length of yarn. With yarn, sew side and sleeve seams.
Weave in ends. Steam block gently.