Million Hits Sweater

Million Hit Sweater.   Now with four sizes, because you asked....

Thanks to all my wonderful blog-fans, I have surpassed the million hit mark.  I am overwhelmed to be here, and never thought the blog would be more than just a place to store my patterns and photos, a scrapbook of my knitting passion.

This ribbed raglan sweater is really stretchy, and easy fitting.

Sizes:  Small (36” at bust), medium (40”), large (44), xlarge (48). These are the finished measurements if you have a true gauge, and measure the sweater without stretching.

Yarn:   Sport weight yarn that works to gauge*****  I used Codex by Nova, silver, 50gms are 126yards, 9[10, 12, 14] balls should do.

Needles:  4mm (US 6) straight , small circular 3.5mm (US 5) for neck ribbing.*** option for straight needles at neck – see pattern.

Gauge:  19 sts = 4 inches in RIB PATTERN, on 4mm needles.  Best to measure your swatch after blocking and adjust your needles or yarn to match this gauge.

RIB PATTERN:  row one (even number of stitches): knit one, purl one across.  Row two: purl all stitches.

Pattern:

BACK:  With 4mm needles, cast on 78[88,98,106] stitches.  Work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 1.5 inches.  Increase 6 stitches over the last row of ribbing.  84[94,104,112] now on the needles.

Change to RIB PATTERN and work even for 14[15, 16, 17] inches from the start.

Start raglan shaping.  Row one:  (right side) knit two, knit two together, continue the rib pattern until 4 stitches remain, knit two together, knit two.

Row two: Purl all across.

Repeat these two rows until 42[46,50,54] sts remain.  Cast off all stitches.  (I like to cast off here, rather than put on holders, so that the neckline is more stable and NOT so stretchy.)

FRONT:  Work same as back until 52[56,60,64] remain in the raglan decrease stage.  Cast off center 30[34,38,42]sts, and working both sides at the same time: continue to do raglan decreases at the sides, AND knit two together at the neck edges, every right side row.  Purl the wrong sides.  You should end up with only one stitch on each side. Break yarn and thread through loop to secure.

SLEEVES:

Cast on 38[44,48,52] stitches.  Work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 2 inches.  Increase 4 stitches over the last row of ribbing.

Change to RIB PATTERN, work up sleeve.  Increase one stitch at each side, every six rows until you have 72[78,88,92] stitches.  Continue even until sleeve is 15[15,15.5,16] inches from start.

Work raglan shaping: work the same as back shaping.  Work until 30[30,34,34] stitches remain.  Next row:  decrease row: Knit 2,[ knit 2 together, knit2]repeating bracket  across all stitches.  Cast off remaining 23[23,26,26] stitches.

Stitch the raglan seams, attaching sleeves to front and back.*if using straight needles for the neckline, leave one of the back – sleeve seams unsewn, and work back and forth instead of around.

With small circular needles, pick up 100[108,112,116]stitches evenly around the neckline opening.  This is not every stitch, as youneed a tiny bit of gathering to keep the neck from stretching too wide.  Work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing, for 1.5 inches.  Cast off loosely.

Sew last raglan seam if left open for neck.

Sew side seams and sleeve seams.