11/2/15 This was a quick and easy knit. I made a couple of modifications. First, I used worsted weight yarn. Second, I added one extra k row and one extra decrease row. Last, I turned it inside out at the end and finished it with a three needle bind off instead of using Kitchener stitch. I’m very happy with how it turned out! As usual, I used Tillybuddy’s very stretchy cast on (see my profile page for link).

The decreases used in the pattern, LRI (left raised increase) and RRI (right raised increase), were new to me. The instructions in the pattern made sense eventually but I had to read a couple of other descriptions of them first. I’ve since found this video that demonstrates the increases really well. Basically, for a LRI, you knit the stitch you want to increase on then, reaching around to the WS, pick up the second purl bump down on the right needle (in other words, the stitch below the stitch you just created) and knit into it. For a RRI, you do the increase first: pick up either the first purl bump (on the WS) on the next stitch on the left needle, or pick up the right shoulder of the same stitch and knit into it. Then, knit the stitch on the left needle.

If I make this pattern with worsted weight yarn again, I might cast on fewer stitches to make the neck just a little snugger.