This is a little Gem of a sweater - cute and interesting, with just enough detail.

don’t worry if your top looks wonky and the lace layer looks too small. Blocking fixes everything!

Deadline Sept. 5
Gauge: 26 x 35 = 4 inches. I didn’t get this gauge, even with smaller needles, so I knit a smaller size, and did some more decreases in the waist. Could have continued to do more, as there is some ease, which is OK.

Mods:

• knit with smaller needles

• didn’t knit the last WS row of the base layer back, so that I could just start the joining round and avoid weaving in 2 ends. The extra row in the front won’t make any difference.

• cast on 10 underarm stitches instead of 14

• didn’t do last 2 sleeve increases, so 4 stitches less per sleeve, as I want the cap sleeves a bit more snug.

• bust darts - see below.

• picked up 30 stitches (plus 7) each side of base layer armhole. 74 total.

• did waist decreases in the back and front instead of the sides - see below.

• ran out of yarn - approx. 2 yards left, so knit a few rows less than the pattern called for in the body.

• used smaller needle for garter and eyelet hem - I highly recommend this, as garter is wider than stockinette and the eyelet row stretches. Actually, if I knit this again, I would decrease a few stitches on the first garter row just to snug in the hem.

• note about the lace layer: as many testers have said there is a skewed look to the lace (probably due to the bias design of the lace pattern). The front edges look different and even the back section looks wider at one end than the other. This blocks out, so don’t fear! I included a picture with the layers joined at the bottom but not the top yet, and you can see how much bigger the base layer is, plus the left shoulder seam is at the front.

Bust Darts: started on row 25. German short rows, starting with kniting to 31 stitches from side, then turning, then purl to 31 stitches from side, and turn, etc. Did a turn every 4 stitches: 31, 27, 23, 19, 15, 11, 7 from side seams, and I did the turns on either side of the pattern, so I could maintain it.

Shaping in front and back: Decreasing: SSK before marker, and k2tog after. Increasing: M1R before marker and M1L after marker. Markers and 1/3 of back and 1/4 of front measured from the side seams.

Pattern Gauge: 26 stitches and 35 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette. I knit about 22 or 23 stitches to 4 inches, so made a smaller size, and it still had a fair bit of ease.

32 grams left of CC (128 yards)