My sister asked for a plain, blue v-neck pullover, so I’m knitting her this autumn-coloured cardigan. This suits her colouring, and will be able to be worn to work. I’m the big sister here - no surprise.

This is a nice basic pattern, and very kind of Tin Can Knits to offer it for free. However, I thought it was improved by some mods, and could have had a bit more direction.

Notes:

• I alternated skeins throughout, changing on the WS after the garter front on the right.
• the yoke increases are not specified (just M1) so I did m1L after a marker, and m1R before a marker. For the fronts, I did m1R for the left front and m1L for the right.
• Using DK instead of worsted, so down a needle size, as I like the fabric better on 4.0 or 4.5 mm. My gauge is 20 st/4 inches on 4.5 mm needles so I’m going up a pattern size, more or less.
• add waist shaping - 1/3 of back and 1/2 of each front. 4 decreases 6 rows apart starting at 3 inches below underarm.
• add pockets - see below.

Yoke:
- did 14 stitch band (L) instead of 16 for XL. My row gauge is 27 instead of 26 so the extra increase for XL (4 more rows) before splitting for sleeves should cover it. Note - this is a deep armhole. I prefer fewer rows before the split, personally, to make it snugger.

Pockets:
This is a great technique - I prefer it over casting on new stitches when you put the pocket liners on waste yarn, as this way stabilizes the garment while knitting, and gives you live stitches for both the pocket lining and the top pocket edging.

Directions for a horizontal pocket: When you get to where you want the pocket, knit across the pocket location with a piece of scrap yarn same weight but different colour so you can see it later. Slip the scrap yarn sts back to the left needle. Knit across in sweater yarn. Continue knitting the sweater for several rows or until you’ve finished the body. Carefully take out the scrap yarn putting the live sts on 2 needles (all the sts from the top of the scrap yarn on one needle, the sts from the botton on another. From the bottom sts knit your pocket edging and tack it down above the opening. From the top sts knit the pocket lining and tack that down on the inside.

The first two pics from the bottom with the dark yarn shows the waste yarn knit in, right side, and wrong side. The next two pictures show picking up the 2 sets of stitches from the wrong side before and after cutting the waste yarn (super easy). The next 2 pictures show the pocket top from the front and the inside pocket liner, before it is stitched down at the sides.

Sleeves:

• 60 stitches on waste yarn. Picked up 10, then decreased 2 first round in the gap. Decreased round 10, then every 6th after that to 46 stitches. Knit 110 rows, then switched to 3.5 mm needle and did 20 rows garter, starting with purl row. I first did the cuff with a 4.0 mm needle (1 size down) but it was larger than the stockinette, so I re-knit with a 3.5 mm needle.
• these sleeves are really long - even with the cuff turned over they are still too long, and I didn’t knit them as long as the pattern called for. Moral of the story - try them on and stop in time to do the cuff.

Mods I didn’t do:

• I had planned to knit reverse stockinette, as I like that for a variegated yarn better than plain stockinette, but after I started, I ripped it out and knit in stockinette as per the pattern, as it looked better against the garter stitch band.
• I had also planned to slip the first stitch of each row to end up with a neat edge, but I didn’t do that for the neck band and it didn’t look good to then start it for the body. If I knit this again, I’ll slip the edge stitch at the start of the RS rows of the neck band, then continue down the fronts.

Shelley’s Measurements:
bust 44
underbust 38
mid-bust 3 inches from underarm
side seam 20-21 or 22 if enough yarn
raglan or set-in
sleeve - 18.5

Pattern gauge:18 sts and 26 rows / 4” in stockinette
using 5.0 mm needles. My gauge different, as I knit in 4.5 mm needles.

Yarn leftover: