I did two gauge swatches - one on a size 6 and the other on a size 5 needle. The size 6 swatch was the pattern gauge, but the two made very different fabrics. The size 5 was thicker and just a little more stiff. The size 6 swatch looked like it would drape a little nicer…but I really was stuck.

I elected to go with the pattern gauge and I liked the flowiness of the size 6 needle swatch.

As others have done, I elected to knit this in the round, so I eliminated the selvege stitches and cast on 196 stitches using a (simply looped) provisional cast on. Two seams avoided.

I knit the interior hem stitches, the purl row where the hem turns into the front of the fabric, and the first knit row on the size 5 needles. I could have switched to the size 6 earlier, but wasn’t paying attention. I like the graduation it gives to the edge, tho, and would do it again.

I am using a single purl as a faux seam for the 98th and the 196th stitch in the round. I started the faux seam in the first k row after turning the hem.

In the 8th row after the purl turn, I knit the provisional cast on row together with the working row to finish the hem. Hooray! A third seam avoided :)

It’s now long enough to bind off for the armholes. It gets interesting doing it in the round. To get the BOs going the right ways, I’m following the instructions to BO as it switches to knitting it flat (BO at the beginning of the first two rows of the upper chest). I used a size 8 needle for the BO and used traditional bind off (p. 50 Wiseman book). I also picked up and then immediately cast off a stitch in the second half of each armhole to join the two BO sections that were pulling in different directions. It seemed to do the trick!

I am at the hemming and the bind-offs for the top. I started to wonder about a simultaneous EZ’s sewn bind off and hem affixing stitch, but a little research led me to TECHknitter’s blog on this topic and she says sewn hems roll less than those knitted closed. I also decided the top front hem was too important (under the face) and it was too many things to get right all at once (hem spacing plus bind off).

So, I’ll bind off first and then stitch the hem. I tried Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind-off, but that was too bulky. I need one that doesn’t pull but doesn’t add too much bulk. Will try a larger needle and a traditional bind-off next.

Used a size 8 needle for the 3-needle bind-off.

I finished the knitting at least a week ago, but procrastinated seaming the neckline hems. After hemming and before washing and blocking, I wasn’t happy with the way the hemmed neckline pulled away from the three needle bind off shoulders - basically looked gappy and unfinished, so I did a little extra seaming and sewing in there. Not entirely perfect, but not as noticeable as a pulling away hem….