I’m using six shades of yarn to create the fade, so I’ve made some modifications to accommodate that.

If you are perfectionist like me, place a safety pin (or any marker) at the start and end of each color change in the body. When it’s time to knit the sleeves, the safety pins will help you know when to work the color changes in the sleeves without counting and notes.

Achieving the optimal fade
It was important to me that I didn’t have distinct color blocks on the sweater—I wanted colors to blend into each other indistinguishably. In addition to using a six-color progression instead of four, I knit as follows to minimize the stripe effect:

Note: Make increases on the purl side (RS) when necessary. Fade = 3”

• Place marker to note the start of the color change.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 3 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 2 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 2 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 2 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with current color.
• Work 3 rows/rnds with new color.
• Work 1 rows/rnds with current color.
• Place marker to note the end of the color change.

For a more subtle fade on the garter cuffs and the front bands/collar, I switched the colors on the WS.

Yoke Increases — Increased 1 stitch away from the “seam” stitch, as opposed to right against the seam.

Waist Shaping — 5 inches after the sleeve separation, decreased 4 stitches every 7 rows 3 times. Knit 2 inches, then increased 4 stitches every 6 rows 4 times.

Front Bands — Picked up 121 stitches for the front bands and 64 on the yoke got a total of 306 stitches. Use the Icelandic bind off. Used a 4 mm needle to BO for the fronts, and a 5 mm needle around the fold-over collar section.

Sleeves — I knit inside out to knit all rounds. (Carried yarn on knit side/WS.) Knit sleeves simultaneously, 2-3 inches at time. This will ensure that sleeves match each other. Pick up 10 under arms, decrease 2 at the gap row 1 for 72 stitches. Decrease 2 every 12th row 2 times, then every 10th row. At 48 st, decrease 5th row.

Yarn Weight — Before starting, I set aside 20 g of colors A, B, and C for the cuffs to ensure I had the full range of color.

A = 118.5 g; 43 g in the body
B = 118.5 g; 58.5 g in the body
C = 120.0 g; 61.5 g in the body
D = 120.9 g; 72.5 g in the body
E = 121.1 g; 75.7 g in the body
F = 120.4 g; 60.4 g in the body

I had an entire skein of C and D leftover.