Made with Recycled Light Fingering Cotton yarn.

I totally re-worked this pattern and just used it as a guide. Three things I needed to change: my gauge was very different from the pattern gauge of 25 st. & 32 rows.
I really didn’t like how the front curved up so steeply. I wanted my sweater to be more even around the bottom with a slight curve to the front; then straight up.
I hate seaming so I decided I’d 3 needle bind off the shoulders and knit set-in sleeves instead of sewing them in.

With my gauge and to fit me I figured I would need 316 total stitches across the full width of the sides and back.

Cast on 174 stitches and worked sweater with size 2 needle.

Shaping lower hem: (cable cast on used for increases)
Cast on 7 stitches at beginning of next 8 rows.
Cast on 6 stitches at beginning of next 8 rows.
Cast on 5 stitches at beginning of next 6 rows.
Inc. 1 stitch at each end of next row and every 4th row 4 times. (316 stitches)

Worked even for 8-1/2”.

Division: 68 for each side, 10 cast off for each armhole, 160 for back.

Shape sides armhole & neck:
Armhole: Dec. 1 st at armhole edge every row 10 times, then every RS row 13 times, then every 4th row 5 times.
Neck: Dec. 1 st at neck edge on 7th row then every 6 rows 12 times. (26 stitches)
Worked even for 8-3/4”.
K 13 stitches, GSR, Purl back. K across. Place on scrap yarn.

Back:
Shape Armholes: Dec 1 st each end 10 times, then every RS row 13 times, then every 4th row 5 times (104stitches). Knit even for 8-3/4”.
K to 13 stitches from end, GSR, P back to 13 stitches from end, GSR, K back. Purl and Knit one row each.

With work turned to wrong sides together, work 3-needle bind off on 26 stitches of each shoulder to produce a shoulder seam.

Cardigan Ruffle: picked up and knit 344 stitches along curved edge starting from left front curve, across back, to right front curve. Picked up and knit 3 of 4 stitches along straight fronts to shoulder seams, and knit across top of back. (620 stitches)
Knit Ruffle as pattern except: Round 5-Purled only (did not do increases.)
Worked short rows through row 14. (Skipped rows 15&16)
Worked increase rounds 4 times until there were 9 Purl stitches for each ruffle along front side edges. (A zillion stitches!)
Bind off in pattern with size 4 needle.

Sleeves:
From middle bottom armhole, Picked up and knit 6 stitches on bottom, every other stitch around, then 6 stitches on bottom. Place BOR marker. (105 stitches)

Placed marker at top shoulder and 32 stitches each side of top marker.

1st row: K1, SSK, K to 11 stitches past top marker, GSR, P to 11 stitches past top marker, GSR, K back to Double strands from GSR, K strands together, K 1, GSR, P back to double strands, P together, P 1, GSR. Continue until you reach each side marker. Finish knitting 1st row to 3 stitches from BOR marker, K2tog, K 1.

On 5th round: Decrease 2
On 11th round: Decrease 2
On 10th round: Decrease 2. 7 times (87 stitches)
24 rounds even.
Decrease 2 on every 5th round 4 times. (79 stitches)
Knit even to 11-1/2”.
Start ruffle (dec 1 stitch along the way so you have an even number of 78 for ruffle).
Worked ruffle until 9 Purl stitches for each ruffle. Bind off in pattern with size 4 needle.