This is my second Ginkgo Leaf Top. Here’s a link to my first one. I love the design and it’s a very quick, easy project. The designer gives very clear instructions in both written and charted forms.

I knitted this with 2 different yarns held together - except for the ribbing which is just the Hayfield Soft Twist. This yarn has great yardage, so you can do a lot with 4 balls. Note that the “Make It Tweed” yarn/thread comes wound around a thick cardboard tube which weighs (by itself) .5 oz.(14.18 grams). So when estimating thread left over, deduct the weight of the cardboard. I had almost nothing left over from the 2 balls that I purchased.

Although the “Make It Tweed” looks like a very fine thread, it will change your knitting gauge when held with another yarn. Also, it makes the garment slightly more stiff (less drapey). Lovecrafts stopped carrying this yarn soon after I bought it. Premier Trinket is similar, but appears to be slightly heavier. The latter only has 437 yards per ball, so I would have needed 3 balls of that to have enough yardage for this sweater. Trinket comes in 20 lovely colors.

I cast on 114 sts using alternate cable cast-on. I did 7 rounds of twisted ribbing for the neckband (k1, ptbl) instead of 5 rounds. My neckband measures 1” high.

Did German short rows in back, advancing every 9 sts (to 36 sts past CB (4 sets x 9 = 36 sts) to give 1 inch more height in back.

Due to my longer row gauge, I split the body and sleeves midway through Chart 3 as follows:

Round 6 - I increased one st in each section, but not with pfb. Instead I did the first purl stitch and then a lifted increase

Round 7 - Divided body and sleeves. Joined in the round after casting on 5 underarm sts each side. I just did a knit stitch on the increase done in previous round.

Rounds 8 - 11 - Continued Chart 3 while working the body in the round.

So when I resumed work on the sleeves, I still had to complete the last 3 rounds of Chart 3 while at the same time, decreasing to 84 sts. Then I did 100 more rounds for each sleeve before starting the cuff ribbing. Switched to size 3 US needle for the cuff twisted ribbing (k1, ptbl). Did 20 rounds for the cuff. Switched to size 2 US needle for the bind off (JSSBO). When knitting for myself, I make my sleeves longer, but this was a gift.

Note that the lace pattern for the yoke tightens the gauge compared to stockinette stitch. So if you use the same size needle for the stockinette (as I did), you’ll see some gathering beneath the yoke. I rather like this look, but if you don’t want any gathering, then you should switch to a needle size or two smaller when you complete all the charts.

Prior to starting the lower ribbing, I increased 34 sts - after every 6 sts (203 + 34 = 237 sts + 1 sts on the first ribbing round = 238 sts for the lower ribbing. I do this because I don’t like the ribbing to pull in at the bottom. I like it to hang straight. Next time just do 202 or 204 sts for the body because you need an even number of stitches for the ribbing.

I did twisted rib (k1, ptbl) for all of the ribbing. I think the results are a bit neater looking than regular 1 x 1 ribbing.

Needles used:

Size 0 US Milward - Bind off lower edge only (JSSBO)

Size 2 US Milward - Bind off sleeve cuffs only (JSSBO)

Size 3 US Susan Bates - Neckband, sleeve cuffs and lower ribbing

Size 6 US Susan Bates - Everything else

Weight of finished sweater = 14.4 oz. (408.23 grams)

Finished Measurements:

Body circumference - 42”

Sleeve circumference - 17.5”

Body length from underarm - 12” (9” + 3” ribbing)

Sleeve length from underarm - 18” (15” + 3” ribbing)

Armhole depth - 8.5”

I had a total of 88 sts. for each sleeve. I probably should have switched to a smaller needle for the sleeves because they were larger around that the first Ginkgo Top that I knit. My gauge was 19.33 sts per 4”. (4.8326 sts per inch).

I did an alternating cable cast on for the neckline.