Subway Knitter ...not afraid to knit in public
designed by Subway Knitter
This is a knitted version of my favorite summer shirt, a shirt that always makes me feel good every time I slip it over my head. The look is feminine and flirty without being overly so. Knit this sweater in wool to have something fun to wear in the winter. [At this gauge, the enormous colorway selection of Cascade 220 is open to you.] Alternatively, knit this in a lighter fiber for something beautiful to wear on cool summer evenings. Pair it with something dressy, or wear it with jeans. This is a very versatile pattern that you can customize for your needs. Enjoy!
Yarn: 11 balls of Takhi New Tweed, [70% Merino wool, 15 %, silk, 11% cotton, 4% viscose; 103 yards/95 meters per 50g ball], colorway 017
NOTE: Some time after I purchased this yarn, Tahki Stacy Charles changed the composition of the New Tweed and reduced the amount of yarn in each ball. According to the company's website the yarn now comprises 60 percent wool, 26 percent viscose, and 14 percent silk. Each ball now contains only 92 yards for 50 grams. Rats! I can't say how that change in fiber composition would affect the fabric's feel and appearance, but the new yarn is slightly heavier than my yarn.
Needles: US8
Notions: stitch holders (or spare lengths of yarn)
Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 6.75 rows = 1 inch
Finished sizes (these are the sizes of the garment, not your measurements):
Body length (shoulder to waist): 21.5”
Sleeve length (wrist to underarm): 17” (wrist to shoulder): 23"
Sleeve width (at wrist): 8” (at narrowest point): 5½” (at underarm): 7”
Bust: 40”
Waist/Hip: 40”
Narrowest width of waist: 36”
Shoulder width: 4”
V-neck depth: 6½”
V-neck width: 7.5”
Height of V-neck above waist/hip: 16”
Armhole height: 8½”
Dec: decrease
Inc: increase
K2Tog: knit 2 together
KW: knitwise
P2Tog: purl 2 together
PSSO: pass slipped stitch over
PW: purlwise
RS: right side
Sl: slip
StSt: stockinette stitch
TBL: through back loop
WS: wrong side
Decreases -
Left-leaning:
Knit Side: SSK (slip 2 stitches KW, return both stitches to the left needle, then K2Tog TBL).
Purl Side: P2Tog.
Right-leaning:
Knit Side: K1, Sl 1 KW, return both stitches to the left needle and PSSO).
Purl Side: Sl 2 PW, return stitches to the left needle, P2Tog TBL.
Increases (M1) -
M1 Right slanting:
Knit Side:
- Insert left needle from back to front into the horizontal strand between the stitches.
- Knit the strand through front loop.
Purl Side:
- Insert left needle from back to front into the horizontal strand between the stitches.
- Purl the strand through front loop.
M1 Left slanting:
Knit Side:
- Insert left needle from front to back into the horizontal strand between the stitches.
- Knit the strand TBL.
Purl Side:
- Insert left needle from front to back.
- Purl the strand TBL.
Notes:
When picking up the loop for the neck & V-neck edging, pick up the loop from front to back. If you use a provisional cast on, you might lose the first stitch when you later insert the needle and undo the cast-on chain to bind off. Fear not! Simply find a loop to pick up and recreate that stitch.
CO 90 stitches. If you desire a decorative edging, use a provisional cast on.
Work for 1 inch in StSt.
Begin Waist Shaping
Dec. 1 stitch each side every 4 rows, 7 times total (76 stitches remaining).
Work 1 inch in StSt, ending with a WS row.
Inc. 1 stitch each side every 4 rows, 7 times total (90 stitches).
Work in StSt until piece measures 13 inches (approx 19 rows after final inc. row). End with (i.e. just having finished) a WS row.
Shape Armhole
BO 5 stitches each side on the next two rows (80 stitches).
Dec. 1 stitch each side on the next row (78 stitches remaining).
Dec. 1 stitch on each side every other row 4 more times (70 stitches remaining).
Continue working until armhole opening measures 8.5 inches, ending with (i.e. just having finished) a RS row.
Begin Neck and Shoulder Shaping
NOTE: Each side of the neck is shaped individually.
Next Row (WS): BO center 28 stitches. Work across this row.
Continue neck shaping and start neck edging as follows:
ROW 1 (RS): Knit across to the last 4 stitches. K1, Sl 1 KW, PSSO, K1, pick up the loop between the stitches and place it on the right needle. Slip the last stitch KW. Put the 21 stitches at the beginning of this row on a holder or spare piece of yarn.
ROW 2 (WS): Purl together the first stitch and the picked-up loop. Work across until 6 stitches remain, wrap the sixth stitch, turn the piece.
ROW 3 (RS): Knit back across to the last 4 stitches. K1, Sl 1 KW, PSSO, K1, pick up the loop between the stitches and place it on the right needle. Slip the last stitch KW.
ROW 4 (WS): Purl together the first stitch and the picked-up loop. Work across until 12 stitches remain, wrap the 12th stitch, and turn the piece.
ROW 5 (RS): Knit back across to the last 4 stitches. K1, Sl 1 KW, PSSO, K1, pick up the loop between the stitches and place it on the right needle. Slip the last stitch KW.
ROW 6 (WS): Purl together the first stitch and the picked-up loop. Work across the row, picking up the wrapped stitches.
18 stitches should remain on this side. Do not bind off these stitches, place them on a holder or spare piece of yarn and clip the sweater yarn.
Shape the neck and shoulders for the other side, reversing all shaping. Use an SSK decrease.
Place these remaining stitches on holder or spare piece of yarn.
CO 90 stitches, and work as for the back (including all waist and armhole shaping) until the piece measures 14 inches, ending with (i.e. just having finished) a WS row.
Continue armhole shaping, and at the same time, begin V-neck shaping.
Begin V-Neck Shaping
NOTE: Each side of the V-Neck is shaped individually.
Knit across 36 stitches, K2Tog. Join a new ball of yarn and continue across row, leaving remaining stitches on holder or spare piece of yarn.
Next row (WS): Purl across row until 2 stitches remain. P1, pick up loop (from front to back) between stitches and place it on the right needle. Slip the last stitch PW.
ROW 1 (RS): Knit together TBL the first stitch and the loop. K1, SSK, and continue across row.
ROW 2 (WS): Purl across row until 2 stitches remain. P1, pick up loop between stitches and place it on the right needle, slip the last stitch PW.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2, 11 more times (12 times total). Then begin decreasing every 4 rows.
Continue the slip-stitch edging by doing the following:
ROW 3 (RS): Knit together TBL the first stitch and the loop; continue across row.
ROW 4 (WS): Purl across row until 2 stitches remain. P1, pick up loop between stitches and place it on the right needle, slip the last stitch PW.
Repeat Rows 1 through 4, 4 more times (5 times total), ending with Row 4.
Shape Shoulders
Follow the short-row shaping instructions for the back; omit the neck-edge shaping.
CO 72 stitches. Work in StSt for 1 inch, ending with (i.e. just having finished) a WS row.
Begin bell shaping by decreasing as follows:
Next Row (RS): Dec. one stitch at each end in the next row and every following fifth row 5 more times (6 times total).
Knit 5 rows after the decrease row. Dec. 1 stitch at each end in the next row, and in every following sixth row 3 more times (4 times total).
Work 1 inch even (6 rows), ending with (i.e. just having finished) a RS row.
Inc. 1 stitch at each end of the next row, and once again 5 rows later. Knit 6 more rows after the second increase.
Inc. 1 stitch at each end in the next and in each following sixth row 4 more times (five times total).
Continue working in StSt until sleeve measures 17 inches, ending with (i.e. just having worked) a WS row.
Shape Cap
BO 5 stitches in the next 2 rows
Or: BO 4, twist last stitch and return it to the left needle. K2Tog, TBL.
Dec. 1 stitch at each end in the next 2 rows.
Dec. 1 stitch at each end of every other row 4 times.
Dec. 1 stitch at each end of every forth rows 4 times.
Dec. 1 stitch at each end of every other row 7 times.
BO 3 stitches at the beginning of the next 4 rows.
BO the remaining 12 stitches.
Wash and block the sweater pieces. Seam together shoulders, then sleeve and side seams.
The V-neck edging is my interpretation of instructions originally written by Kim Hargreaves for Rowan.
