$5 in Prague

Whoo hoo! I finished up my first top-down sweater last night. A top-down raglan is really awesome to knit because there is no seaming and you can try it on as you go and increase and decrease as necessary to get a perfect fit. This is pretty much the most basic top-down pattern you can get – now that I’m comfortable with the technique, I’m ready to try my darling bluebell!

yarn details
Caron Simply Soft in 9742 Grey Heather and 9721 Victorian Rose (no dye lot)
100% acrylic
worsted weight
machine wash warm water, dry on low heat, delicate cycle
170 grams/315 yards @ $2.50

pattern details
pattern: “$5 in Paris” by Anna Peck (“knittyknitter”); free, available here: http://knitting-up-a-storm.blogspot.com/2007/04/5-in-paris.html
gauge: 17 st x 24 rows over 4” in St. st on size 8 circs
needle size: size 7 circs for ribbing, size 8 circs for body from my Boye Needlemaster set with size 7 dpns for sleeves and size 6 dpns for ribbing on sleeves
yarn used: a little less than one skein of the pink and a little more than one skein of the grey
time: started May 20 – July 1, 2007; maybe 20 hours?
total cost: $5

notes
– modifications: I extended the body to tunic length and the sleeves to elbow length; this prompted me to rename the sweater “$5 in Prague” Why? Who knows. I’ve just always wanted to go to Prague.
– I incorporated waist shaping starting 3.5” below where I joined the sleeves (which left me 5 stitches into a grey stripe); here are my notes:

GREY STRIPE 1:
6 <-- decrease (k2tog, k1, slpm, k1, ssk)
7
8
9
10 <-- decrease
11
12
13
PINK STRIPE 1:
1 <-- decrease
2
3
4
5 <-- decrease
6
7
8
9 <-- decrease
10
11
12
13 <-- decrease
GREY
STRIPE 2:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 <-- increase (work to one
stitch before pm: m1, k1, sl pm, k1, m1)
8
9
10
11
12 <--
increase
13
PINK STRIPE 2:
1
2
3
4 <-- increase
5
6
7
8
9 <-- increase
10
11
12
13
GREY
STRIPE 3:
1 <-- increase
2
3
4
5
6 <-- increase
7
8
9
10
11 <-- increase
12
13
PINK STRIPE 3:
1
2
3 <-- increase
4
5
6
7
8 <-- increase
9
10
11
12
13
GREY RIBBING: knit first row, then knit
2×2 rib for 11 rows, BO in pattern on 13th row.

– notes on my sleeve decreasing:

pick up 12 stitches at base of sleeve – giving you 56 stitches
divided evenly on 3 size 7 dpns); knit 2 rows of grey to finish off grey stripe
1)
PINK STRIPE 1:
1
2 <-- decrease (beg row: k to 3 st before pm:
ssk, k1, sl pm, k2tog, k1)
3
4
5
6 <-- decrease
7
8
9 <-- decrease
10
11
12 <-- decrease
13
GREY STRIPE 2:
1
2 <-- decrease
3
4
5 <-- decrease
6
7
8 <-- decrease
9
10
11 <-- decrease
12
13
PINK STRIPE 2:
1 <-- decrease
2
3
4 <-- decrease
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
GREY RIBBING:
Switch to size 6 dpns and knit all stitches in
first row, then continue in 2×2 rib for 7 rows, BO on 9th
row.