Blue Sparkle Cardigan

Knitted jacket in DROPS Muskat. The piece is worked top down with round yoke, leaf pattern and short sleeves. Sizes S - XXXL.

DROPS 220-33
DROPS Design: Pattern no r-784
Yarn group B
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SIZES:
S - M - L - XL - XXL - XXXL

MATERIALS:
DROPS MUSKAT from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
400-450-450-500-550-600 g colour 60, ice blue

KNITTING TENSION:
21 stitches in width with pattern and garter stitch = 10 cm.
20 stitches in width and 26 rows in height with stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.

NEEDLES:
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 4 MM.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4 MM: Length 60 cm or 80 cm for pattern and garter stitch.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4.5 MM: Length 60 cm or 80 cm for stocking stitch.
Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

DROPS MOTHER OF PEARL BUTTONS, Arched (white) NO 521: 7-7-7-8-8-8 items.

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EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:

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RIDGE/GARTER STITCH (worked in the round):
1 ridge in height = 2 rounds; Knit 1 round and purl 1 round.

RIDGE/GARTER STITCH (worked back and forth):
Knit all rows.
1 ridge in height = Knit 2 rows.

PATTERN:
See diagrams A.1, A.2 and A.3. The diagrams show all rows in the pattern from the right side. Choose diagram for your size (applies to A.1 and A.2).

INCREASE TIP-1 (evenly spaced):
To work out how to increase evenly, count the total number of stitches on the needle (e.g. 244 stitches) minus bands (e.g. 10 stitches) and divide the remaining stitches by the number of increases to be made (e.g. 14) = 16.7. 
In this example, increase by making 1 yarn over after alternately each 16th and 17th stitch. Do not increase on bands. On the next row work the yarn overs twisted to avoid holes.

INCREASE TIP-2 (for sides of body):
Work until there are 2 stitches left before the marker thread, make 1 yarn over, knit 4 (marker thread sits between these 4 stitches) make 1 yarn over.
On the next row purl the yarn overs twisted to avoid holes. Then work the new stitches in stocking stitch. 

BUTTONHOLES:
Work buttonholes on the right band (when the garment is worn). Work from the right side when there are 3 stitches left on the row as follows: Make 1 yarn over, knit 2 together and knit 1. On the next row (wrong side) knit the yarn over to leave a hole.
The first buttonhole is worked when the piece measures approx. 1 cm. Then work the other 6-6-6-7-7-7 buttonholes with approx. 8-8-8½-8-8-8½ cm between each one.

CASTING-OFF TIP:
To avoid the cast-off edge being tight you can cast off with a larger size needle. If the edge is still tight, make 1 yarn over after approx. each 4th stitch at the same time as casting off; the yarn overs are cast off as normal stitches.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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JACKET – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE.
The yoke is worked back and forth with circular needle, top down. The yoke is divided for body and sleeves and the body continued back and forth with circular needle. The sleeve-edges are worked in the round with double pointed needles.

YOKE:
Cast on 105-105-115-115-125-125 stitches with circular needle size 4 mm and Muskat. Work 2 RIDGES – read description above.
Then work pattern as follows – choose diagram for your size: Work 5 band stitches in garter stitch, * A.1 (= 5 stitches), A.2 (= 5 stitches) *, work from *-* until there are 10 stitches left on the row, A.1 over 5 stitches and 5 band stitches in garter stitch (= 10-10-11-11-12-12 repeats of A.1 and 9-9-10-10-11-11 repeats of A.2).
Continue this pattern and remember the BUTTONHOLES on right band – see description above.
REMEMBER THE KNITTING TENSION!
When A.1 and A.2 have been completed in height there are 257-295-325-325-355-355 stitches on the needle. Work 0-1-2-2-3-3 ridges. Change to circular needle size 4.5 mm. Continue with stocking stitch and 5 band stitches in garter stitch on each side; increase 1-0-3-17-10-27 stitches evenly over the stocking stitch section on the first row – read INCREASE TIP-1 = 258-295-328-342-362-382 stitches.
Continue with stocking stitch and garter stitch on the bands until the piece measure 19-20-21-23-25-27 cm from the cast-on edge. Then continue as follows (from the right side): Work 5 band stitches in garter stitch, 36-41-47-48-53-58 stitches in stocking stitch (= left front piece), place the next 52-60-66-70-70-70 stitches on a thread (= sleeve), cast on 8-8-10-10-12-14 new stitches under the sleeve, work 72-83-92-96-106-116 stitches in stocking stitch (= back piece), place the next 52-60-66-70-70-70 stitches on a thread (= sleeve), cast on 8-8-10-10-12-14 new stitches under the sleeve, work 36-41-47-48-53-58 stitches in stocking stitch and 5 band stitches in garter stitch (= right front piece). Body and sleeves are finished separately. THE PIECE IS NOW MEASURED FROM HERE.

BODY:
170-191-216-222-246-270 stitches. Insert a marker in each side, in the middle of the new stitches cast on under each sleeve (= 4-4-5-5-6-7 new stitches on each side of the markers).
Continue with stocking stitch and the band stitches in garter stitch. When the piece measures 4 cm from the division, increase 1 stitch on each side of both markers (= 4 stitches increased) read INCREASE TIP-2. Increase like this every 2½ cm a total of 10 times = 210-231-256-262-286-310 stitches. Continue working until the piece measures 31-32-33-33-33-33 cm from the division, then work 1 row in stocking stitch from wrong side where the number of stitches is adjusted to 214-226-250-262-286-310 stitches (i.e. increase 4 stitches in size S, decrease 5 stitches in size M and decrease 6 stitches in size L. The number of stitches remains the same in sizes XL, XXL and XXXL). Change to circular needle size 4 mm.
Work 5 band stitches in garter stitch, then A.3 until there are 5 stitches left (= 17-18-20-21-23-25 repeats in width) and 5 band stitches in garter stitch. When A.3 has been completed there are 282-298-330-346-378-410 stitches on the needle. Work 2 ridges over all stitches. Read CASTING-OFF TIP and cast off with knit. The piece measures approx. 60-62-64-66-68-70 cm from the shoulder down.

SLEEVE-EDGE:
Place the 52-60-66-70-70-70 stitches from the one thread on double pointed needles size 4 mm. Knit 1 round where you also knit up 1 stitch in each of the 8-8-10-10-12-14 stitches cast on under the sleeve = 60-68-76-80-82-84 stitches. Work 2 ridges in the round, then cast off with knit – remember CASTING-OFF TIP.

ASSEMBLY:
Sew the buttons onto the left band.

Diagram explanations

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