First sweater of the year

I decided to start this year frugally, and knit with my stash and finish ongoing projects before I buy any more yarn.

I made a car sweater for my 2 year old. She loves car´s and pink, so she was extremely happy with the sweater.

It is not very easy to photograph a independent 2 year old, so I tried to take the sweater of her and photograph just the sweater.  It ended with tears/screams as she wanted to wear the sweater and was furious that I had taken it off. The only picture I managed was her hanging on to the sweater and demanding to get it back.

So I let her choose where I should take the picture, She wanted to sit on the sofa reading a book in her car sweater.

Pattern: I based the sweater loosely on this pattern (stitch count), but I made it a raglan and with different collar. I used the cars chart  from here on Ravelry.
Yarn: One strand Plötulopi (istex) and one strand Einband (istex).  I used less than one roll (plate) of the pink Plötulopi, and more than one skein of the pink Einband.  I needed very little of the blue Plötulopi and the Einband.

This was supposed to be a granny-chic cardigan for me. But after 6 months of hibernation I decided that I would never finish it and should rather use the yarn for something else. I have already made a pair of mittens. And I have a lot of yarn left.

Project 5 - free pattern english version

 I wanted to make something that was snug-fitting and simple for my husband.  I decided to have the "stripes/rib" not in the middle so it would not be to predictable.

Size: L

Finished measurements :

Chest circumference:  106 cm // 41,7 inches 

Sleeve length: 53 cm // 20,9 inches

Body length: 47 cm // 18,5 inches

Gauge (after wash):  

10cm x 10 cm  15 stitches x 21 rounds

3,93 inches x 3,93 inches  - 15 stitches x 21 rounds

Yarn:   Léttlopi -  50g/1,75oz 100m/109 yd  per skein

-Black:  1 skein                              Shade 0059
- Light grey -8 skeins                      Shade 0056

 Needles:

4 mm // US 6 // UK 8

5 mm // US 8 // UK 6

Body:

Cast on 172 stitches with grey on 4 mm // US 6 // UK 8  needles
 * knit 2, purl 2*  - repeat until you have knitted 7 cm (knit in the round)

Change to 5 mm // US 8 // UK 6 needles.

Round 1:  *Purl 2 , knit 2* repeat 6 times, then purl 2.  Then knit the rest of the round.

Repeat round 1 until you have knitted 44 cm.

Sleeves:

Cast on 48 stitches in grey  on 4 mm // US 6 // UK 8  needles,  join in the round and knit 7 cm of  *knit 2, purl 2*Change to  5 mm // US 8 // UK 6 Needles and start to knit stockinette.     Increase in the first round 2 stitches ( 1  after the first stitch and 1 before the last stitch).   Then repeat these increases in every 7th round, in total 10 times. So that you will have in total 68 stitches.   Then knit until the sleeve measures 51 cm.  

Put 12 stitches in the middle on a yarn in another colour  (where the increases were), this will be under the arm.

Knit the second sleeve identical to the first one.

Shoulder:

You now have 308 Stitches ( 68 stitches each sleeve, 172 stitches body ).   

Knit 31 stitches (if you like it assymmetrical like me, if you would like to have the ribs in the middle knit 43 stitches*)
Put 12 stitches on a yarn of another colour and keep for the finishing under the arms.

Connect the first sleeve – knit the rest of the sleeve

Knit 64 stitches

Put 12 stitches on a yarn of another colour and keep

Connect the second sleeve – knit the rest of the sleeve

Knit 55 stitches (if you like assymmetrical like me, if you would like to have the ribs in the middle knit 43 stitches*).


*The option of having the ribs in the middle was made for my mother and mother in law who thought I had made an error and prefer everything to be symmetrical. 

There will be 48 stitches under the arms that are not knitted but kept on a yarn, 


Knit another round in (total 2 rounds, then knit the chart below) with 6 even increases so that you will have in total 240 stitches for the pattern (266 -26 for the stribes.  Always knit the ribs as described above (26 stithces with purl2,knit2, purl2....  ) 

After you have finished the chart knit 1 round and then start the decreases.


Decreases


Knit the stripes/ribs as usual and do not do any decreases in them (26 stitches)


*knit 6, then k2tog*    (206 +26 stitches after the decreases)
knit 7 rounds without decreases


*knit 5, then k2tog*  repeat  (172 +26 stitches after the decreases)
knit 7 rounds without decreases


*knit 4, then k2tog* repeat (138+26 stitches after the decreases)
knit 4 rounds without decreases


*knit 3, then k2tog* repeat (104+26 stitches after the decreases)
knit 4 rounds without decreases


*knit 2, then k2tog*  repeat (70+26 stithces after the decreases)
knit 2 rounds without decreases


Decrease evenly 20 stitches over the 70 stitches,  so that you will have in total 76 stithces. 
Knit 2 rounds without decreases


Change to needle size 4 mm // US 6 // UK 8 and *knit 2, purl 2* for 7 cm.  Bind off.

Finishing:  
Graft underarms, weave in ends.