Easy+
Skills needed: Knitting in the round, purling, yarn over, decrease, working in patt stitch.

This sweater is part of my inspiration/recreation project. Rebecca asked me to knit a sweater similar to one that she bought while living in Prague. (She also gave the sweater a Czech name Danichku, which means kiss.)  Here are the results!

If you want a more form fitting sweater, work stitches with regular tension.  If you want a looser fit, work stitches with a looser tension than normal.  Women with more curves may also choose to work this pattern in a K1P1 rib st instead of the K3P2 rib st, in order to make the appearance less chunky.  If one chooses to do so, the only major adjustments would be in the inc rows in the sleeves.

Size: S[M, L, XL]

Finished Measurements (unstretched):
Chest: 31[33, 37, 40] inches (schematics)

Gauge: 14.5 sts and 18 rows = 4 inches in st st with size 10 needles

Materials:
Any medium bulky yarn that knits to gauge—Model made with Jiffy by Lion Brand (100% acrylic) 135 yd/123 m per 85 gram skein; color #111 Heather Blue; 7[7, 8, 9] skeins.

1 set 20 inch US 10/6mm circular needle
1 set US 11/8mm straight needles
I set US 13/9mm straight needles
Tapestry needle

 
Body
With size 10 needles, CO 125[130, 135, 140] sts. Place marker and join in rnd.  Work in K3P2 rib st until body measures 15[16, 17, 17.5] in. 

To divide for raglan shaping.

Work the foll back and forth on the first 62[65, 67, 70] sts, place the rem 63[65, 68, 70] sts on a st holder.

Row 1: (WS row) BO 3[4, 4, 5] sts, cont working in reverse patten P3K2 in order keep the rib st.  (If you get confused on the pattern, look at the prev row and always knit the knit sts—they look like “v”s—and purl the purl sts—they look like bumps.)

Row 2: (RS row) BO 3[4,4,5] sts and cont in pattern st. 

Row 3 and every following odd numbered or WS row: P1, P2tog, work remaining sts in patt st until there are 2 sts left, P2.

Row 4 and every following even numbered or RS row: K1, SSK, work rem sts in patt st until there are 2 sts left, K2

Cont in this pattern until work measures 7[7, 7.5, 8]in from the beg of the raglan shaping.  Place remaining sts on a st holder, break yarn.

Back
This next step is directions for working the rem 63[65, 68, 70] sts that were placed on the st holder.

Row 1: (WS row) BO 3[4,4,5] sts, cont working in rev patt st (P3K2) in order keep the rib st.  (If you get confused on the pattern, look at the prev row and always knit the knit sts—they look like “v”s—and purl the purl sts—they look like bumps.)

Row 2: (RS row) BO 3[4,4,5] sts and cont in pattern st. 

Row 3 and every following odd numbered or WS row: P1, P2tog, work remaining sts in patt st until there are 2 sts left, P2.

Row 4 and every following even numbered or RS row: K1, SSK, work rem sts in patt st until there are 2 sts left, K2

Cont in this pattern until work measures 7[7, 7.5, 8]in from the beg of the raglan shaping.  Place remaining sts on a st holder, break yarn.

Sleeves (Make 2)
For this part of the pattern, I choose to work back and forth using circular needles, but straight needles may be used as well.

CO 42[44, 46, 50] sts.

PART 1
Row 1 and foll RS rows: Work in K3P2 rib until 2 sts rem, K2.
Row 2 and foll WS rows: Work in P3K2 rib until 2 sts rem, P2.

Cont in this pattern until the sleeve measures 5[5, 5.5, 6] in. Finish ready to work a RS row. (Note-For this pattern, increase rows are always worked on the RS)

PART 2
Row 1 (Inc Row): K1, M1, K2, P2, cont in rib patt st until 2 sts rem. K1, M1, K1.
Row 2(and foll WS rows): P1, K1, P1, K2, cont working in P3K2 rib until 4 sts rem.  P2, K1, P1.

Row 3(and foll RS rows): K1, P1, K2, P2, cont in K3P2 rib patt st until 3 sts rem. K1, P1, K1.

Continue rep rows 2 and 3 until the sleeve measures 8[8, 8.5, 9] in from the beg.  Finish ready to work a RS row.

PART 3
Row 1 (Inc Row): K1, M1, P1, K2, P2, cont in rib patt st until 3 sts rem. K1, P1, M1, K1.
Row 2 (and foll WS rows): P1, K2, P1, K2, cont working in rev rib patt st until 5 sts rem. P2, K2, P1.
Row 3 (and foll RS rows) K1, P2, K2, P2, cont in rib patt st until 4 sts rem.  K1, P2, K1.

Rep rows 2 and 3 until sleeve measures 13[13, 13.5, 14] in from beg. Finish ready to work a RS row.

PART 4

Row 1 (Inc Row): K1, M1, P2, K2, P2, cont in rib patt st until 3 sts rem. K1, P2, M1, K1.
Row 2 (and foll WS rows): P2, K2, P1, K2, cont working in rev rib patt st until 5 sts rem. P2, K2, P2.
Row 3 (and foll RS rows) K2, P2, K2, P2, cont in rib patt st until 4 sts rem.  K1, P2, K2.

Rep rows 2 and 3 until sleeve measures 18.5[18.5, 19, 19] in from beg. Finish ready to work a RS row.

RAGLAN SLEEVE CAP

Row 1: BO 3[4, 4, 5] sts.  Cont in patt st until the end of row.
Row 2: BO 3[4, 4, 5] sts.  Cont in rev patt st until end of row.
Row 3: K1, SSK, cont in patt st.
Row 4: P1, P2tog, cont in rev patt st until 2 sts rem. P2.
Row 5: K1, SSK, cont in patt st until 2 sts rem. K2.
Repeat rows 4 and 5 until sleeve cap measures 5[5, 5.5, 6] in. Break yarn.

Sew the raglan sleeve caps to the front and back of the body along raglan seams.

The Neck
At this point in the sweater the rib patt st may get a little lost because we are picking up the sleeves and dealing with the raglan decreases. The good news is that it won’t really matter because this part of the sweater will be covered up by the lacy cowl neck.  When working this section of the neck, go ahead and cont working in whatever st the previous row had. In other words, knit all of the knit stitches and purl all of the purl sts, even if it breaks the K3P2 pattern right now

Using size 10 circular needles, PU all the live sts for front, sleeves, and back.

Beg at front left, 1 st before the raglan seam, place st marker and join in rnd. 
Row 1: K2tog,.cont in patt st until 1 st before the next seam, K2 tog.  Cont in patt st across back until 1 st before the next raglan seam, k2 tog. Cont in patt st until 1 st before the last raglan seam, K2tog. Cont in patt st until the end of rnd. 
Row 2 and foll rows: Work in patt st until neck measures 2.5 in.

Lace Cowl
In order to make the lace stitch a little easier, we are going to divide the cowl neck into 2 halves and work each half back and forth rather than in the round. (Inc rows are still always worked on the RS.) We will work the back half first, then the front, then stitch it up the side in the finishing part of the pattern. As with the rib patt, the cowl neck has “columns” in between the yarn overs that we are going to want to maintain. If things get confusing, trust your common sense!  Or trust me telling you to trust your common sense!

Work the first 6 sts in patt sts.

Dividing the neckline
String the next 43[45, 47, 50]sts onto the size 11 needle and place the rem sts on a st holder. 

Row 1 (RS): K1, *YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K2* Rep from * until the end of the row.
Row 2 (WS): K1, *YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, P2* Rep from * until the end of the row.

Rep rows 1 and 2 two more times. Switch to the size 13 needles.

Next row (Inc row): K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K2, *YO, K2tog, YO K2tog, K2*. Rep from * until 4 sts rem.  YO, K1, YO, K1, YO K2tog.

Next Row: K1, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, P2, *YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, P2* rep from * until 6 sts rem. YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog.

Rep the Inc row once more.

Next row (WS): K1, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, *YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, P2* rep from * until 8 sts rem. Rep *YO, P2tog* until the end of the row.

Next Row and all foll RS rows: K1, rep *YO, K2tog* 4 times K2, *YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K2* rep from * until 8 sts rem *YO, K2tog* four more times.

Next row and all foll WS rows: K1, rep *YO, P2tog* 4 times, P2, *YO, P2tog, YO, P2tog, P2* until 8 sts rem. YO, P2tog 4 times.

Work until the neck is the length you desire.  For mine, the cowl measures 8 in.

Finishing.
Sew up the sleeves using mattress st and sew the armpits closed.  Sew up the side seams of the cowl neck. Weave in all ends.  

Copyrighted Sarah Sumner-Eisenbraun, 2005.