Avocet B is an easy elegant garter stitch cardigan with feminine waist shaping. it is a simplified version of Avocet A.

Shown in size Small

Sizes

Directions are for women’s size X-Small.  Changes for sizes Small, Medium, Large, 1X and 2X are in parentheses.

Finished Measurements

Bust (closed) – 32(36-40-44-48-52)”

Length – 24½(25-25½ -26-26½ -27)”

Materials

8(8-10-11-12-13) Hanks Berroco Ultra Alpaca (100 grs), #6292 Tiger’s Eye Mix

Straight knitting needles, size 8 (5.00 mm) OR SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge

20 sts = 4”;  36 rows = 4” in Garter St

TO SAVE TIME, TAKE TIME TO CHECK GAUGE

Back

With larger needles, cast on 80(90-100-110-120-130) sts.  Work even in Garter St until piece measures 2½(2½ -2½ -3-3-3½)” from beg, end on WS.  Dec 1 st each side of next row, then every 1½” 4 times more – 70(80-90-100-110-120) sts.  Work even until piece measures 12(12-12-12½ -12½-13” from beg, end on WS.  Inc 1 st each side on next row, then every ¾”  4 times more – 80(90-100-110-120-130 sts.  Work even until piece measures 16(16-16-16½-16½ -17)” from beg, end on WS.

Shape Armholes:  Bind off 5(5-6-7-8-9) sts at beg of the next 2 rows – 70(80-88-96-104-112) sts.  Dec 1 st each side every RS row 5(8-9-11-12-14) times – 60(64-70-74-80-84) sts.  Work even until armholes measure 7½(8-8½ - 8½ - 9- 9)”, end on WS.

Shape Shoulders:  Bind off 3(5-5-6-7-6) sts at beg of the next 2(2-8-4-2-2) rows, then 4(4-0-5-6-7) sts at beg of the next 6(6-0-4-6-6) rows.  Bind off remaining 30 sts for back neck.

Left Front

With larger needles cast on 40(46-50-55-60-66) sts.  Mark beg of row for RS. Work even in Garter St until piece measures 2½(2½ - 2½ -3-3-3½)” from beg, end on WS.  Dec 1 st at beg of the next RS row, then at same edge every 1½” 4 times more – 35(41-45-50-55-61) sts.    Work even until piece measures 12(12-12-12½ -12½ -13)” from beg, end on WS.  Inc 1 st at beg of the next RS row, then at same edge every 3/4”  4 times more – 40(46-50-55-60-66) sts.  Work even until piece measures 16(16-16-16½ -16½ -17)” from beg, end on WS.

Shape Armhole:  Bind off 5(5-6-7-8-9) sts, k to end – 35(41-44-48-52-57) sts.  Dec 1 st at armhole edge every RS row 5(8-9-11-12-14) times – 30(33-35-37-40-43) sts.  Work even until armhole measures 7½(8-8½ - 8½ - 9- 9)”, end on WS.

Shape Shoulder:  Bind off 3(5-5-6-7-6) sts at armhole edge 1(1-4-2-1-1) times, then 4(4-0-5-6-7) sts 3(3-0-2-3-3) times – 15(16-15-15-15-16) sts.  Work even on these sts for neck extension until piece measures 3” above last group of bound-off sts, end on WS.  Bind off.

Right Front

Work to correspond to left front, reversing all shaping.  Work side decs and incs at end of RS rows.  Bind off for armhole on WS row.  Bind off for shoulder on WS rows.

Sleeves

With straight needles, cast on 44 sts.  Work even in Garter St for 3”, end on WS.  Inc 1 st each side of next row, then every 2(1½ -1-1-¾ -¾ )” 7(9-12-14-17-19) times more – 60(64-70-74-80-84) sts.  Work even until sleeve measures 18” from beg, end on WS.

Shape Cap:  Bind off 5(5-6-7-8-9) sts at beg of the next 2 rows – 50(54-58-60-64-66) sts.  Dec 1 st each side every 4th row 6(6-7-6-6-5) times, then every RS row 12(12-10-12-12-14) times, end on WS – 14(18-24-24-28-28) sts.  Bind off 3 sts at beg of the next 2 rows.  Bind off remaining 8(12-18-18-22-22) sts.

Finishing

Sew shoulder seams.  Sew bound-off edges of collar extensions together.  Sew inner edge of collar extensions to back neck edge with seam at center.  Sew in sleeves.   Sew side and sleeve seams.