Gaia is a delightfully uncomplicated cardigan, with nary a seam in sight! A lacy bodice is knit in one piece and the garment is finished with short-row set-in sleeves

Shown in size X-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 – 24(25-26-26-27-27)”

Materials

3(4-4-5-5-6) Balls Berroco Remix (100 grs), #3922 Buttercup

29” Length circular knitting needle, size 8 (5.00 mm) OR SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Straight knitting needles, size 8 (5.00 mm)

1 Set (4) double pointed knitting needles, size 8 (5.00 mm)

4 St markers

6 St holders or waste yarn

Tapestry needle

Six 1” buttons

Gauge

17 sts = 4”; 23 rows = 4” in St st

19 sts = 4”; 25 rows = 4” in charted pat

TO SAVE TIME, TAKE TIME TO CHECK GAUGE

Note 1

Body of this garment is worked in one piece to the underarms, then divided for back and fronts.  Sleeves are picked up around armhole.  Cap is shaped with short rows, then remainder of sleeve is worked down in the round.

Note 2

When decreasing over chart, make sure that each yo is accompanied by either a k2 tog or an SSK.  If there are not enough sts to do this, work the extra sts in St st.

Stitch Glossary

Wrap and Turn:  Knit row:  WYIB, sl next st purlwise onto RH needle, bring yarn to front of work, return slipped st to LH needle, bring yarn to back of work, then turn (this is now a wrapped st)

Purl row:  WYIF, sl next st purlwise onto RH needle, bring yarn to back of work, return slipped st to LH needle, bring yarn to front of work, then turn work (this is now a wrapped st)

Hide Wraps:  Knit row:  Pick up the wrap from the front with the RH needle and knit it together with the st it wraps.

Purl row:  Pick up the wrap through back of loop with RH needle and purl it together with the st it wraps.

Body

With circular needle, cast on 132(150-166-184-200-218) sts.  DO NOT join.  Work even in Reverse St st for ½”, end on WS.  Work even in St st until piece measures 3(3-3½-3½-4-4)” from beg, end on RS.

Next Row (WS):  P11(13-15-17-19-21), place marker, p45(50-54-59-63-68), place marker, p20(24-28-32-36-40), place marker, p45(50-54-59-63-68), place marker, p to end.

Dec Row (RS):   * K to first marker, sl marker, k2 tog, k to 2 sts before next marker, SSK, rep from * once more, k to end – 128(146-162-180-196-214) sts.  Rep this dec every 1½" 3 times more – 116(134-150-168-184-202) sts.  Work even until piece measure 11½” from beg, end on RS, dropping markers on last row.

Next Row (WS):  P28(33-36-41-45-49), place marker, p60(68-78-86-94-104), place marker, p to end.  Work even in Reverse St st for ½”, end on RS.

Inc Row (WS):  K to first marker, inc 9(8-9-8-8-12) sts across, sl marker, k to next marker, inc 8 sts across, sl marker, k to end, inc 9(8-9-8-8-12) sts across – 142(158-176-192-208-234) sts [37(41-45-49-53-61) sts on each front section and 68(76-86-94-102-112) sts on back section].

Establish Chart:  Row 1 (RS):  Work Row 1 of chart to first marker, sl marker, k to last marker, sl marker, work Row 1 of chart to end.

Row 2:  Work row 2 of chart to first marker, p to last marker, work Row 2 of chart to end.  Work even in pat as established until piece measures 16¾(17-17¼-17½-17¾-18¼)” from beg, end on WS.

Divide for Back and Front:  Next Row (RS):  With straight needles, work in pat as established to 4 sts before first marker, sl the next 8 sts onto holder or waste yarn dropping marker; turn, leaving remaining sts on circular needle for back and left front – 33(37-41-45-49-57) sts.

Right Front:  Shape Armhole:  Next Row (WS):  P2 tog, work to end – 32(36-40-44-48-56) sts.  Working in pat as established, dec 1 st at armhole edge EVERY row 6(10-12-13-15-21) times more – 26(26-28-31-33-35) sts.  Work even until armhole measures 4(4½-5-5-5½-5½)”, end on WS.

Shape Neck:  Next Row (RS): Bind off 8 sts, work to end – 18(18-20-23-25-27) sts.  Bind off 2 sts at beg of the next RS row, then dec 1 st at same edge EVERY row 8 times – 10(10-12-13-17-19) sts.  Work even until armhole measures 7½(8-8½-8½-9-9)”, end on RS.  Sl sts to  holder.

Back:  With RS facing, join yarn in first st on circular needle.  Using straight needles, k to 4 sts before next marker, sl the next 8 sts onto holder or waste yarn dropping marker; turn leaving remaining sts on circular needle for left front – 60(68-78-86-94-104) sts.  Dec 1 st each side EVERY row 5(9-12-13-15-18) times – 50(50-54-60-64-68) sts.  Work even until armholes measure 6½(7-7½-7½-8-8)”, end on WS.

Shape Neck:  Next Row (RS):  Work 11(11-13-16-18-20) sts, join another ball of yarn and bind off center 28 sts, work to end.  Working both sides at once, bind off 3 sts at each neck edge once.  Work even until armholes measure 7½(8-8½-8½-9-9)”, end on WS. Sl sts to holders. 

Left Front:  With RS facing, join yarn in first st on circular needle.  Using straight needles, work to end – 33(37-41-45-49-57) sts.  Complete to correspond to right front, reversing all shaping.  Bind off for armhole on RS row.  Work armhole decs at beg of RS rows.  Bind off for neck on WS rows.  When armhole measures 7½(8-8½-8½-9-9)”, end on WS.  Sl sts to holder.  Join back and front shoulders using 3-needle bind off.

Sleeves

Sl the 8 sts from holder at underarm onto dpn.  Join yarn and pick up and k40(42-44-50-56-62) sts evenly spaced around entire armhole, k4 of the underarm sts – 48(50-52-58-64-70) sts.  Divide sts onto 3 dpn’s, mark for beg of rnd and carry marker up.

Shape Cap with Short Rows as Follows:

Short Row 1 (RS):  K28(30-31-35-38-42), wrap and turn.

Short Row 2 (WS):  P8(10-10-12-12-14), wrap and turn.

Short Row 3 (RS):  K11(13-13-17-19-22), wrap and turn.

Short Row 4 (WS): P14(16-16-22-26-30), wrap and turn.

Short Row 5 (RS):  K to wrapped st, knit wrapped st hiding the wrap, wrap next st and turn.

Short Row 6 (RS):  P to wrapped st, p wrapped st hiding the wrap, wrap next st and turn.  Rep short rows 5 and 6 until all sts are wrapped except 4 sts to each side of the marker, end on WS.

Next Row (RS):  K across, hiding each wrap as it appears – 48(50-52-58-64-70) sts.  Work even in St st until sleeve measures 4½(4¾-5-5¼-5½-6)” from cap.  Work 3 rnds in Reverse St st.  Bind off purlwise.

Finishing

Neckband:  With RS facing, using straight needles, beg at right front neck edge, pick up and k91 sts around entire neck edge.  Beg with a k row, work even in Reverse St st for ½”, end on WS.  Bind off purlwise

Left Frontband:  With RS facing, using straight needles, beg at top of neckband, pick up and k84(84-88-90-94-96) sts along left front edge.  Beg with a k row, work even in Reverse St st for 1”, end on WS.  Bind off purlwise.

Right Frontband:  Beg at lower right front, work to correspond to left frontband until band measures 1/2”, end on WS.

Buttonhole Row (RS):  P6(6-6-4-4-5), yo, p2 tog, * p12(12-13-14-15-15), yo, p2 tog, rep from * 4 times more, p to end.  Complete same as left frontband.  Sew on buttons.

Corrections in bold:

Right Front:

Shape Neck:  Next Row (RS): Bind off 8 sts, work to end – 18(18-20-23-25-27) sts.  Bind off 2 sts at beg of the next RS row, then dec 1 st at same edge EVERY row 8 times – 10(10-12-13-17-19) sts.  Work even until armhole measures 7½(8-8½-8½-9-9)”, end on RS.  Sl sts to  holder.

- posted 8/13/13