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This free pattern originally published in the Botany College Hand Knits, Volume II, in 1958.

Instructions are for size 12-14, changes for size 16-18 are in parentheses, see body measurement chart on pattern book page.

SKIRT - Cast on 294 (322) sts. Join with care not to twist sts on needle.

Pattern - Round 1 - right side -* p 5 (6), k 5, p 5 (6), k 6; repeat from * 13 times. Mark end of round.

Round 2 - * p 6 (7), k 1, p 1, k 1, p 6 (7), k 6; repeat from * to end.

Carry up marker. Repeat rounds 1 and 2 twice more; 14 pat. stripes.

Round 7 - Cable Twist - * p 5 (6), k 5, p 5 (6), slip next 3 sts to hook, hold sts in back of work, k next 3 sts, k 3 sts from hook; repeat from * to end.

Round 8 - Same as round 2.

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 once more. Repeat these 10 rounds for pat. Work even in pat. until about 9 ins. from beg., always end with an even numbered pat. round before a dec. round.

First dec. round - * P 1 (2), P 2 tog., P 2, k 5, p 1 (2), P 2 tog., P 2, k 6; repeat from * to end; 266 (294) sts. Continue pat. with only 4 (5) sts in p stripe instead of 5 (6) sts until 17 ins. from beg.

2nd dec. round - p 1, p 2 tog., p 1 (2) in each of the 28 p stripes; 238 (266) sts. Work even in pat. having 3 (4) sts in each p stripe until 22 ins. from beg.

3rd dec. round - P 0 (1), p 2 tog., p 1 in each of the 28 p stripes; 210 (238) sts. Work even in pat. having 2 (3) sts in each p stripe until 25 ins. from beg. or 3 ins. less than desired blocked length.

4th dec. round - * p 2 tog., p 0 (1) in every p stripe; 182 (210) sts.

Work even in pat. with 1 (2) sts in every p stripe until 27 ins. from beg. end with pat. round 4. Mark for waistline.

WAIST - Continue in pat. until 2 ins. above marker, end with pat. round 10.

First inc. round - Inc. 1 st in every p stripe; 210 (238) sts. Work even with 2 (3) p sts in every p stripe until about 4 ins. above waist marker, end with pat. round 6.

Divide for Back and Front - Work first 5 sts of next row, slip the last 106 (120) sts worked to holder for front.

BACK - On remaining 104 (118) sts work as follows: Inc. 1 st in first st, work pat. as for pat. round 7, inc. 1 st in last st; 106 (120) sts, turn. Working back and forth on circular needle, continue pat. increasing 1 st each side every 8th row twice more; 110 (124) sts. With care to keep pat., work even until about 7½ ins. above marker, end with pat. row 4.

Armhole Shaping - Continuing pat., dec. 1 st each side on next row for underarm. Repeat decs. every 2nd row 5 (6) times more; 98 (110) sts. Work even in pat. until 43 rows or about 5½ ins. above first armhole dec. row, end on right side with pat. row 7.

Next row - Work first 23 (26) sts for left half of back, slip next 52 (58) sts to holder for neck edge and the following 23 (26) sts to separate holder for right half of back.

Left Half - Work even in pat. on first 23 (26) sts until about 7½ (8) ins. above first dec. row at armhole, end on right side. Bind off 3 (6) sts at beg. of next row for shoulder, then bind off 4 sts from armhole edge every 2nd row 5 times more. Beg. at neck edge, finish right half to correspond.

FRONT - Take up the 106 (120) sts. Beg. on right side, inc. same as for back; 112 (120) sts. Work front same as back but dec. 7 sts at armhole edge instead of 6 sts; 98 (110) sts. Finish to correspond to back. Block to given measurements, stretching skirt 1 in. in length.

NECK FACING - From right side, slip the 52 (58) sts of back neck edge to size 3 needle, with free needle, beg. at right shoulder of back, pick up and k 24 (27) sts on side of neck edge, place a marker after last st, k 8 (11), * k 2 tog., k2, k 2 tog., k 9; repeat from" twice more, end last repeat k 8 (11) instead of k 9; place another marker before next st, pick up and k 24 (27) sts on other side of neck edge; 94 (106) sts, turn.

Row 1 - From wrong side, k 1 row inserting needle in back of sts for turning ridge.

First inc. row - right side - * k to within 1 st of marker, inc. 1 st in each of the next 2 sts; repeat from * once, k to end.

Next row – P.

2nd inc. row - * k to within 1 st of marker, inc. 1 st in each of next 2 sts; repeat from * once, k to end.

Repeat last 2 rows twice; 110 (122) sts. Bind off as to p.

Work Front neck facing to correspond. Sew shoulder seams. Steam seams.

From right side, beg. at underarm edge, with size 3 needles, pick up and k 92 (98) sts around armhole edge.

Turn.

K 1 row inserting needle in back of sts for turning ridge. K 1 row, p 1 row for 6 rows. Bind off as to p. Work other armhole to correspond.

FINISHING - Sew underarm seams. Turn up hems at neck and armhole edges along turning ridge and sew on wrong side. Steam neck and armhole facings, also side seams. From right side, work 1 row sc on lower edge of skirt. Work casing for elastic.

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