Diamond Knitted Sport Suit Pattern #107

Size 34-36

Materials: Clark's O.N.T. Knitting and Crochet Cotton, 14 balls; or J. & P. Coats Crochet Cord, 40 balls. 1 pair steel knitting needles No. 2. Milward's steel crochet hook No. 4.

Gauge: 7 sts make 1 inch. 11 rows make 1 inch. Choose the Lacy Knitted Striped Blouse #11 or Pull-Over Sweater #14 to accompany this suit. Select a color for the blouse that will harmonize. Either light or dark colors may be chosen for the suit to fit your individual need.

Skirt Back. With 2 strands of cotton cast on 180 sts and knit in garter st for 9 rows. Break off 1 strand. Then knit 12 sts, increase 1 st in next st and in every 15th (192 sts on needle). Start pattern as follows: 1st row: * K 8, p 8, repeat from * across. 2nd row: K 7, p 8, * k 8, p 8, repeat from * across, ending k 1. 3rd row: P 2, k 8, * p 8, k 8, repeat from * across, ending p 6. 4th row: K 5, p 8, * k 8, p 8, repeat from * across, ending k 3. 5th row: P 4, k 8, * p 8, k 8, repeat from * across, ending p 4. 6th row: K 3, p 8, * k 8, p 8, repeat from * across, ending k 5. 7th row: P 6, k 8, * p 8, k 8, repeat from * across, ending p 2. 8th row: K 1, p 8, * k 8, p 8, repeat from * across, ending k 7. 9th row: * P 8, k 8, repeat from * across. These 9 rows constitute the pattern. Work 9 more rows, in the 1st row of pattern making k sts over p sts and p sts over k sts. The pattern is reversed. From now on, on every first row of each pattern, decrease 1 st at beginning and end of the row for 28 times, taking care to make allowance for the sts removed, in order not to affect the pattern. There will be 136 sts on needle, and piece should measure about 25 inches. Then decrease a st at beginning and end of every 6th row for 7 times. Work even until piece measures 31 inches long, or longer if so desired. Front. Work as for back. With 2 strands cast on 210 sts, knit in garter st for 9 rows, then with single thread make the increases same as in back (224 sts on needle). Work pattern and decreases exactly as for back, till desired length. Join seams on wrong side, and make an inside beading by joining thread at top seam edge, and with a crochet hook, ch 5, 1 sl st on wrong side of skirt in 6th row from top and 3 sts to the left of last st on edge of skirt, * ch 5, 1 sl st on edge in 6th st from last st on edge, ch 5, 1 sl st in 6th row from top, and 3 sts to left of last st on edge. Repeat from * around. Fasten off and run an elastic through the beading.

Jacket. Back. With 2 strands of cotton, cast on 120 sts, knit in garter st for 9 rows. With 1 strand knit 12 sts, increase 1 st in next and in every 15th st (128 sts on needle). Work 3 patterns (27 rows) even, then work 4 patterns, decreasing 1 st at beginning and end of the 1st row of each pattern. Work even for 6 patterns (piece should measure about 12 inches), then work 4 patterns increasing 1 st at both ends of 1st row of each pattern. Work even for 2 patterns, bind off 8 sts at beginning of next 2 rows (for armhole), then decrease 1 st at both ends every other row for 4 times (104 sts on needle). Work even until the 7th pattern from armhole is completed. Work 5 more rows even, or until piece measures 6½ inches from armhole. Bind off 4 sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows, then 8 sts at beginning of each of next 8 rows (36 sts for each shoulder have been decreased). Bind off the remaining 32 sts for neck. Left Front. With 2 strands of cotton cast on 102 sts. * K 1 row, bind off 1 st at beginning of next row and k across. Repeat these 2 rows for 3 more times, k 1 row. With 1 strand k 10 sts, increase 1 st in next st and every 15th st (104 sts on needle). Work 3 patterns even, then work same as for the underarm side and even on front edge (where mitred corner has been made), until the 7th pattern from armhole is completed, thus ending at armhole side. Work 1 row in pattern, bind off from front edge, 36 sts, work in pattern across. Work even at armhole, and decrease 1 st at end of next row. Turn, bind off 4 sts from front, and work in pattern across. Repeat these last 2 rows once.

Next row: Begin to bind off 4 sts for shoulder, then 8 sts for 4 times, continuing the same decreases on front edge for 4 more rows. Then work even. Make right front to correspond.

Sleeve. With 2 strands cast on 60 sts, k 9 rows. With 1 strand k 10 sts, increase 1 st in next st and every 15th st (64 sts on needle). Work 1 pattern even, then increase 1 st at both ends of the 1st rows of next 18 patterns (100 sts on needle). Bind off 6 sts at beginning of next 2 rows, then decrease 1 st at both ends of each of next 4 rows. Work 2 rows even, decrease 1 st at both ends of next row. Repeat these last 3 rows for 8 more times, then make 1 decrease at both ends of every other row for 5 times. Then decrease on next and every row until 24 sts are left on needle. Bind off by knitting 2 sts together at a time. Join side seams and sleeves. Finish front edges by holding the wrong side toward you, and picking up from bottom to neck about 120 sts. With double strands, knit down to the bottom and make an increase in the next to the last st. Knit 8 more rows in garter st, making 3 more increases at the bottom edge in order to complete mitred corner. Sew the small corner seams. Finish neck edge by holding wrong side toward you, and picking up sts from end of one lapel to the end of the other (60 sts on each of lapels, and 30 sts across back of neck—150 sts in all). With 2 strands of thread, * k 14, k next 2 sts together, and continue across from *. Then k 8 more rows even in garter st and bind off. Make a loop to fit button and place at waistline.