Birch Bark Cardigan Pattern #1166

SIZE 16

MATERIALS: Chadwick's Red Heart Lustre Knitting Worsted, 10 skeins (1¼ oz. skeins).
Milward's Phantom Knitting Pins, 1 pair No. 2 (2¾ mm. size) and 1 pair No. 3 (3 mm. size).
12 buttons.

MEASUREMENTS AFTER BLOCKING: Bust—36 inches. Length from top of shoulder—19 inches. Length of sleeve, underarm seam—4½ inches.

GAUGE: 6 sts make 1 inch; 8 rows make 1 inch.

BACK. Starting at bottom, with No. 2 needles cast on 94 sts and work in ribbing of k 1, p 1, for 4 inches. Change to No. 3 needles and work as follows: 1st row: K 1, p 2, k 2, * p 2, k 8, (p 2, k 2) twice. Repeat from * 3 more times, p 2, k 8, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 1. 2nd row: K 3, p 2, * k 2, p 8, (k 2, p 2) twice. Repeat from * 3 more times, k 2, p 8, k 2, p 2, k 3. 3rd and 4th rows: Repeat 1st and 2nd rows. 5th row: K 1, p 2, k 2, p 2, * make a cable (to make a cable, sl the next 4 sts on a stitch holder; keeping stitch holder in back of work, k the next 4 sts, then k the sts on stitch holder); then (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, k 8, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2. Repeat from * once more, make another cable, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 1. 6th to 12th rows incl: Repeat 2nd and 1st rows alternately 3 times, and 2nd row once. Then repeat the last 8 rows (5th to 12th rows incl.) 2 more times (thus completing a cable group), at the same time increasing 1 st at both ends of next row and every 6th row thereafter until 6 sts in all are increased. On next row start another group of cables, but make cables in wide stockinette st ribs where cables were not made previously, and continue with increases as before until 12 sts in all are increased (106 sts). Continue in this manner, alternating cables as before, until piece measures 13 inches in all.

TO SHAPE ARMHOLES: Bind off 6 sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows. Then dec. 1 st at end of each row until 76 sts remain. Work straight until piece measures 7 inches from 1st row of armhole shaping. On next row, bind off 5 sts, work in pattern across next 20 sts, bind off 26 sts for back of neck, and continue across remaining 25 sts. Hereafter work over the last 25 sts only, binding off 5 sts at armhole edge every other row until all sts are bound off. Break off. Attach yarn at opposite side of neck edge and work to correspond.

RIGHT FRONT. Starting at bottom, with No. 2 needles cast on 53 sts. 1st row: K 12, * k 1, p 1. Repeat from * across, ending with k 1. 2nd row: P 1, * k 1, p 1. Repeat from * across to within last 12 sts (this is front edge), k 12. Repeat the last 2 rows alternately, making a buttonhole 5 sts in from front edge on next row and every 9th row thereafter until 3 buttonholes in all are made (to make a buttonhole, on one row bind off 4 sts; on next row, cast on 4 sts to replace those bound off). Work straight until piece measures 4 inches. Change to No. 3 needles and work as follows: 1st row: K 12, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 8, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, k 8, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 1. 2nd row: K 3, p 2, k 2, p 8, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 2, p 8, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 12. 3rd and 4th rows: Repeat 1st and 2nd rows. 5th row: K 12, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 8, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, make a cable, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 1. 6th to 12th rows incl: Repeat 2nd and 1st rows alternately 3 times, and 2nd row once. Then repeat the last 8 rows (5th to 12th rows incl.) 2 more times (thus completing a cable group) and, at the same time, inc. 1 st at underarm side every 6th row 5 times in all, and start another group of buttonholes after the 14th row. On next row, start another group of cables in wide stockinette st ribs where cables were not made previously. Continue in this manner, alternating cables and making groups of 3 buttonholes as before, until piece measures 13 inches in all (58 sts).

TO SHAPE ARMHOLE: Starting at underarm, bind off 6 sts once. Then dec. 1 st at armhole edge every other row until 43 sts remain. Work straight until the 2nd buttonhole of the 4th group of buttonholes is made. Then work 5 more rows in pattern. On next row, sl the 12 sts of center front onto a stitch holder, and work over the remaining 31 sts, decreasing 1 st at neck edge every other row until 25 sts remain. To shape shoulder, bind off 5 sts at armhole edge every other row until all sts are bound off.

LEFT FRONT. Work as for Right Front, reversing shapings and omitting buttonholes.

SLEEVES. Starting at bottom, with No. 2 needles cast on 74 sts and work in ribbing for 1½ inches. Change to No. 3 needles, and work as follows:

1st row: K 1, * k 4, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, k 8, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, k 4. Repeat from * once, k 1. 2nd row: K 1, * p 4, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 2, p 8, (k 2, p 2) twice, k 2, p 4. Repeat from * once, k 1. 3rd and 4th rows: Repeat 1st and 2nd rows. 5th row: K 1, * k 4, (p 2, k 2) twice, p 2, make a cable, (p 2, k 2,) twice, p 2, k 4. Repeat from * once, k 1. 6th to 12th rows incl: Repeat 2nd and 1st rows 3 times, and 2nd row once. Hereafter repeat the last 8 rows (5th to 12th rows incl.) 2 more times (thus completing cable group), but when piece measures 3½ inches, shape top of sleeve as follows: Dec. 1 st at end of each row until 42 sts remain, continuing in pattern and alternating cable groups as before. Then bind off 2 sts at beginning of each row until 14 sts remain. Bind off. Sew up underarm and shoulder seams.

NECK BAND. With right side of work toward you, transfer the 12 sts of Right Front to No. 2 needles, pick up 78 sts all around neck edge, and transfer the 12 sts of Left Front to needles (102 sts in all). 1st row: K across. 2nd row: K 16, (k 2 tog., k 15) 5 times, k 1. 3rd row: K across. 4th row: K 4, bind off 4 sts, k 16, (k 2 tog., k 14) 3 times, k 2 tog., k 23. 5th row: K across to within last 4 sts, cast on 4 sts, k 4. 6th row: K 16, (k 2 tog., k 13) 5 times, k 2. Then k 2 rows and bind off.

Sew up sleeve seams, and sew sleeves in. Sew on buttons to correspond with buttonholes.