Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

Now, you can tack the steeks on the WS right away, or do it after working the sleeve. I usually pick up and knit the sleeve sts, work a few rnds, then stop and tack down the steeks.

This way I am sure not to pull the edge in too far or not pull it in far enough. It's also easier to not have an entire sleeve in your way and be able to get your left (or holding) hand to grasp the inside and outside of the sleeve at the same time.

So, with the longer ckn (for now), and the blue, pick up and knit 86 sts around the sleeve opening, beginning at the "corner" between the BO underarm and the front edge, and ending in the opposite corner.


The 86 sts is for this size. The armhole depth is 8.5" x 2 (front and back) = 17" x our gauge of 5 sts/1" = 85 sts.

As this is a square inset sleeve and because I like to err on the side of 1 too many sts when beginning a sleeve, instead of 1 too few, I wanted 86 sts, so that 43 sts could be knit up on both the front and back of the sleeve.

A square inset sleeve gets worked flat for a certain depth (determined by the depth of the inset), and then gets joined, losing one st on that joining rnd, so we will have 85 sts, when we begin working in the rnd, anyway.

This is why the longer ndl is handy - to make it easier to work back and forth.

So, how many rows do we work back and forth? The inset is 10 sts plus we used up 1 body st on the knit up row, which, in our Stockinette gauge of 5 sts/1", gives us 2.2".

Our stranded row gauge is 6.75 rows/1" x 2.2 = 14.85 rows = 15 rows.
So, we'll work 13 MORE rows, then join on the 15th (a RS) row.

But first, we need to knit the next (WS) row, to create our purl ridge, then determine where to begin in the checkerboard patt rep.

The rep is 6 sts (3 blue then 3 white). 86 ÷ 6 = 14.33 reps.. So, 14 reps x 6 = 84 sts with 2 sts left over.

An even number of reps means we'll start with blue and end with natural. So, what to do with the 2 extra sts? Add an extra blue to the beginning and an extra natural to the end. These 2 sts will be used up, when we sew this section of the sleeve to the BO underarm sts.

(If you left those underarm sts live, that's perfectly fine. I just prefer not to graft live sts if I don't have to!)


So, with RS facing again, k4 blue, (k3 natural, k3 blue) across, end with k4 natural.
Work 2 more rows, then exchange colors, as before, working 3 rows, then change back again for 3 rows. Here's the chart.


That gives us 11 rows thus far, and we've just finished a RS row. We need another purl ridge, so, with blue purl across the WS row and purl across the next RS row = 13 rows thus far.

So, on the next WS row we need to begin the main patt (see Chart B), which begins with a solid natural row - purled across.

We've now finished our 14 rows and will join into a rnd on the next RS row, so with the 16" ckn and both colors, begin patterning across. Fanas make it easy! No need to follow marked charts. Just center the contrasting color above the center st of each of the 3-st blocks below.

Work up to the last st of the row and k2tog using the last row st with the first st of the next rnd = 85 sts.

This dec st is now the center underarm st. We'll be decreasing on either side of it.

How often and for how long?

This sleeve has a flare at the end, so we won't be decreasing all the way to the wrist, as usual. We'll decrease til 2/3 of the sleeve is done. I wanted an extra-long sleeve, about 20". I usually do sleeves about 18-19" long from the underarm, but I wanted that bit of extra tucking in of the hands on a cold winter's evening.

So, 2/3 of 20" is 13.2", which in stranded gauge = 89 rnds. I usually decrease just under every inch. So, in this case, that's every 6th rnd.

If I do this 14x, I'll have worked 84 rnds (close enough to that 89, when adding in the 6 rnds worked even before increasing for the flare), and have decreased 28 sts = 57 sts rem.

If I kept going at this rate, I'd have a 8.75" wrist circ by 17.75" length, leaving room for a rib or edging.

So, work 5 rnds in pattern, then, as in the body, work a ssk at the end of the 5th rnd, then work the k2tog at the beginning of the next (6th) rnd, after working the center underarm stitch. Rep last 6 rnds 13x more.


Now work 6 rnds even. Then begin increasing on every 6th rnd 5x total. This brings you to the middle rnd of the natural patt section. Knit the next solid natural rnd. Then work the purl ridge: 1 rnd knit blue, 1 rnd purl blue.


Now begin the checkerboard patt again. I decided to work the center underarm stitch in blue, then begin the checks with natural - again, easy to center the 3 natural sts above the dotted main patt.

Continue in patt, inc on the 3rd checkered rnd and again on the 6th following checkered rnd. This gives 71 sts total and a 14.25" flared sleeve.

Work 4 rnds of garter stitch in blue, beginning with a knit rnd, then BO in knit.

Now, that *does* leave us with part segments of checks at the edge, which may displease you. (See above photo.)


I think it displeases me, so I've reworked one cuff edge and stopped the increasing in the last natural section before the purl ridge, to see if I liked it better.

Actually I only worked 1 increase on that last inc rnd, so that the checkerboard patt flows evenly around the sleeve. This gives me 66 sts (13.25" flared edge) and a straight border section, instead of continuing the flare.


Choice is yours, always!

All that's left to do is seam the underarm BO edge to the section of sleeve that was worked flat., working on the inside. I've sewn this one but sometimes, I crochet them together using a slip stitch, on the inside.

Next up - the neckband

Labels: Fana, KAL