Reversible Boatneck Sequin Sweater

Top Down Raglan boat neck sweater. Fitted at the shoulders and bust, floats over the stomach area, not touching. Feels like a seamless comfortable Tshirt when done.
US 10 circular needles. US 9 dpn for the ribbing at the edges.
Paton's sequin lace fingering weight yarn, in acquamarine. 3 skeins for long sleeves, 2 if you want elbow length sleeves.

This is the first sweater that I had ever done, on the fly, using the guidelines from Wendy Bernard's fabulously empowering book 'Custom Knits'. I'm not sure how well this sweater will wear (with the yarn I used) but it is incredibly comfortable, like a seamless t-shirt and I love the subtle little sparkle of the sequins. So, I thought I would share what I did.

I used Paton's Sequin Lace yarn, between 2-3 skeins. If you did shorter sleeves, you could definitely get away with two skeins. I would say this is a sized medium sweater with extra long sleeves. I am not big busted but I had a friend who is try it on and it looked good on her too. If I was making it for her, I would have just, at the fullest part of the bust, maybe 8 stitches in from both side seams, done about 5 short rows across the front, to give more fullness in the bust. You can google more info on that if you want to do it.

So the most difficult thing about this sweater was the STREEEEETCH. But luckily, when you are working from the top down, you can try it on several times and make sure you have it right before you get going too far. Make sure you get the neckline to the bust perfect for you, even if you have to rip it out a few times, because once that is perfect, the rest of the sweater is easy as can be and requires no special fitting. So, like I was saying....When you are using fingering weight yarn on size 10 needles the fabric you are making will have a LOT of stretch. I started this out many many times and the thing would stretch right off my shoulders. I had to keep redoing my gauge. This final gauge I give you is stockinette stretched as far as I can wide to measure it, because as you increase the number of stitches so does the stretch expand exponentially (or so I learned).

Gauge. one inch of streeeetched stockinette is 4.25 sts per inch and about 6.5 rows per inch.

Original cast on looks like this (pm= place marker)
34pm 11pm34pm11
Start knittinng in the round, stockinette. I always knit one row in just plain stockinette to join it before I start any increasing so...do that. We will call that, row zero.
Starting with row 1 and for all odd rows (until the sleeves are left on waste yarn), increase one stitch on both sides of the place marker, by doing a k1f/b.  Do NOT increase on the even rows. (I used an extra marker  that I would pick up when I was increasing a round and take off when I wasn't so that if I put the knitting down in the middle of the row, I would easily know where I was). So, first two rows look like this, for people who need it spelled out:
Row 1: (in the round) K 10, K1f/b, move pm, k1f/b, K33, K1f/b, move pm, k1f/b, K10, k1f/b, move pm, k1f/b, k33, k1f/b, move pm, k1f/b
Row 2: This is not an increase row. k13, move pm, K 36, move pm, k13, move pm, k36 move pm

(If you want to make a smaller size/neck opening you might start by casting on 28 pm 7 pm 28 pm 7pm and then follow the same increases above. Try it on after an inch or so to see if you like how the neck opening lays.)

After knitting as above, in stockinette for about 6.5 inches,  try it on to confirm that the neckline is looking good and that you have enough room under the armpits. If so, seperate out sleeves at this point and leave the stitches on waste yarn.  Next, join the front and back to continue knitting in the round. As you do so, add 2 sts under each armhole with 2 k1f/b and continue working in stockinette, over the bustline. There are 139 total sts at this point.(Increase if you have a larger bust)

Tried it on. Its almost under bust, maybe a few more rows. I k2tog on both sides of under arm marker and 2 spots on the back cuz the back was a lil balloony. Once past fullest bust, I then k2tog every 10 sts, so that’s about 13 st decrease, so about 3 inches decreased.

120sts at under bust now. Underbust Shud b narrowest part o sweater, add 3 inches as u move down the body, so it doesn’t grip the stomach area, since the chest and shoulder r very fitted.

I increased 6 stitches over 3 different rows, w k1 f/b every 20 or so stitches.
Continue til sweater is just above the hip bones, or desired length. Make sure u have an even number of stitches before u start the k2p2 ribbing that will keep the edge from rolling. After adjustin the stitch count, switch to US 9 needles and k2 p2 for 5 rows, then bind off in stretchy bind off in pattern.

Finish sleeves now. Put the stitches back on needles, from the waste yarn and knit in stockinette on dpn needles til 25.5” long (or however long your arm is).Reduce number of stitches a few inches above the wrist, down to 36 sts total (dec7 by k2tog) you need an even number o stitches for ribbing. Change to US9. K2,p2 rib for 5 rows. Bind off using a stretchy bind off. Same for other arm.

Block.

This sweater is seamless and reversible! It looks just as good inside out as right side out. :)