Sideways Seven Skein Short-Sleeve Stockinette Sweater
This sweater is knit from cuff to cuff in stockinette. Click the picture to see it enlarged. By the way, the neckline is not as dorky as it looks in the photo. I had to squinch up the side of the sweater to get it all in the picture, so the neckline looks really narrow. It's actually 9" across.
Sized to fit a 48" chest although if you like oversized sweaters any person down to a 40 could probably wear this. If you want to make it smaller: decrease one row on each side of the neckline, for every inch of chest size you want to decrease. If you want to make it larger: increase one row on each side of the neckline, for every inch you want to increase. You may need to purchase more yarn.
Requirements: 7 skeins of Colinette "Point 5" (about 325 yards). The color I used is Lagoon. Needles size 19, stitch marker, stitch holders. You don't really need to do a gauge swatch with this yarn. It's thick-and-thin, and the size of the thick slubs makes it nearly impossible to work on any needle smaller than a 19. I got a gauge of 1.5 stitches and 2 rows to the inch. If your gauge is off, you can block this to fit, or wear a shirt underneath if it's too open for you.
Cast on 20 stitches. Begin working in stockinette. Increase 1 stitch each side every other row 5 times. Then increase 1 stitch each side every 4th row 3 times. [36 sts]. Your sleeve is done. Switch to longer needles for the body if necessary.
Cast on, on the right side of the needle, 20 stitches. These are the stitches for the back. Turn and work to the end of the sleeve stitches. Then cast on 20 stitches on the other side of the sleeve stitches (these are the stitches for the front). You should now have 76 stitches on the needle.
Body pattern:
RS rows: k across.
WS rows: k4, p 68, k4.
Work 20 rows in Body Pattern.
This is also where you will want to add rows if you are making it larger or work fewer rows if you are making it smaller. Make a note of any changes to the number of rows so that you don't forget when it's time to knit the opposite side of the body.
On next RS row, work 38 stitches, bind off 2, continue to end of row. This is the neck opening. The 38 stitches are for the back; put them on a stitch holder. At the end of the "front body" row:
Turn, k4, p to 2 stitches before opening; p2tog. Turn and k2tog, k to end of row. Turn, k4, p to 2 stitches before opening; p2tog.
Work 10 rows even (remembering to k the 4 edge stitches on the front hem edge, of every row, but not at the neck edge).
On next WS row, work to neck opening, cast on 1 stitch. Turn work, cast on 1 stitch, work to end. Turn and work to opening, cast on 1 stitch. Turn and cast on 2 stitches, work to end. Put these front body stitches on a holder.
Go back to your stitches for the back of the sweater. Attach another ball of yarn and work 18 rows even (remember to always K the 4 edge stitches, at the back hem edge, on every row). On the 18th (RS) row, work to the front body neckline cast-ons (that are on the holder) and stop. Turn your work. You should still have the working yarn from your "front body section" attached at this point. Use that yarn to purl across the back stitches, which will rejoin the back stitches to the front stitches. Continue in Body Pattern across all stitches for 20 rows, unless you are resizing it; in that case make sure you work the same number of rows as you did before the neckline.
On next (RS) row, bind off 20 stitches, work sleeve stitches, work front body stitches. Turn. Bind off 20 stitches, work sleeve stitches.
For second sleeve, you now have 36 stitches. You will be knitting from the shoulder to the cuff. Decrease 1 stitch each side every 4th row 3 times, then every other row 5 times. [20 sts] Bind off all stitches.
Finishing: Seam sides and sleeve seams. Double-crochet one row around the neck opening. Weave in all ends. Voila!