ARAN WEIGHT LACE SHELL WITH RAGLAN CAP SLEEVES Designed by Michelle Ciccariello This shell is worked from the neck down, and in the round, with no sewing. The pattern is given for several specific lace stitches, but literally any lace stitches can be substituted. Look for lace stitches that require every other row to be plain purl. These are the easiest to knit in the round. Experience Level: Intermediate to Experienced. Size and Yarn Requirements: - 6 balls of elann.com Super Cable Aran (aran weight 100% cotton – 18 st/4" – 93 yards per 50g ball), for a size medium for women. Garment is pictured with a finished bust of 38.5", and a finished length of 22.5". . Any other Aran Weight yarn (17-18 st/4") can be substituted. Gauge and sizing for lace garments is very fluid, and can be changed to suit at the blocking stage, keeping in mind that blocking will add more length than width. Size can also be changed as described in the knit-to-fit instructions below. If you knit-to-fit, simply increase or decrease your yarn requirements, according to the percentage you adjust the finished bust. e.g. if you were to make the bust 42" wide, rather than 38.5", you would calculate that 42" is 9% wider than 38.5" (42 divided by 38.5 = 1.09), so you would need 9% more yarn – i.e. 7 balls, rather than 6. Other Materials: - 4.5mm (US 7) and 5.0mm (US 8) circular needles, or size necessary to obtain correct gauge. - 4 ring markers, color A, to mark increase points. - Multiple ring markers, color B, to mark repeats of lace pattern. - Multiple ring markers, color C, to mark queue stitch sections. Gauge: 18 st = 4", measured over stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm (US 7) needles. Neck • Start with 4.5mm (US 7) circular needle. • CO 48 sts for neck, knit across in K2, P2 • Work back and forth in moss stitch for 4-6 rows Raglan Shoulder Shaping • Divide into raglan spacing by placing markers after 9, 15, 33, and 39 sts. You should have 9 stitches on each side of the center-front, 6 stitches for each sleeve, and 18 stitches across the back. • Work back and forth in Horseshoe Lace, starting the pattern over anew at each section around the sweater. • Knit in plain stockinette whenever there are not yet enough stitches for a repeat of the horseshoe lace. • Work all odd-numbered rows as inc rows: K-f&b before & after each increase marker, total of 8 inc sts. • Knit back and forth across circular needles, without joining round, for about 3-4 inches for front neck opening (or longer, as desired), then join, and knit in rounds. Knit to Fit Continue to underarms (measure neck to underarm plus an inch for ease). Garment, as pictured, measures 8" from neck to underarm. Knit until stitches across back section equal half of total needed for desired chest measurement. Garment, as pictured, measures 19.25" across the back section from underarm to underarm, for a finished chest measurement of 38.5". Cap Sleeves Bind off 2 sleeve sections loosely. You may also use any decorative bind off, such as picot, or bind off with a crochet hook: slip 2 knit sts together, chain 3, repeat, or use a shell stitch or other variation. Garment, as pictured, uses a plain BO. Main Body, From Underarms to Bottom Edge • Use markers to designate center four motifs of horseshoe lace in the front and in the back, knit all other sts in plain stockinette. • After 8 more rounds (one full pattern repeat of horseshoe lace), use markers to designate center two motifs of horseshoe lace in the back and center 10 stitches in front. This center ten sts will become one centered horseshoe lace motif, which will continue down the entire front. • After 8 more rounds (one full pattern repeat of horseshoe lace), discontinue all horseshoe lace on the back, but continue with the center front motif. (Example shown continues for 4 more of these motifs, or 32 more rounds.) • When you are within 6 inches of desired length (garment, as pictured measures 22.5)" from neck to lower edge, stop at the end of the current repeat of horseshoe motif, and place marker at 5 sts after center-front, remove all other markers, this is now your marker designating the beginning of a new round. • Begin Smiling Diamonds Lace pattern. • Knit 20 rounds (1 pattern repeat) of Smiling Diamonds. • Change to larger needle size. • Knit 8 rounds (1 pattern repeat) of English Mesh Lace. • End with the same bind-off method as you used for the cap sleeves. Lace Stitches Used in this Pattern Note On Absorbing Increases Into a Lace Stitch Pattern Knit around in the lace pattern until you are approaching an increase marker. When you get to a point where you do not have enough sts left for one more repeat of the stitch pattern, place another marker. All the sts between here and the increase marker are in queue, to be knitted plain, except for the last one, which will be an increase (K-f&b into that st). Now count how many sts between the queue marker and the increase marker. Begin knitting after the increase marker with a K-f&b, then knit plain until you have that same amount of sts as were in queue before the increase marker. Place a marker. Begin knitting in lace pattern again. When you have increased enough times so that the stitches in queue equal another repeat of the stitch pattern, remove the extra markers and knit the sts in lace pattern. Repeat this cycle. Horseshoe Lace (Mltpl of 10, and when knitting flat, you will need 1 edge stitch at the beginning of all RS rows) R1 & 3 (WS): When knitting flat: Purl; when working in rounds: Knit R2: *yo, K3, sl1-k2tog-psso, K3, yo, K1*, rep from * to *. R4: *K1, yo, K2, sl1-k2tog-psso, K2, yo, K1, P1*, rep from * to *. R5 & 7: When knitting flat: *K1, P9*, rep from * to *; when knitting in rounds: *K9, P1*, rep from * to *. R6: *K2, yo, K1, sl1-k2tog-psso,K1, yo, K2, P1*, rep from * to *. R8: *K3, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, K3, P1*, rep from * to *. Based on Barbara Walker, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p. 209. Smiling Diamonds (mltpl of 12+1) R1 (& all odd rnds): knit R2: k1, *yo, ssk, k7, k2tog, yo, k1*, rep from * to*. R4: k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo, k2*, rep from * to*. R6: k1, *(yo, ssk) twice, k3, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1*, rep from * to*. R8: k1, *k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2*, rep from * to*. R10: k1, *(yo, ssk) twice, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1*, rep from * to*. R12: k1, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k4*, rep from * to*. R14: k1, *k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk , k3*, rep from * to*. R16: k1, *k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k2*, rep from * to*. R18: k1, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k3, (yo, ssk) twice, k1*, rep from * to*. R20: k2tog, yo, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo*, rep from * to*, end by slipping last stitch over the k2tog from the beginning of the round. Based on Barbara Walker, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p. 235. English Mesh Lace (mltpl of 6+1) R1 (and all odd rnds): knit (When knitting back & forth in rows, odds will be WS rows and should be purled) R2: k1, *yo, ssk, K1, K2tog, yo, K1*, rep from * to*. R4: k1, * yo, K1, sl1-K2tog-psso, K1, yo, K1*, rep from * to*. R6: k1, * K2tog, yo, K1, yo, ssk, K1*, rep from * to*. R8: k2tog, * (K1, yo) twice, K1, sl1-K2tog-psso*, rep from * to*, end by slipping last stitch over the k2tog from the beginning of the round. Based on Barbara Walker, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p. 193. Abbreviations: Approx - approximately, beg - begin(ning), BO - bind off, CC - contrast color, cm - centimeter, cn - cable needle, CO - cast on, cont - continue(ing), dec - decrease, EOR - every other row, ER - every row, es - edge stitch, inc - increase, k - knit, L - left, MC - main color, meas - measures, mm - millimeters, P - purl, patt - pattern, pm - place marker, psso - pass slip st over, rem - remain, rep - repeat, Rev - reverse, R - right, rnd - round, RS(R) - right side (row), sc - single crochet, SKP - slip 1, knit 1, psso, s - slip, SSK - slip, slip, knit - slip next two stitches knitwise, one at a time, to right-hand needle. Insert tip of left-hand needle into fronts of these stitches, from left to right. Knit them together. One stitch has been decreased, st st - stocking stitch, st(s) - stitch(es), tbl - through back loop, tog - together, WS(R) - wrong side (row), wyib - with yarn in back, wyif - with yarn in front, yb - yarn back, yf - yarn forward, yo - yarn over. Please note this pattern is copyrighted material and the entire contents of this pattern are copyrighted as a collective work under the copyright laws of Canada and the United States. You may print a copy of this pattern for your own personal use and enjoyment, but editing, publishing, transmitting, e-mailing, posting it to a list service or database, or otherwise commercially exploiting this pattern is strictly forbidden. Copyright Michelle Ciccariello