Beyond The Great Divide

Thankfully I have a husband who likes to drive.  In fact, if asked, Fred will say he feels  he is a better driver than passenger.   Me? Well,   I like to think I do both well, but when there is knitting to be done, I prefer to be a passenger.

Saturday, Fred and I headed to the big smoke to take Number 2 son out to dinner to celebrate his 40th birthday. That's right 40th!  Don't worry, I'm not really that old.  I must have brought home a ten year old from the hospital.  Positive that is what must have happened.   Anyway, Fred drove and I knit all the  way down.  You see, I have set myself a goal of finishing my niece's sweater by month's end.  That is the goal at least.

Right now I am close to being ready to start waist shaping.  I am about three inches beyond the great divide of sleeves from body.  

At this point, bust darts have been incorporated as per the directions in  Cabin Fever's latest book Need a Circular Yoke?   At the edge of the underarm stitches an extra stitch is inserted on row one, then knit on row two as if it had always been there.  This creates an angled  line of increases that slant  from underarm towards the bust.  Although the dark walnut colour makes them difficult to see, if you look closely at the photo below, you can see the angled line.

To set up for the bust darts, I stopped knitting two inches shy of desired circumference.  The sleeve stitches were then put on hold and underarm stitches added.  With the sleeves out of the way, knitting continued and bust darts were added.  I added one inch of extra stitches via bust darts for each side of the front.  Two stitches total.

Ever since first reading of this 'less-on-the-back, more-on-the-front'  style of fit from the CF book Need a Plus Size Cardigan? I have used it on all my sweaters.  I prefer the fit and hope my niece does too.