Reading Cardigan - Chapter 5

I worked on my sleeves after working the nine rows after the division row. This is very much a personal preference. I like to be able to knit the sleeves and the body to the right lengths without having to go back and rip out knitting if I wanted it shorter than the pattern called for. I did not want the weight of the body or sleeves to change the way the sweater hangs. I was also unsure if I would want the back shaping or 3” of cuff and hem ribbing.

For the sleeves, I used a row counter and stitch markers to track my decreases. There are two types of decrease rows: a single and a double. I marked single decrease rows with a single stitch marker in the decrease stitch, and the double decrease with two stitch markers in each of the decrease stitches.

I finished the decreases and the measurement for the sleeve was almost exactly the length called for in the pattern. At this point, I put the stitches back on hold before knitting the cuffs.

Once both sleeves were to the point of the cuffs, I knit the body to the point where the hem ribbing begins. I was able to try on my sweater to ensure that adding the recommended 3” of ribbing on the sleeves and body would work out to the right size for me. You can modify here if you want something a bit longer or knit less ribbing if you want.