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a 40, you will need to do some recalculating. Adjusting the pattern so that it will be your size is easy if you follow these basic steps:

First note the stitch gauge of the sweater. You will need this information to recalculate the number of stitches to cast on for your work.

Since the sweater is a size 40, both the front and the back should each measure 20 inches. You need to add 1 inch of ease to both the front and the back. If you are a size 42, multiply 21 by the gauge of the sweater. That will give you the number of stitches that you need to cast on. If you want it the same length, you will keep the increases the same; when you get to the armholes, you will have to calculate the depth of the armhole you need. You will basically have to recreate the measurements for this.

To calculate the amount of stitches needed to form an armhole, you’ll need to leave enough stitches for the shoulder and the neck, calculated as follows and taking into account the measurements of both the shoulders and the neck. For instance, if your shoulder measures 3.5 inches and your neck 7 inches, you’ll need to leave 14 inches of stitches. If your gauge is 5 stitches to 1 inch, the amount will be 70 stitches. If you need 21 inches for a sweater, times 5 to 1 inch, or 105 stitches, you’ll need to subtract 35 stitches from the total amount, or round it up to 36 stitches as you will need an even amount for both armholes, therefore shaping your armhole by decreasing 18 stitches on each side.

RETRO MEASUREMENTS

Years ago, sweaters were knitted very form–fitting, so to compensate for the bust, the front was knitted larger than the back. This style is out of fashion now and rarely done. Should you want to knit a sweater in this fashion, however, you will have to calculate the front and the back measurements separately, and apply the same formula to each to figure out the new number of stitches to cast on.

SHAPING A NECKLINE

Certain measurements are standard. The back of a woman’s neck is nearly always 6.5 or 7 inches. Assuming your neck is 7 inches, you will need to put 36 stitches on a stitch holder for the back neck. To shape the front neck, you’ll need to put half that number of stitches in the center of the sweater—in this case, 18 stitches—on a stitch holder and decrease 9 stitches on each side. You will now have the same number of stitches bound off at the front as you have across the back neck.

Unlike with fabric where you can simply cut the material to form the curve that shapes the neckline, with knitting you must form a curve by putting stitches on a holder and progressively binding off and decreasing to form a slight curve. When making a crew neck, I suggest putting the center stitches on a holder instead of binding them off. This will make it easier to find those stitches when you are ready to pick them up to make the border rather than guessing which stitches to pick up. This will also create a stronger and neater edge. The same applies when making a cardigan. I suggest putting the first inch of stitches on a holder. Therefore my pattern will read as follows: knit or purl 5 stitches, put them on a holder, then every other row bind off 2 stitches 1 time, knit 2 stitches together 3 times, thus forming a gentle curve.

PICKING UP STITCHES FOR A CREW NECK OR ROUND NECK

Always use a circular needle no longer than 16 inches when knitting a neck. Starting at the back at the right shoulder, pick up and knit the first and all remaining stitches from the holder. Continue as follows: Insert the tip of your needle under the 2 bars of the edge of your sweater, wrap the yarn around it counterclockwise, draw that loop onto your right–hand needle, go to the 2 bars immediately following, and repeat this process. You will be picking up 3 stitches in a row immediately next to each other, then skipping a space. If you fail to do so and pick up every stitch, your border will be too wide and will ruffle. If you skip too many spaces, your neck will be too tight and you might not be able to put your head through the neck opening. When picking up the neck of a cardigan, place the sweater with the front facing you. Starting with the stitches on the holder for the left front, pick up and knit the first and remaining stitches on the holder, and continue picking up 3 stitches in a row and skipping 1 for the curve of the neck. Then pick up all the stitches on the holder for the back of the neck and repeat this process of picking up 3 stitches in a row and skipping 1 until you reach the last stitch on the holder of the right front. Picking up 3 stitches in a row and skipping 1 is commonly referred to as the “Rule of 3.”

PICKING UP A BORDER

Unfortunately we cannot leave stitches on a holder when picking up a horizontal border, but the same “Rule of 3” applies. Insert the point of the needle under the 2 bars formed by the end of your knitting. Wrap your yarn around it counterclockwise, gently pull it through the front of your work, and place it on your right–hand needle. The stitch is made. Continue across the row until the desired number of stitches have been picked up.

MAKING BUTTONHOLES

To make a buttonhole, the rule to follow is that the buttonholes for a man’s cardigan are on the left side and on the right side for a woman’s. You’ll have to apply mathematical skill when creating buttonholes. Buttonholes are usually made starting 3 stitches