Knitting Knit - Boxhood for MiniFee

Hi, the A and B do refer to "sides." They are the right & left side of the neckline/shoulder. Before I explain what you'll be doing, I'll answer your other questions. The "holder" can be anything that will hold the stitches. You can buy something called a stitch holder that looks like a big (3-5") plastic safety pin if you want. Or you can use a spare needle the same or smaller size. Or you can use scrap yarn, ribbon, string. Or a bbq skewer, or...you get the picture.
"Work in pattern" means follow the stitch pattern that you just established. In this case, it means work the first side back and forth in stockinette. But if I wrote another pattern, say
Row 1: P3 *K2, P3 rep. from * to end
Row 2: K3 *P2, K3 rep. from * to end
Rows 3-10 work in pattern
you would follow the ribbing pattern I established in the first two rows. I've noticed that Seraphim often uses "work in pattern" when she's writing something with changing stitches on the right side rows (written out completely) and straight purl across the wrong side rows. So in that pattern, where you see "WIP," just stockinette.

Now as to knitting it...
I think the very first B is actually a typo. I think it should be A, you'll notice that you go through rows 55-60A, then rows 55-60B. That corresponds to the left & right side of the neckline. If I'm reading this right, what you're going to do is knit the first 19 stitches, put the rest on a holder, then start binding off at the shoulder to give the slight slope you see in the picture. At row 60, bind off--you're done the first side. Go back to the second side and work 19 stitches off your holder. I think there will be 4 extra stitches; I'd leave them on the holder until you pick up stitches for the collar, but maybe Seraphim can enlighten you. Follow the pattern as for the first side, but now I think you're binding off on each wrong side row.

Clear as mud? Hope it helped a bit...

 

Boxhood
for Minifee

First time knitting a sweater? Try Boxhood! It has a few increases and decreases for you to practice, but goes together very simply. I based the pattern on the first sweater I ever knit in human size--if I could do it after starting on scarves & dishcloths, so can you! The only thing that’s a little challenging is the pocket--you can knit it separately and sew it on later, or leave it off entirely, but it’s not as scary as it seems, promise!

Boxhood is also a great opportunity to play with colour. I like to put a contrasting edging at the hood and wrists; it also looks great with a horizontal stripe across the chest. It should work well with self-striping sock yarns as well!



Skills you will need for this sweater include:
basic knit & purl stitches, cast on, bind off
3-needle bind off
k2tog (knit 2 together) and ssk (slip-slip-knit together) decreases
m1 increase

Materials:
1 ball of sock yarn (I used somewhere between 150-200 yards)
2mm (size 0) circular or double-pointed needles
stitch holders (safety pins, waste yarn, or a smaller needle work well)

Gauge:
3.5 stitches/cm (9 stitches/inch)
5 rows/cm (14 rows/inch)

Instructions

c.o. 64 sts, join to work in the round, being careful not to twist
work 3 rows in k2 p2 rib
change to stockinette stitch
work even until sweater measures 2 cm (about 3/4”)

kangaroo pocket
The pocket is knitted back and forth on one needle. Let’s call it the “pocket needle” and the other needle(s) you’ve used this far, the “body needle”. It’s a good idea to use a row counter for the pocket.

K 7. Transfer next 18 sts to pocket needle. Using body needle, pick up 18 sts in the back of the sts on the pocket needle. Finish knitting the round on the body needle.
Leave body stitches for now and knit the pocket. I recommend not breaking the yarn if possible--just take the tail from the outside of your ball.

Start with a WS row. Join new yarn and P across all 18 sts on the pocket needle.
Row 1: K 18
Row 2: P 18
rep. these rows once more (you have just knit 5 rows straight on the pocket needle).

begin pocket shaping
Row 1: K 1, ssk, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1
Row 2: P across
rep. these two rows until 12 sts remain on the pocket needle (two more times).

Work even for 5 rows in stockinette. (15 rows total)
Break yarn and let the pocket stitches wait while you work the body.

If you used a row counter with the pocket, you can now count backwards as you knit the body.

Take up the body needles again, starting from the beginning of the round. Work 15 rows in stockinette.

join pocket
K11, place the pocket needle and body needle parallel to each other, right together. Knit one stitch from the pocket needle together with one from the body needle (see instructions for 3-needle bind-off, just don’t bind off!) until there are no more pocket stitches.
Work even until sweater measures 9cm.

Split front and back: keep first 32 sts on your working needle (front). Place next 32 sts on a stitch holder/waste yarn/spare needle.

front
Work 6 rows even, ending with a WS row.
Split for (crossover) neckline: K 17, start new yarn, pick up in last 2 sts on right needle, K to end. You now have two halves of the front, with a very slight overlap at the centre.

From here on, work the 3 sts at the edge of the neckline in garter stitch (that is, on each WS row, work the last 3 sts of the right front, and the first 3 sts of the left front as knit stitches, purling all other sts).
front increase row
On next RS row (row 3 after split), work this increase row:
Right Front: K to last 5 sts, M1, K to end.
Left Front: K 5, M1, K to end.
rep. this increase row every fourth row two more times (increase on rows 2, 6, and 10, finishing with 19 sts each side).

Work even until work measures 13 cm from beginning of sweater (about 4 more rows), ending with a RS row.

Place the front pieces on stitch holders or waste yarn and start the back.

back
Work even for 6 rows.
On next RS row, work back increase row: K to centre, M1 twice, K to end.
Work even for 5 rows, work back increase row.
rep. these 6 rows one more time.
Work even until back measures the same as front, 13 cm from c.o. edge.

shoulders
Turn work inside out.
Using 3-needle bind off, bind off 6 sts at each shoulder. The remaining sts are your “hood” sts. Turn work right side out again.

hood
starting with yarn at the neck opening, on a WS row:
Row 1 (and all WS rows): K3, P to last 3 sts, K3 (48 sts)
Row 2: K3, *K7, m1, rep. from * to last 3 sts, K3 (54 sts)
Row 4: K3, *K8, m1, rep. from * to last 3 sts, K3 (60 sts)
Row 6: K3, *K9, m1, rep. from * to last 3 sts, K3 (66 sts)
Row 8: K3, *K10, m1, rep. from * to last 3 sts, K3 (72 sts)

Work even until hood measures 8 cm from shoulder.
Decrease 2 sts at the centre of every RS row (start with K 34, SSK, K2tog, K34) 5 times (62 sts).
Split stitches onto two needles (31 sts on each). Turn hood inside out & put right sides together. Using 3-needle bind off, bind off all hood stitches.

sleeves
note: I picked up stitches at the armhole for the sleeves, but you could just as easily knit them separately and then sew them in.
Pick up (or cast on) 28 sts around armhole. If you are picking up, add 2 sts at the bottom (where front & back first separate) for a small gusset. Join to work in the round.
Decrease 2 at the armpit in the first round (if you picked up extra as above).
Work even until sleeve measures 3 cm.
decrease row
K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1
Rep this row 6 times, every 6 rows (16 sts)

Work even until sleeve measures 11 cm.
Work 3 rows in K2 p2 rib.
Bind off.
(Sew in sleeve)

Weave in all ends, and you’re done!