Step 4: The sleeves

Argh, I keep forgetting to take pictures! Why does it get dark so fast?

So in the previous entry. we put the front, back, and left sleeve stitches on a holder and now we have 45 stitches on the needle. Now we start a 5-stitch gusset. I generally place a stitch marker before the last sleeve stitch (on the right needle) and after the first sleeve stitch (on the left needle), so that with the gusset I have 7 stitches between markers.

Magic-loop the needle and pick up or make 5 gusset stitches. I usually do as follows:

1. Knit into the stitch below the last stitch on the right needle, 
2. Pick up a stitch in the ladder between my needle and the holder, 
3. Make one backward loop, 
4. Pick up another stitch in the ladder between the needle and the holder, and
5. Knit into the stitch below the first stitch on the left needle. 

I find this makes fewer holes. But you can do 5 backward loops or whatever you like best.

From here, work three rounds even and then decrease in the fourth round: slip marker, ssk, k3, k2tog, slip marker. There should now be 5 stitches between the stitch markers.

Do a second pair of decreases in round 7: slip marker, ssk, k1, k2tog, slip marker.

In round 10, do a double decrease: slip 2 knitwise, k1, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the k1.

From here, knit 9 rounds even and decrease two stitches on round 20; either a double decrease like on round 10, or paired decreases on either side of the center stitch.

Knit 9 rounds even and decrease two stitches on round 30.

Knit 10 rounds even, for a total of 40 rounds, and then change to 2.5mm needles and ribbing to match the collar.

Bind off as stretchily as possible. I recommend Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. Cut the yarn.

From here, as I mentioned in the previous entry, start knitting at the base of the right sleeve, leaving a tail long enough to tighten up any holes that appear in the underarm. Knit across the front stitches and the left sleeve, then place the front stitches back on the holder and knit the second sleeve in the same way as the first.