The Barbet Turtleneck was the 10th pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

When I started working on this pattern, I only had about 2 ½ weeks before my “half-deadline". This was a little terrifying because if I truly wanted to turn-in half of my book, I needed one more full sized garment to round out the group (6 garments + 4 accessories). Barbet was a strategic choice because I had a good chance of finishing it in time.

I remember casting-on during the 2013 Super-bowl kick-off, and by the end of the game I had finished that lovely waffle rib turtleneck collar. When my Wednesday night knitting group met a few days later, I was finishing up the body. By the following weekend I was weaving in ends and blocking. All in, I wrote the pattern and knitted the sample in about 13 days–my all-time record.

I included Barbet in my proposal because I wanted to make the book accessible to as many knitters as possible. I really loved the idea of strategic color blocking for a flattering effect on a simple garment. This is a sweater that I would love to have in my own wardrobe, and it just happens to also be a great first-time sweater-knitter project.

Looking at my proposal sketch, you might notice that the finished design diverged a bit from my original vision. When I started working on this design, I actually only had color-blocked elements on the arms.

I decided to add the color-blocked section to the body kind-of on the fly. Of course there was much hemming-and-hawing about where the divide should be, but I eventually settled on the natural waistline, to cut the body at its narrowest point.

This was the first design in my book that deviated from the proposal. Something about this emboldened me, and I went on to include a number of very different deigns as I worked on the second half of my book, but you'll just have to wait to hear about that later!

Finishing Barbet felt like a huge accomplishment because it meant I was half-done writing my book. 6 months before when I signed my contract, I had serious doubts that I could make this insane deadline, and even thought I might need to quit my job to get it all done (as if that was an option). I had no idea what I was doing! I did it though, and with a few days to spare.

I packed up a surprisingly small box with 6 months worth of hard fought triumphs, sent it off to Colorado, and poured myself a nice stiff drink. There wasn't much time to revel in my achievements though, because I still had a very long hard haul ahead before I would be done!

For more information about this design, check out the pattern page here.

Congrats KAL'ers; you're about half done with your sweaters! By now, you should have something that sort of resembles a garment. If you like cap-sleeved crop tops, you could just stop now, but winter is coming and that urge to show off your six-pack abs will surely wane with the dropping temperatures. Just sayin'

Your mission for Part 4: Finish the body by Friday, Oct 24th. There are probably more stitches to be knitted in Part 4 than any other part, but it should go quickly because it's all plain stockinette with only a bit of shaping every once in a while.

The lower edge of the sweater is finished with a little 1x1 rib. To keep the sweater wearable, I recommend using a very elastic bind-off when you finish this off. You could very loosely bind-off in rib stitch, which honestly works great for a lower edging, OR you try something a little more advanced.

A popular bind-off for 1x1 rib is called the Tubular Bind-off. It's very pretty, but for some reason it think it's a little tricky to work. It seems to work great sometimes, but if the stitches are too tight on the needle or the yarn is too nubby or brittle, the tubular bind-off can be almost impossible to work. This is really frustrating to me.

After MUCH research, I found the Kitchener Bind-of. Now, I know people hate doing the Kitchener Stitch, but in my opinion, people need to stop being babies (sorry if you're a baby, but come on!). Sure there are lots of steps, sure you have to pay attention to what you're doing, but there is no substitute for the beautiful result. You need to learn it, or at least get comfortable with following the directions for it, if you ever want to advance beyond the beginner level. If you need help, Laura Nelkin has a wonderful post about it here, complete with a printable cheat sheet that you can glue to an index card and put in your knitting bag.

Anyway, back to the Kitchener BO. The results of this technique look identical to the tubular bind-off, which is to say it looks beautiful. I wrote all the steps out in my Graphic Knits book on page 123, but I'll quickly explain it here too. Basically, with a spare circular needle, slip all the purl stitches onto one needle, and all the knit stitches onto the other needle, and then preform the Kitchener stitch over these stitches.

I think the Kitchener bind-off wins over the Tubular bind-off because it works with any kind of yarn at any gauge. Plus, I already knew the Kitchener Stitch, so I avoid following the finicky directions for tubular bind-off.

Do you have a favorite bind-off for ribbing? Maybe you want to defend the honor of the Tubular BO? Please fee free to let it all out in the comments section below.

As always, if you want to join in on the KAL fun, visit the Ravelry thread and say hi! Even if you're just starting, I would still love to see your progress pictures. One of our participants already finished her sweater (in an astonishing two weeks), so it's still possible to catch up!

Check back next Friday, October 25 for the fifth installment: Sleeve #1.

The Woodstar Hat and Mitts were the 8th and 9th patterns that I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

Designing these was a very special treat for me. I have such strong and perhaps perplexing love for creating and knitting geometric Fair Isle charts. I had been looking forward to this design for months, and saved it to do over my annual trip home to Oklahoma for the holidays.

Some people like to read a book, other people like to take a nap, but for me, knitting complicated Fair Isle is my favorite thing to do on an airplane. Any time I'm going to take an airplane somewhere, I start daydreaming about colorful, intricate, Fair Isle motifs.

I cast-on for the first mitt right after I boarding the plane for my trip, and almost finished by the time we landed. I saved mitt #2 for the flight home.

The yarn I chose for this set was Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light. It's deliciously warm and soft and comes in some really great colors. I knew I would love this yarn because I used it for my Op Top design years ago.

The hat is a slightly slouchy beret style, and has a really pretty 6-pointed star worked into the crown.

The mitts feature a similar motif, but also have a cute little diamond detail worked into the thumb gusset.

I probably I loved this design so much because the color and patterning reminded me of one of my favorite home decor designers, Jonathan Adler. I can't really afford anything he makes, but I love walking by the Jonathan Adler shops in NYC and daydreaming about an apartment full of white upholstery and quirky throw pillows. It just looks like heaven to me!

For more information about these designs, visit the pattern pages here:
Woodstar Mitts
Woodstar Hat

The Engle Cardigan was the seventh pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

When I began my plans for this sweater I was nearing a personal meltdown. Between my insane book project schedule, working full-time at my job, and my side gig at CharitySub.org, I was running at maximum capacity. On top of all that, somehow I got roped into hosting my first Thanksgiving. Between work and family obligations, the pressure was immense, and I really didn't want to let anyone down.

This was the point at which I discovered my absolute limit. I was emotionally and physically tapped. I had maximized every spare moment, forgotten my social calendar, and let the house go to utter ruin. There was just more work than minutes in the day. Though I found it very difficult to relinquish control, it was clear I needed to get some help if I wanted to keep my sanity.

Fortunately, my darling sweet wonderful mother is also a very talented knitter. Sympathetic to my deteriorating state, she generously offered to knit a sample for my book. I had never really used a sample knitter before, and definitely had some reservations about the idea. But it would be crazy not to take her up on the offer.

As you can imagine, this was a huge relief. I knew she wouldn't be able to finish before my "half deadline" that was fast approaching, but the sample would surely get done before my final deadline. And it was slow going indeed, but she did a truly wonderful job. When I say I couldn't have done it without her in the Acknowledgments section of my book, that is no exaggeration! My mom really saved my butt.

The way we worked together through this project is really a window into my design process. First, we looked through my book proposal to see which sweater she wanted the most. Here's the sketch from my proposal that she picked:

I handed over the yarn and she made a number of swatches for me. I picked the most attractive gauge and got to work writing the pattern. I started by making a rough schematic with measurements for all the sizes. Using the gauge swatch as my guide, I began working on the pattern one section at a time.

After Mom knitted each new section, we'd confer over a good old-fashioned home-cooked Sunday dinner (thanks Dad!). Then I would hurry home to write the next section for her. On and on, we went back and fourth like this for many months, until finally it was almost time to turn in my manuscript.

This process was fun for me because I like hanging out with my mom, but I did kind of miss the experience of knitting the garment. The design has a lot of different parts to it, which is something I think makes a pattern entertaining. It's like reading an exciting novel, with interesting twists and turns. Also, the garment is almost completely seamless, which definitely adds to the fun for me.

After my mother finished knitting the pattern, I took over for the Finishing section. Blocking this thing was a little interesting, and probably worth showing a picture:

I wrote this pattern specifically to showcase the beauty of an ombré yarn. I searched high and low for just the right yarn for this design. After weeks of research, I was a little stumped. I thought it was time to consult an expert, so I went to my favorite LYS, La Casita Yarn Shop & Café. Jen, the owner, knew exactly what I needed and suggested the wonderful Austermann Murano Lace Yarn.

This yarn is listed as a worsted weight, but feels more like a fingering or sport weight as you knit it. The fuzziness of this yarn causes it to fill out the fabric when it's knitted at a loose gauge. The result is a remarkably light airy garment with beautiful drape and flow. The fabric is so light that it's almost see-through.

The pattern includes a section about the challenges of working with ombré yarn, and gives some tips to help you along your way.

For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

Welcome to Part 3 of the Sweetness knit-along! If you're just joining us now, don't worry because there's still plenty of time to catch up. We began knitting our sweaters in Part 2 at the to top of the collar, and worked the yoke almost to the underarms of our sweaters.

Here's some progress pics from our Ravelry Group:

Lookin' great ladies! I just love seeing progress pictures. I think it's so inspiring. Please keep them coming. I can see we've had a TON of readers on the thread, which is so cool! If you haven't already, please come by the thread and say hi.

Your mission for Part 3: Finish the yoke and get started on the body of your sweater. Try to knit at least ¼ of the body before next Friday, Oct. 17th. We're picking up the pace a little, so get those needles working ladies!

If you're like me, you'll have so much fun that you'll whizz right through this!

Part 3 has a mixture of techniques, most of which we already discussed in Part 2. You will finish the color work section and do the last increase row for the yoke. After a short section of plain knitting, you will separate the body from the sleeves. Then you will begin waist shaping.

I remember being very confused about the “dividing" step when I made my first top-down seamless sweater. I think we designers take for granted that knitters will just blindly follow our directions, but if you're anything like me, you want to know what the heck is going on before you get started. With this in mind, I made a before/after diagram showing how the yoke is divided into sleeves and body. If this is your first top-down yoke sweater, you might find this helpful.

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I hate counting stitches. Counting to anything over 50 is basically torture, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the yoke has a good-bit more than 50 stitches to count! Of course, I try to cut corners wherever I can, and I found a pretty nifty place to do that in Part 3 that I'd love to share with you.

After the final increase row, you should really count the stitches to make sure you didn't make a mistake somewhere. Before you do all that counting, read ahead in the pattern a little. You will see that after this final increase row, you knit an inch or two straight, then separate the sleeves from the body. The separating process also involves a lot of counting, but since the stitch count hasn't changed, you can combine these two steps.

Here's the trick: When you're counting after the increase row, use the numbers from the dividing row, and place a marker between each section. This way, when it's time to separate, you simply knit to the markers and skip all that counting.

Whenever I knit from a pattern, I always look for things like this to make it go a little more smoothly. Little short cuts like that can really add up. Like when I add a new ball of yarn, I will knit with a double strand for about 6 stitches so I don't have to work so hard to weave-in those ends later. Do you have any tricks like that to help speed up the process?

The next section (Part 4) has the most stitches, so I encourage you to work ahead this week if you can.

Wherever you are in your project, I would love to see your progress pictures over in the Ravelry Forum. It's a great place to ask questions and get tips from other knitters, or just tell everyone how much fun you're having!

Check back next Friday, October, 17 for the fourth installment: The Body!

The Bowerbird Wrap was the sixth pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits.

After finishing Finch, I began feeling a little more in control of my book schedule. I was only 2 patterns behind now, and starting to get an inkling about what I could do to fix my Rook design.

When I sat down to write this pattern Christmas was just around the corner. I had a much-needed one-week vacation planned to visit family in Oklahoma for the holidays. The consummate planner, I looked through my design proposal and found a few things that would be great vacation knitting, and this scarf was at the top of my list.

Here's the sketch I did for my design proposal:

I wrote the pattern and wound up all the yarn weeks before I had to leave, and felt so smug about that. It was all packaged up in my suitcase like a little present from Santa, just waiting for Christmas morning.

Vacation knitting should be something like a little present, don't you think? I enjoyed the anticipation of a deliciously easy scarf after the demanding knitting schedule I had subjected myself to. Bowerbird was the perfect project to keep in my bag and mindlessly work away on while chatting with family by the Christmas tree.

At this point, I was getting really good at strategically planning my projects for the book. I say this was pattern number 6, but the lines are really pretty blurry on that. I actually had about 3 patterns in progress at all times.

To maximize my time I tried to have at least one design in the swatching phase, one in the pattern-writing phase, and another one in the sample-knitting phase. After the sample was done, I liked to completely finish the pattern, doing my final tech editing and schematics before beginning a new project.

One of my greatest delights was to print out a finished pattern, fold up the garment straight off the blocking board, and put it all in a nicely labeled package inside my ever-growing “Finished Box".

This sounds kind of regimented, but it didn't feel that way to me. At first I thought I needed some kind of grand strategic vision, but the process quickly evolved into something way more organic.

When it was time to work on something new, I would pick-up whichever design from my proposal that I liked most that day, do it whenever I felt like it, and use whatever colors were speaking to me. It sounds a little disorganized, but this is how I managed to stay excited about a 2+ year book project! My only real scheduled thing was my publisher's imposed goal to finish half the designs in the first 6 months–my “half-deadline," then finish the last half of the designs by the end of the year.

I dragged out my Bowerbird project until my “half-deadline" date got very, very close. I really enjoyed having a hassle-free super-relaxing project around, so I didn't rush through it. Sure, the 1x1 rib was tiresome at first, but by the time I reached the first stripe, I didn't even think about it. It was as easy as working stockinette. The intermittent cable cross rows and color changes kept it just interesting enough to keep me moving forward.

I also had a lot of fun figuring out how to make those quirky little twisted-cord fring-ies! I included detailed instructions for this weird cord/fringe technique at the end of the pattern. I keep thinking of other things that I would love to add this kind of cord to. Maybe I'll use it as a tie on an earflap-hat, or a fringed edging on a boxy top. And FYI girls, I've been seeing a ton of fringe in the trend forecasting presentations see at my day-job. Just sayin'…

While working on this project, the Malabrigo Silky Merino yarn became one of my new favorites. I loved it so much that I even ordered more of it for my Tanager Shrug design (in the second half of my book). Later, I used the leftovers from both samples to create my Brewster Pullover design. The texture is so soft, shimmery and almost weightless. And the gorgeous colors really seem glow, somehow.

Bowerbird was a pure delight from start to finish! For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

The Finch Cardigan was the fifth pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits. I sat down to write this pattern on my thirtieth birthday. Though I was still fresh off the heels of my demoralizing Rook Pullover disaster, and dreadfully behind on my book schedule, I found myself feeling focused and determined to make forward progress. On the cusp of a new era in my life, I felt empowered with a renewed sense of purpose.

I was so glad that I ordered a chunky fast-knitting yarn for this design because it gave me a much-needed opportunity to catch up on my schedule.

Sometimes my design concepts seem to arrive on my sketchpad fully formed and ready to go. Finch was definitely one of those designs. The one-piece cuff-to-cuff construction was something I knew I wanted from the beginning. Here's the sketch I did for my book proposal.

I envisioned a beautiful smooth unbroken line that flowed elegantly across the shoulders. I thought a sideways knitted fabric would be so pretty. I always love to design things that are knitted in odd directions, so this guy was right up my ally.

I challenged myself to make Finch stylish and well fitting but also make it easy enough for an advanced beginner. The idea was pretty straightforward, but I had a little trouble working out the fit. I knitted it halfway and tried it on, but it wasn't really working. The silhouette wasn't even close to what I had envisioned.

It was clear that I would have to scrap everything and start over. I was still a little gun shy from my dreadful experience with Rook, so I decided to make a miniature version for my little wooden design assistant, Gertrude Pine.

Making miniatures is something that I do sometimes to work out unusual construction ideas. Gertie is a nice scale because it only takes an hour or so to knit her a tiny sweater. In this case, I sewed a mini mockup of Finch using some jersey that I had lying around.

I made a couple mini versions to try out all my ideas. Somewhere in that process I figured out that inverted bust darts could work wonders for this simple shape. The darts curve the fronts upward and do great things to flatter feminine shapes.

With my new plan, I ripped out everything I had knitted so far and started over. The new design was everything I hoped it would be. That smooth line across the shoulders turned out so pretty. I can't even look at it without smiling!

I also spent a little extra time to write an in-depth sidebar for this pattern that explains how to sew all different kinds of seams using the mattress stitch. My editor ended up moving this section to the glossary in the back. So if you're knitting Finch and you have questions, be sure to look for that.

If you want to see some more of that lovely mattress stitching in action, check out my video entitled "The Mattress Stitch: Sewing For Knitters". I think mastering this fundamental seaming technique is very important for knitters at every level, so I really wanted to include something about it in my book.

I'm so happy with the result of this pattern. I hope you'll pick up a copy of Graphic Knits and try it out for yourself. For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

We all know Tanis Gray. Even if you don't know her name, you've probably seen her work in countless knitting magazines and books spanning the last decade or so. I'm so excited because Tanis has agreed to join me here on Knit Darling to answer some questions about herself and her new book, 3 Skeins or Less: Fresh Knitted Accessories.

Alexis (AW): I'm so glad to have you here on my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
Tanis (TG): Thank you for having me! :)

AW: Besides the lovely Momentum Mittens, which you designed yourself (pictured on the cover), what are some of your favorite designs from the book?
TG: So difficult to answer as I love them all! I love the color of Heather Zoppetti's stunning lace stole, the texture of Faina Goberstein's cropped top, the asymmetry of Judy Marples' shawl and the clever side panel in Sauniell Connally's tank top. I curate the collection to try and cover a lot of techniques and silhouettes so that each project has something about it that makes it special and interesting to knit.

AW: Your book has a lot of texture rich designs. What do you like most about this kind of knitting?
TG: Knitting is an investment not only in materials, but in time (something we never seem to have enough of!). When I knit, I want it to be interesting and a fun experience and to worth the time invested in making it. I want to enjoy each stitch and at the end have a beautiful, textured, fun-to-knit garment I can wear. Knitting is such a tactile experience and this takes it a step further by making it wearable art.

AW: The yarn used throughout 3 Skeins Or Less is particularly beautiful. As the former Yarn Editor over at Soho Publishing, you must have some very strong opinions about yarn. What were some of your favorites from the book? Can you tell me a little about the process of picking the yarn for so many projects?
TG: I have VERY strong opinions about yarn! Each yarn in this book was picked to not only show off the finished garment and to help it reach its maximum potential, but to be a joy to knit with. Certain yarns look good for certain garments (weight, texture, ply, fiber, etc) but that's only half of the equation. Color plays a huge role in yarn choice for me and I'm a big fan of hand dyed and indie yarns. I was the Yarn Editor for 4 years and during that time we did about 30 books and 20 magazines a year, with me choosing the yarns for all of those. I got pretty good at being able to visualize how a garment will look in a particular yarn and that training is an asset when putting together a collection for a book. An interesting thing about putting together a book is you also have to look at all the yarns as a whole, rather than project-by-project. Green is my favorite color, so I know I have to be mindful of not having too much green in a book. Yes, there are 25 projects in the book, but it also has to look cohesive as a collection.

AW: You've put out an unbelievable 3 books in a little more than a year, and still managed to contribute designs to a few other titles. Many of these projects must have overlapped. I can't imagine that you get much sleep! What is it like to juggle all these projects at once? What's next for you?
TG: I usually have 2 books going on at once, a constant stream of freelance, I just opened at Etsy shop selling handmade sewn knitting project bags, I teach frequently at my LYS and I have a 3-year old son I chase after all day, so yes, I'm a busy lady! I've always been really good at time management and I don't need a lot of sleep. I like to work at night once everyone is asleep and it's quiet and dark (my husband calls me a vampire!). I'll work into the wee hours then crash for a few hours and do it all again the next day. I always had a problem sitting still, so I'm happiest when I'm busy and creating. I'm working on the next book with Interweave and getting ready to go film my 3rd season of Knitting Daily in a couple of weeks. My teaching schedule gets crazy as it gets colder, so I'm at my LYS quite a bit lately as well.

AW: How does editing a magazine compare to editing a book like this? Do you like one more than the other?
TG: Both have positives and negatives and both are completely different experiences. I like that a book tends to stick around longer than a magazine and that it's more of a time investment. When you're in publishing you're always looking ahead to the next deadline and it's a little like being a hamster on a wheel. Working on books allows me to work with whom I want to, have a lot of control over the aesthetic and be more involved. When it's a book like Knitting Architecture, there's also a lot of research and writing, which I love!

AW: You are a very prolific designer having produced 350+ designs in your career. Where do you look for inspiration to keep producing at this unbelievable level?
TG: Living in Washington DC means there is no shortage of inspiration. It's a city so rich with art, architecture, interesting people, ideas and promise. Having a young child makes you look at things differently and my son has definitely influenced my work. My mom is a painter and took me to museums all the time while growing up in Boston. I do the same with my son. Art, music, history - these are all such important aspects to all of our lives.

It was a delight talking to Tanis, and I hope you'll check out her new book, 3 Skeins or Less: Fresh Knitted Accessories.

The Danio Hat was the fourth pattern I wrote for my book, Graphic Knits. I took a break from working on my (then) disastrous Rook Pullover pattern to write this one, because I really needed a fun and easy project for my mental health!

It's funny how so much sentiment can be tied up in an object. This hat was fun and easy, but the times were not!

When I sat down to write this pattern it was November, 2012. I was 3 months into writing my book and 3 patterns behind schedule. I had yet to solve my Rook Pullover problems and was having serious doubts about the feasibility of my August 2013 deadline. I felt demoralized as a designer, and frankly a little bitter about my overwhelming workload and dismal incremental progress. Not to mention my 30th birthday was only days away, which seemed to exacerbate the feeling that time was slipping through my fingers. I felt a little like life was burying me alive. Danio was exactly what I needed in that moment, quick, adorable, and best of all I only had to knit it once–a real confidence booster!

I wrote the pattern and knit the sample all in one day. The next day was the day before my birthday–the last day of my twenties and everything seemed to be whirling around me. I wore the hat to work and a stranger on the street stopped me to say, "That's a great hat!"

I nearly kissed him. My eyes filled with tears right there on that bustling windy corner of Broadway and 32nd street. I squeezed my eyes shut to fight off the emotion and opened them to a new perspective on things.

I guess the hat seemed like a metaphor at the time. All the years, all the hard work and self doubt, everything I had sacrificed–it all laid right there on the top of my head. It was such an intense feeling that I'm getting emotional writing about it now!

Getting to the point where I could so quickly produce a pattern and sample of course took many years of practice. I didn't go to school for this. I just love to do it and figured it out through much trial and error. I'm absolutely passionate about design, and being a designer is intrinsically part of who I am.

When I stumbled over my Rook pattern, it shook me to my core. I wondered about my worth as a designer. How could I have been so foolish to tackle something so ambitious with such a tight deadline?

When that man stopped me on the street, I really needed to hear something positive from the universe about my direction, and the universe delivered!

The man on the street was right; Danio is a great hat. It's simple and adorable, but has opportunity for creative flair with that cute button detail. I chose to make my own knitted covered buttons for the sample. If you're curious about how I did that, I have a knitted covered button tutorial here.

I hope if you make your own Danio hat, that you will experience all of the joy, and none of the tumult that knitting can bring! For more information about the design, check out the pattern page here.

It's time to start knitting! Last week in the knit-along, we gathered our yarn and figured out gauge, so now we're ready to begin knitting in earnest.

Your mission for Part 2: knit at least 2/3 of the yoke by Friday, October 10th (that's 2 whole weeks!)

The yoke is super fun because it has a lot of different parts to it. You begin by casting on for the ribbing at the neck with needles one or two sizes smaller than your gauge needles. Be sure you choose an elastic cast on method. I used a version of the long tail method, and that worked out just fine. After you finish the ribbing you will switch to the larger circular needles.

After I worked the ribbing on my sweater, I immediately wished I had gone down two needle sizes instead of just one. I decided not to frog it though because I was determined to just enjoy knitting the pattern. Refraining from my usual second-guessing-the-pattern routine is strangely difficult for me, but I'm starting to get used to it. I'm very glad I forged on, because the ribbing looks totally fine now!

Directly after working the collar, there is a choice to make. The pattern includes some optional directions to raise the back of the neck. If you choose not to do this, you will skip a section of short rows that cause the neckline to angle forward a bit. This looks fine, but the fit won't be quite as nice without this little detail. I only mention omitting this detail because doing so will greatly simplify the pattern for a beginner-sweater-knitter.

Of course, I encourage you to give the short-rows a try because they really add a nice touch. I even made a couple videos about short rows to help you along your way:
Knitting Short Rows: Wrap and Turn

Knitting Short Rows Part 2: Incorporating Wraps

After the short-row section, you encounter the first increase round. The yoke gets its wide conical shape from a series of 4 increase rounds, spaced periodically from the collar to the arm level.

Though the increase rounds are fairly straightforward and simple to work, I found this to be the most challenging part of the pattern. This is only because it required me to turn off the television and concentrate for a few minutes!

The increase sequences have a rhythm to them and I found myself singing the numbers aloud like a total weirdo. It helped me keep track of the pattern repeats, so I guess whatever works, right?! The repeats go something like; knit 5, make-1, knit 6, make-1, etc.… I'd sing the lower numbers in a lower voice, and the higher numbers in a higher voice. It's probably hard to know what I mean unless you try it for yourself. I only recommend trying it in private though, because it looks completely insane to anyone else!

After the first increase round, you will move on to a section of color work. This is my favorite part! If you're rusty on your Fair Isle skills, I've created a little how-to video that will help you.

How To Knit Stranded Fair Isle

For Part 2, you should work most of the way through the second FI section by Friday Oct. 10th. We will pick up the pace for Parts 3 & 4, so if you finish early feel free to work ahead to get a little head start.

I would love to see your progress pictures over in the Raverly Forum. It's a great place to ask questions and get tips from other knitters, or just come on by to say hi!