Knit a striped pullover sweater for kids

Finishing:
Sew shoulder seams together. Sew sleeves on and then sew up side and sleeve seams. With a circular 16" #8 needle, RS facing and colour D, pick up 79 (83, 83, 85) sts around the neck and work in seed stitch ribbing for 6 rows as follows: k1, p1 every row. Bind off all sts loosely.

Step-by-step guide to shaping the armholes
Row 1 (RS): Bind off 3 sts. Knit to end of row.
Row 2: Bind off 3 sts. Purl to end of row.
Row 3: Bind off 2 sts. Knit to end of row.
Row 4: Bind off 2 sts. Purl to end of row.
Row 5: K2, ssk, knit to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2.
Row 6: Purl.
Repeat rows 5 and 6 3 (3, 4, 4) more times.

Step-by-step guide to shaping the crew neck
Remember that after binding off the centre stitches, you will work one side at a time.
Row 1 (RS): Pattern 21 (22, 24, 25) sts; with the 20th (21st, 23rd, 24th) st begin to bind off the centre 16 (18, 18, 20) sts. For example, for the 4-5 size, this means you should pull the 20th st over the 21st st, and this is your first bind-off. When you are done binding off the centre 16 (18, 18, 20) sts, check to make sure you have 19 (20, 22, 23) sts on each side of the hole, including the st on the right-hand needle. Knit to end of row. Turn work.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: Bind off 3 sts. Knit to end of row.
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Bind off 2 sts. Knit to end of row.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Bind off 1 st. Knit to end of row.
Row 8: Purl.
Repeat rows 7 and 8 once more.

• When you are done the bind-off instructions, compare the length of the front piece to the length of the back. If the front and back measure the same, bind off the remaining sts loosely. If the front is too short, continue working in Striped St st until the pieces are of equal length, then bind off all sts loosely.

• For the other side of the neck edge, attach yarn to the remaining sts at the centre of the work (not at the side edge) and begin binding off sts immediately. You will now be binding off with a WS row facing you. Finish neck shaping as on other side, but purling to the end of the row and knitting the even-numbered rows. Bind off remaining sts.

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Excerpted from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for Older Kids by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs, with photography by Ellen Silverman. Copyright 2006 by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs. Excerpted with permission from Potter Craft, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.