Quick and easy knitted pullover

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Susan Haviland's pullover makes a great "first sweater" project. Minimal shaping and chunky yarn will have you knitting it up in no time.

Sizes
Instructions are written for size Small. Changes for Medium, Large and X-Large are in parentheses.

Knitted measurements
Bust 35 (39, 43, 47)"/89 (99, 109, 119) cm
Length 22-1/2 (23, 23-1/2, 24-1/2)"/57 (58.5, 59.5, 62) cm
Upper arm 13 (14, 15, 16)"/33 (35.5, 38, 40.5) cm

Materials
• 5 (6, 7, 8) balls in #273 spring desert of Landscapes by Lion Brand, 1-3/4 oz/50 g balls, each approx 55 yd/50 m (wool/acrylic)
• 1 pair size 17 (12.75 mm) needles or size to obtain gauge

Gauge
7 sts and 12 rows = 4"/10 cm using size 17 (12.75 mm) needle. Take time to check gauge.

Directions
Back
Cast on 30 (32, 35, 38) sts. Work even in St st until piece measures 8"/20.5 cm from beg, end with a WS row.

Inc row (RS) K2, M1, k to last 2 sts, M1, k2 -- 32 (34, 37, 40) sts. Work even until piece measures 14"/35.5 cm from beg, end with a WS row.

Armhole shaping Bind off 2 (2, 2, 3) sts at beg of next 2 rows -- 28 (30, 33, 34) sts.

Dec row (RS) K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 -- 26 (28, 31, 32) sts. Purl next row. Rep last 2 rows 2 (2, 3, 3) times more -- 22 (24, 25, 26) sts. Work even until armhole measures 7 (7-1/2, 8, 9)"/17.5 (19, 20.5, 23) cm, end with a RS row.

Neck and shoulder shaping
Next row (WS) P6 (7, 7, 7) sts, join another ball of yarn and bind off 10 (10, 11, 12) sts for neck, p to end.

Next row (RS) With first ball of yarn, bind off first 2 (3, 3, 3) sts, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1, with second ball of yarn, k1, k2tog, k to end. Working both sides at once, bind off 2 (3, 3, 3) sts at beg of next row once, then 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows once.

Front
Work as for back.

Sleeves
Cast on 13 (13, 15, 15) sts. Work even in St st for 4 rows.

Inc row (RS) K2, M1, k to last 2 sts, M1, k2 -- 15 (15, 17, 17) sts. Rep inc row every 6th row 4 (5, 5, 6) times more -- 23 (25, 27, 29) sts. Work even until piece measures 18"/45.5 cm from beg, end with a WS row.

Cap shaping Bind off 2 (2, 2, 3) sts at beg of next 2 rows -- 19 (21, 23, 23) sts.

Dec row (RS) K2, k2tog, k to last 4 sts, ssk, k2 -- 17 (19, 21, 21) sts. Purl next row. Rep last 2 rows twice more -- 13 (15, 17, 17) sts. Work even for 2 (2, 4, 6) rows. Rep dec row on next row, then every other row 1 (2, 2, 2) times more, end with a WS row -- 9 (9, 11, 11) sts. Bind off 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Bind off rem 5 (5, 7, 7) sts.

Finishing
Lightly block pieces to measurements. (Click to view measurements.) Sew shoulder seams. Set in sleeves. Sew side and sleeve seams.

Excerpted from Never Too Old to Knit, edited by Karin Strom. Copyright 2006 Sixth&Spring Books. Excerpted with permission from Sixth&Spring Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.