http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=85&d_id=5&lang=us This is my pattern number 85-5. My son does not want the pattern in it he just wants it plain. The reason I picked this one is because it has 21sts =4" which is Patons Classic wool and the measurements are close to his favourite sweater. He does not like the look of some of the sweaters that have a big chunky yarn. Since I am not putting in the design :shrug: can I just knit in the round until the shaping of the armholes? Would I just put all the front and back stitches on and put a marker between the two sides and when it comes to a inc or a dec just inc one stitch before and one after both markers? Or is this just to complicated to do. I just thought it would be faster with no purling just straight knitting and then I dont have to sew up the sides after. Would it work or would you notice a difference in the knitting when I had to start using a straight needle? I read here where some people say purling is a little looser than knitting. Would it work for the sleeves to sew in? Should I bother or just follow the pattern?
You can knit it in the round until the armholes, then work on the front and back separately using the shaping instructions for them. For the sleeves you can knit them as in the pattern or finish up your front and back and join them at the shoulders, then pick up stitches for the sleeves around the armhole and knit them down to the cuffs, decreasing instead of increasing.
sue
I have never worked sleeves going down instead of up but the reason I don’t want to join the sleeves and the body in the round is because of the shoulders. I have years ago made fair isle sweaters and the shoulders have that sloped off look. I think with the set in sleeve he will like the look better. I just thought of something. :eyebrow: If I did the body in the round until the shaping could I not do the sleeve in the round until the shaping? Then all I have to sew is the shoulders and around the arm hole. Would that work? Or would just the body in circ work.
There are other fair isle (and plain) sweaters where you work both the body and the sleeves in the round separately to the armholes, then join them and make a yoke. You do decrease rounds every so many inches until you get to the neck. It’s very easy to make. Knittys Top Secret is an example of that type of sweater - http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/PATTtopsecret.html
This one has bell sleeves with no taper, but I’d think your son would want regular tapered sleeves which would be easy to do.
sue
He would not like that sweater because it is using a bulky yarn. I think I will just do the pattern I have and not do it in the round.
I was just showing you the pattern as an example of a yoked sweater. You could still use it as a base pattern for the yarn and needles you have.
sue
I am not that good of a knitter so I think I would have a harder time changing that pattern.
Maybe not. If you use different yarn and smaller needles you might be able to follow the pattern for the smallest size and it would fit your son. He’s 12 right? About the size of a small woman maybe.
What needles and yarn do you want to use and how many sts/per inch do you get? How big around do you need to make it? That’s all the math you need to do - figure out how many stitches you need to get it around him and then look for a CO number about the same. Then follow the pattern for that size, keeping in mind you might not make it as long as for an adult.
But if you want to go ahead with the other pattern, that’s cool too.
sue
Well, I guess I am showing my age when I say he is 20yrs old. I wish he was still 12. Anyway, the sweater he has now that fits good is 18" across from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. The chest size is finished 46" and the wool I bought is Patons Classic wool 20sts=4" The pattern I showed you has 46" chest and 19 1/4" shoulders. The shoulders show in the picture to be a little down from the top of the shoulder so that is good because the 18" just fits across his shoulders. Thank you for your help.
Don’t know where I got 12, maybe that was someone else’s son in another thread. 
Yes, he’s a big boy now. Go for it, you can still knit the body in the round up to the underarm BOs, same for the sleeves. Then knit front and back separately, finish them, shape the sleeve tops and sew it all together.
sue
Thanks for the advice ,I will go for it and I am sure I will have more questions when I start to work on it :teehee:
Well, you know where we live… heh.
sue
Sue, you are hilarious 
Just so I have it right in my thick head I will check it with you again. I am going to make it on the round for the body and sleeves until the shaping starts. For the body I will put a marker at the beg of the round and one at the middle. When it says to inc one st at each end I will inc one st at the beg and end of EACH marker, right? So that makes 4 incs on one round. For the sleeve when it says inc at each end I will just Inc one at the beg of the marker and one at the end of the row, right? :oops:
Yes, that sounds like the way to do it.
I think I know where I got the idea your son was 12 – the smalles size in the pattern says 12/14 years… Obviously, you’re making one of the larger sizes.
sue
Thanks Sue, I just wanted to make sure. 