Notes from "Knitting in the Old Way"

Percentages:
Master number: chest plus ease
Head in a crewneck sweater: 40-45% around
Chest (with set-in sleeves): 30-35% across
Upper sleeve: 35-40% around

Bottom of notch (bound-off sts): 5% each side (8-10% total)
Main sleeve set-in: 15%
Raglan depth from center of sleeve at start of decreases to center of shoulder: 16%

Cuff: 20% around
Hip with ribbing: 90% around

Straight armhole opening to crest of shoulder: 25%
Shoulder slant usually drops 3% from the neck to the top of the armhole, leaving 22% for the length of the shoulder opening to the underarm.

From 100%, subtract 8-10% for stitches bound off level at each armpit, then another 8-10% split between front and back for the area angled by decreases (decrease at both ends of every other row). A total of 32-40% is involved in shaping both armholes. That yields 60-68% in upper body, split equally between front and back.


Sleeve cap:
10% of master number across top

Shaping Cap while Picking Up Stitches
1. Pick up 10% along top of sleeve cap (about 20% of total necessary for sleeve)
2. Slip first stitch, then purl back across these stitches. End the row by picking up 3-4 stitches purlwise along the edge of the armhole. The first must be picked up in the next armhole stitch, just at the end of the sleeve cap stitches, to avoid a hole. Turn.
3. Slip the first stitch and knit across stitches, then pick up 3-4 on other side.
Keep going w/steps 2-3 until you get to shaped sections at bottom of armhole.

Count the stitches you have picked up. Add the number of stitches on holders at the underarm. Subtract this total from the total necessary for the sleeve (50%) and divide by 2. This is the number to pick up along the two remaining shaped edges.

Shaping Cap with Short Rows
1. Pick up all stitches with right side facing, including underarm stitches, starting just before the shoulder seam, at the beginning of Section 1. Pick up about 10% in each of 5 sections (section 1 spans shoulder; section 2 and 3 at upper arms; sections 4 and 5 at lower arms.)
2. When you reach the place where you started to pick up, knit across the top to the end of Section 1, plus 3-4 sts of section 2. Wrap and turn.
3. Purl back across, pick up 3-4 sts of Section 3 at the end, wrap and turn.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, adding 3-4 sts from either side until all sts have been worked.

You can work the short rows without joining the wrapped turns in order to get "full-fashioned marks."

Crewnecks:
regular: 20% across top of neck, 15% across bottom, 40-45% total, 2" deep.
wide: 30% across top of neck, 20% across bottom, 60% total, 2" deep.

Boatnecks: 35-40% across.

Scoopnecks: 25-30% across base, 35-40% across total.


Basic V:
20% across, 20-25% deep, decrease every 3-4 rounds. Reserve 1-2 sts at bottom of neckline.
Wide V: decrease every 2-3 rounds.
Narrow V: decrease every 4-5 rounds.

Shaping short rows: work across all arm sts and part of front body.

Yoke Sweaters
Yoke depth: 25%
Decrease in 3 sections to 40-45% at neck
1. Decrease halfway to neck. k2, k2tog around to decrease 25%.
2. Decrease after 2/3-3/4 of yoke depth. k1, k2tog around to decrease 33%.
3. Decrease at base of neck. k1, k2tog, k2tog around to decrease 40%.

Alternative: work 5 decrease rounds:
1. k8, k2tog
2. k5, k2tog
3. k3, k2tog
4. k2, k2tog
5. k1, k2tog