Gryffindor Sweater start and pattern (in progress)

This is not very impressive right now, but man, what nice yarn! Smooth and soft with a nice hand and very forgiving of weaving in ends and other things that can make one's knitting look not-so-smooth:
The pattern so far:
Unisex child's sweater, size 6-8
Materials:
Main Color -- 6 skeins of Valley Yarns Longmeadow (cotton/acrylic microfiber) burgundy
Contrasting color -- 1 skein Frog Tree Pima Silk (cotton/silk) 820.
Circular needles in size 3 and 4 US.
Gauge:
6 sts/in in straight stitch on larger needles.
Body:
Cast on 160 sts. in MC on smaller circular needle, join without twisting and work k2, p2 rib for 2 inches, at same time placing a marker at the start of the round and one between sts. 80 and 81 to mark both seams.
Next round, still on smaller needles work final rib round, at the same time increasing 8 sts. total evenly spaced over whole body = 168 sts. total.
Next round, switch to larger needles, work 1 round k.
Next round, join CC and work 2 rounds, then 1 round MC, 2 more rounds CC. Continue straight with MC until body measures 12.5 inches from bottom of work.
Next round, place 7 sts. on either side of each side seam makers onto holders = 70 sts. remaining on front and back.
Back:
Work the 70 sts. for back in MC until piece measures 16 inches from bottom of ribbing. Next row, place center 36 sts. on a holder/scrap yarn, join a second ball of yarn and work both shoulders at the same time:
Dec. 2 sts. at inside neck edge on both sides over the next 3 alternating rows.
Dec. 1 st. at inside neck edge on both sides over next 3 alternating rows. Work until piece measures 18 inches from bottom of ribbing. Place the remaining 8 sts. each side on holders/scrap yarn.
Front:
Work the 70 sts. for front in MC until piece measures 13.75 inches from bottom of ribbing. Next row, attach a second ball of yarn and decrease for v-neck by decreasing on st. at neck edge every row until there are 8 sts. remaining on each side. (Tip for nice looking neck edge: be sure to decrease loosely, it will be easier to pick up and the neck won't bunch if you knit more loosely than you think you should). Work until piece measures 18 inches from bottom of ribbing. Place the remaining 8 sts. each side on holders/scrap yarn.
Shoulder seams:
Turn the piece inside out (front and back right sides together) and knit together the shoulder seams with MC.
Neck:
Using MC, starting at the left shoulder seam, pick up 30 sts. along the left neck edge down to bottom of V (there should be 30 slanting decrease stitches to pick up into), pick up another 30 sts. along right edge of V neck to right should seam. Pick up 14 sts. along the back right neck edge down to sts. on holder. Knit these 36 sts. from holder into the neck, then pick up the last 14 sts. from back left neck edge.
Work one row in CC all k., no decreases.
Work next row in CC, k. 28 sts., k 2 tog., ssk, k. 36 sts., k. 2 tog., k. 22 sts. k. 2 tog., K to end of round.
Work next row in MC all k. with no decreases.
Next row CC, k. 27 sts., k 2 tog., ssk, k. the rest of the round.
Work one row in CC all k., no decreases.
Next row MC, k. 26 sts., k 2 tog., ssk, k. the rest of the round.
Next row, begin neck ribbing: [p2, k2] repeat this 6 times, p2, k2 (these two stitches are the decrease "seam" of the v-neck). Continue p2, k2 until round is completed.
Continue working neck ribbing, decreasing one st. on each side of the v-neck on this and every other following row (e.g. work a dec. row, then a non-dec. row) until 106 sts. remain. Cast of neck loosely in pattern.
Sleeves:
Using larger needles and MC, pick up 32 sts. on each side of armhole starting at the armpit side (total of 64 sts.).
Pick up the 14 sts. from armpit holder/waste yarn, placing a marker in between sts. 7 and 8 to mark the beginning/end of the round.
Join row and work straight 1.25 in., then begin casting off one st. on each side of the beginning/end marker on the next and every following 5th row 4 times, then every 4th row until there are 44 sts. remaining (sleeve should be 13.25 in. long here).
Work 2 rows CC, 1 row of MC, 2 rows of CC, 1 row of MC. One this last MC row, decrease 6 sts. evenly spaced (38 sts.).
Next row, change to smaller needles and work k2, p2 rib for 2 in. bind off loosely.
Finishing:
Weave in all ends and wash cool, dry cool.



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
(If you make any interesting versions, I'd love to hear about them.)