Kella's Easy Maternity Top

Sizes:

S[M, L, XL, XXL]
To Fit: 32-34[35-37, 38-40, 42-44, 46-48] inch chest

(Note: Please take above size indications with a large bucket of salt, as this will change a lot as you go through your pregnancy, as well as when you are no longer pregnant. Please use your own judgement in gauging your chest measurements for this. I recommend the looser the better.)

*Very close-fitting garment - length will stretch & convert to width upon wearing.

Garment shown size XXL with crocheted underarm finishing.

Materials needed:

* US Size 10.5 (6.5mm), 24" circular needle
* 5mm crochet hook
* 1.5 - 2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Solids (or really ANY worsted weight yarn that adds up to about 500 to 550 yards, depending on your size.)

DIRECTIONS:

(from here until the end of the underarm section is directly from Jessica Fenlon Thomas' pattern for Cherry Twist)

Yoke:

Using 24 inch US #11/8mm circular needle and both yarns held together, CO 84[96, 106, 120, 132] sts.
Join into rnd, taking care not to twist sts.
Place marker at beg of rnd.
Begin Twisted Rib: *k1tbl, p1...rep from * to end of rnd
Work in Twisted Rib until piece measures 4[4, 4.5, 5, 5] inches.

Armholes:

Next rnd: *BO 18[21, 22, 24, 25] sts, k 24[27, 31, 36, 41] sts* twice. 48[54, 62, 72, 82] sts in two sections.
Remove beg-of-rnd marker.

Underarm:

Next rnd: *CO 6[7 ,8, 8, 9] place marker, CO 7[8, 9, 9, 10] k 24[27, 31, 36, 41]* twice.
74[84, 96, 106, 120] sts in round.
The first marker placed is the new rnd marker and a shaping marker. The second marker is the other shaping marker. All garment shaping happens at the side "seams", the points running down the garment body at the underarm where a non-circular garment would be sewn together.
Switch to St st.
K all stitches until body measures 2.5[2.5, 3, 3.5, 3.5] inches.

Waist Shaping:

Dec rnd: *k1, k2tog, k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, slip marker* twice.
K 2 rnds.
Rep the previous 3 rnds 1[1, 2, 2, 2] times more.
Inc rnd: *k1, m1, k1, m1, k to 3 stitches before next marker, k1, m1, k1, m1, k1, slip marker* twice.
K 1 rnd.
Rep prev 2 rnds for ~6 inches, depending on length of torso. Should come to your belly button.
BO in St. st


Lengthen to taste in crochet, alternating rows of double-crochet and triple-crochet.
Finish with one row of single crochet.


Single crochet around the armholes and the neckline.

(Remember, the beauty of this is, you can always change the width/length starting from the crocheted rows!)