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INSTRUCTIONS

LEGS

With smaller needle (12 inch circular or dpns) and MC, cast on 68[72, 76 ,80, 84] sts. Place marker. Join round being careful not to twist.
Work in k2, p2 rib for 1¹/₂ inches.

Put first leg aside and knit a second identical one.

To join the 2 legs, proceed as follows: rejoin MC on first leg, k34[36, 38, 40, 42], cast on 6[6, 6, 8, 8] sts using the backward loop cast on, k34[36, 38, 40, 42] sts on second leg, place marker, k34[36, 38, 40, 42], cast on 6[6, 6, 8, 8] sts using the backward loop cast on, knit last 34[36, 38, 40, 42] sts of first leg, place marker: 148[156, 164, 176, 184] sts.

Start knitting in the round again using MC until the piece measures 3¹/₂ inches from the cast on edge.

BODY

The entire body is knit in St st (knit every round.)
Rnds 1 and 2: With CCR knit around.
Rnds 3-6: With MC knit around.
Rnds 7 and 8: With CCY knit around.
Rnds 9-12: With MC knit around.
Rnds 13 and 14: With CCB knit around.
Rnds 15-18: With MC knit around.
Rnds 19-20: With CCG knit around.
Rnds 21-24: With MC knit around.
Rnds 1-24 form the color sequence. (In the following sections of the pattern, count each CC stripe as one stripe, meaning there are 4 stripes in Rnds 1-24.)

Repeat the color sequence until there are 9[10, 11, 12, 13] stripes, ending with 4 rows MC. Then proceed to rib section.

Rib

Work in k2,p2 rib with MC for 1¹/₂ inches.

Upper Body

Knit 4 rnds with MC.
Continue color sequence until there are 3[4, 4, 5, 5] stripes after rib, starting with the same color as the last stripe before the rib, and ending with 3 rnds MC.

Back Shaping

Row 1: K74[78, 82, 88, 92], slip marker, k25[26, 27, 30 31], bind off center 24[26, 28, 28, 30] sts (for back opening), k25[26, 27, 30, 31]: 124[130, 136, 148, 154] sts. Break yarn.

Transfer the last 25[26, 27, 30, 31] sts worked back to the left needle.

Begin working back and forth in St st (right side knit, wrong side purl.)

Next Row: With CC bind off 4 sts, knit across: 120[126, 132, 144, 150] sts.
Next Row: Bind off 4 sts, purl across: 116[122, 128, 140, 146] sts.
While continuing the color sequence, knit 1[2, 2, 3, 3] stripes more ending with 3 rows of MC. The remaining stripes are worked without binding off.

Armhole Shaping

With MC, p17[18, 19, 22, 23], slip sts just worked onto st holder for strap, bind off 8 sts (one st remains on right needle), p65[69, 73, 79, 83] sts, bind off next 8 sts, purl across remaining 17[18, 19, 22, 23] sts. Slip last 17[18, 19, 22, 23] sts onto st holder for strap.

Straps and Neck Shaping

Working with 66[70, 74, 80, 84] sts for front, complete the color sequence for each size as follows:
Work 3[3, 3, 4, 4] more stripes, ending with 3 rows of MC.

Front Neck Shaping

Row 1: P21[22, 23, 26, 27], bind off center 24[26, 28, 28, 30] sts pwise, purl across remaining sts: 21[22, 23, 26, 27] sts each side. Complete swimsuit with MC only. Work Left Strap as follows: Row 2: Knit across. Row 3: Bind off 2 sts, purl across: 19[20, 21, 24, 26] sts. Row 4: Knit across. Row 5: Bind off 2 sts, purl across: 17[18, 19, 22, 23] sts.

Work even with MC in St st until strap, when folded over the shoulder and touching the reserved back strap sts, makes an armhole that is 3¹/₂[4, 4, 4¹/₂, 4¹/₂] inches tall.

Repeat for the Right Strap reversing the shaping. (The bound off sts need to be at the neck edge.)

Using the kitchener stitch, join the Strap sts with the back strap sts previously put on hold.

FINISHING

Neck Band

With RS facing, using MC and longer circular needle, starting at the center point of the back opening, pick up and knit evenly around the entire neck opening as follows: pick up and knit one st for every st at the back bound off edge, 6 at corner, then one st in every other row along vertical edge, then 6 at corner, one st for each st along front neck bound off edge, 6 at corner, one for every other row along vertical edge, 6 at corner, and one st for every st along remainder of bound off edge of back. (Be sure your total number of sts is a multiple of 4.) Place marker, join round.
Rnds 1-5: Work in k2, p2 rib.
Bind off all sts in pattern loosely. (Use a larger needle if necessary.)

Arm Bands

With RS facing and smaller circular needle, starting at the center point of the lower edge of the armhole, pick up sts across the armhole as follows: one st for every st at bottom bound off edge, 4 sts at corner, then one st for every other row along vertical edge to next corner, pick up 4 sts at corner, and then one st for every st across remainder bound of edge. (Be sure your total number of sts is a multiple of 4.) Place marker, join round.
Rnds 1-5: Work in k2, p2 rib.
Bind off all sts in pattern loosely. (Use a larger needle if necessary.)

Weave in all ends.