Clematis Pullover

My latest top-down raglan pullover, but with a few alterations.  The yarn is Fiesta Yarns Boomerang in Clematis and I bought it from The Loopy Ewe (who can resist that name?) and thanks to this order have joined the ranks of the "Loopy Groupies" so my yarn came in a project bag, and I received a free sock pattern and a free skein of sock yarn.  Pretty cool, huh.  I need to finish this pullover so I can order yarn for another...

Now, as to the alterations.  I like knitting from the top down because it allows you to adjust, and make the best use of your yarn, but the increases that the Sweater Wizard software does are all bunched up at the top, and you end up with a funny bump that I just don't like.  So I did two patterns, one top down and one bottom up, and took the raglan and neck decreases from the bottom up pattern and used them in the top down pattern.  I have also been having problems with the bind-off on the top down raglans, because your typical bind-off is too tight for top down knitting.  So for this pullover I did a modified Kitchener rib bind off.  It is modified because it is typically done on purl 1 knit 1 rib, and my rib is purl 1 knit 2.  To deal with this on the first set up row where you knit the knits and slip the purls, I cast off half of my knit stitches.  I then did the second set up row as called for and tried to keep the bind off a little loose.

I have one skein plus a little left over.  On to the sleeves.  They may be three-quarters length, it depends upon the yarn.  I also haven't decided what to do for the collar, it depends upon how much yarn I have left after knitting the sleeves.