Hypotenuse

My FLAK is big.  Really big.  It measures correctly, but spread out flat like this, it seems less like a sweater and more like a motorcycle cozy.  Which would explain the prodigious rate at which it's gobbling up yarn. Granted, these skeins are pretty short, but I've done so many spit-splices I'm starting to dehydrate. I'm about halfway down sleeve #2, and nearing the end of the 12th skein.  And speaking of sleeves, notice anything special about these?

How about now?  That's right!  Reverse-Hypotenuse sleeve decreases! Which, for the non-mathy (such as me), means that the decreases happen on top of the arm, rather than at the underarm.  The legendary Joan Schrouder cleverly pioneered this architecture.  It results in less fabric under the armpits, so bunching up is greatly reduced.  And look at what a pretty curve happens at the shoulder, right where you want it.  I think it's dead sexy.  Thanks, Joan!  

Groovy thing about top-down sweater knitting: Not sure what kind of edge treatment you want for neckline, cuffs and hem? No problem! Just put the stitches on holders and figure it out at the end.  Who knows? Maybe I'll even devise some fancy way of continuing the cables down into the ribbing, ala Kathy Zimmerman. 

But first I have to get ready to join skein # 13.  I need a drink of water.