Cropped lavender jacket

A feminine and chic, yet warm and cosy cardigan. The alpaca makes the fabric fall really nicely:) The gauge is quite tricky to measure as the fabric is so stretchy. Knitted bottom-up.
Sizes
S/M (L/XL)
L/XL for free below. S/M can be bought here.

Yarn
Pickels Pure Thick Alpaca 500 (700) g

Needles
Circular needles 32”, 7 mm.

Gauge per 4”
10 s

Measurements:
Width measured flat: 20.8 (22.5)”
Length : 20 (22.5)”

The body
Cast on 111 stitches on 7 mm needles. Knit 3 rows.

Start repeating these two rows:
Row 1:
Slip 1, K 3 (front bands),
Knit broiche like this:
*K 1, K 1 in the row below*
Repeat from * to * until 4 stitches remain. K 4.

Row 2:
Slip 1, K 3, Knit broiche like this:
*K 1 in the row below, K 1*
Repeat from * to * until 4 stitches
remain. K 4.

Continue until the cardigan is 13.7”.

Start knitting the first front piece.
Slip 1, K3 for front bands like usual.
Knit brioche stitches over the next 23 stitches. The last stitch will be prettier if you knit it, and slip it when you turn.

Continue until the piece is 22.5”.    
Cast off, but leave the 4 front band stitches on a thread.

Knit the back piece, 57 stitches in brioche stitch until it is 22.5”
Knit the other front piece like the first one.
Cast off, but leave the 4 front band stitches on a thread.

Sew the front and back pieces together.

Sleeves
Pick up 43 stitches around the sleeve hole. Knit brioche back and forth.

K2tog at the beginning and end of the row
every 2” 7 times in total.

Knit until the sleeve is 14.5”.
Knit 3 rows. Cast off.
Knit another sleeve.

Front bands
Increase one stitch towards the neck line. You will have 5 stitches.

Knit back and forth until the front band reaches the middle of the neck in the back. Finish after a row from the wrong side. Leave the stitches on the needle.

Knit the other front band in the same way.
Use kitchener´stitch to assemble the front bands in the back.

Assemble front bands and sleeves.