Rousseau is constructed from four panels — front, back, left, and right — that are seamed together at the end to form the shape of a T-shirt.
Since it can be tricky to visualize the final shape and the knitting directions, I’m sharing some diagrams to help you along.
・Knitting Direction
The front panels are worked along the solid lines, while the back panels are worked along the dotted lines.
Each panel is reversible, so in practice you will knit two front panels and two back panels, both shaped like the left body (shown on the right side of the diagram).
・“Finish the Hem and Join the Sleeves” Section
When joining the body panels to the sleeve edges, please use the following diagram as a guide.
You will join them as you knit along the blue line. (Depending on the size, you may start from the sleeve side or the body side.)
Since all four panels are reversible, you can place them as shown in the diagram when joining the sleeves to the body.
・Blocking
Insert blocking wires into the shoulder seams, back neck, and hem (four wires in total), and stretch the piece firmly into the shape shown.
Pull firmly in the vertical direction, and gently spread the fabric horizontally by hand as needed.
The photo shown here is after the edging and panel assembly, but in fact, you should block each panel to the correct size before beginning the edging and joining process.
If your fabric is too loose, it may become baggy or overly large after blocking, so be sure to keep gauge as you knit.