Chickadee Sweater

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: Finished Size 2 (3, 4) years to fit bust 21 (22, 23)”.

3” positive ease recommended.

Shown in size 3 years.

Gauge: 18 sts and 26 rnds = 4” [10 cm] in Stockinette st, using US size 7 (4.5 mm) after wet blocking.

Materials

Yarn:

 Schachenmayr Originals Wool 85 (100% Virgin Wool; 93 yards [85 meters]/50 grams):

00264 Mint Ice Cream (MC), 4 (4, 4) balls; 00250 Marine (CC1), 1 (1, 1) ball; 00205 Camel (CC2), 1 (1, 1) ball; 00202 Natural (CC3), 1 (1, 1) ball.

Needles: US size 6 (4.0 mm): 24” circular and DPNs; US size 7 (4.5 mm): 24” circular and DPNs.

Notions: Removable marker (1) for beginning of rnds; markers (3); stitch holders or waste yarn (4); tapestry needle; darning needle.

Pattern Notes

The pattern is worked in the rnd from the bottom up. Sleeves and body are joined to circular yoke that contains stranded colorwork in three additional colors.

Please take your time and knit a gauge swatch using US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles. Recommended swatch size is at least 25 sts width and 30 rows height. Soak and let dry flat. If you are known to knit at a different tension in the rnd, please swatch in rnd. Recommended are 40 sts circumference and 30 rnds height. Soak and dry as described above.

Pattern

Sleeves

With MC and larger DPNs, CO 32 (34, 34) sts, place marker, join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts.

Change to smaller DPNs.

Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * around.
Rnds 2-8: Rep Rnd 1.

Change to larger DPNs.

Rnd 9: Knit.
Rnd 10: K1, m1, k to last st before marker, m1, k1 – 34 (36, 36) sts.

Cont as est for 12 (14, 16) rnds.

Next Rnd: K1, m1, k to last st before marker, m1, k1 – 36 (38, 38) sts.

Cont in St st for 13 (17, 18) rnds.

Next Rnd: K1, m1, k to last st before marker, m1, k1 – 38 (40, 40) sts.

Cont in St st for 14 (16, 18) rnds or until Sleeve measure approx. 8 (9, 10)” including the Cuff.

Right Sleeve

K to last 4 (4, 5) sts before marker, slip these rem sts onto holder or waste yarn, as well as the following 5 (5, 5) sts. Put rem 29 (31, 30) sts on a separate holder or waste yarn and set sleeve aside. Mark as Right Sleeve.

Left Sleeve

K to last 5 (5, 5) sts before marker, slip these rem sts onto holder or waste yarn, as well as the following 4 (4, 5) sts. Put rem 29 (31, 30) sts on separate holder or waste yarn and set sleeve aside. Mark as Left Sleeve.

Body

With MC and larger circular needles, CO 90 (98, 100) sts, place marker, join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts.

Change to smaller circular needles.

Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * around.
Rnds 2-8: Rep Rnd 1.

Change to larger circular needles.

Size 2 years only

Rnd 9: *K5, m1; rep from * 17 more times – 108 sts.

Size 3 years only

Rnd 9: *K5, m1, k5, m1, k6, m1, (k5, m1, k6, m1) 3 times; rep from* around – 116 sts.

Size 4 years Only

Rnd 9: *K5, m1; rep from * 19 more times – 120 sts.

All sizes

Rnd 10: Work in St st around, placing another marker after 54 (58, 60) sts.

Cont in St st for 45 (48, 50) rnds.

K to last 4 (4, 5) sts before second marker. This part makes for the Front of the sweater. K the following 5 sts and put these sts and the following 5 (5, 5) sts on holder or waste yarn.

K to last 5 (5, 5) sts before end of rnd and put these and the following 4 (4, 5) on holder or waste yarn. This part is the Back and the Left armhole. Set marker for beg of rnd right before these sts on hold, because from here your yoke will begin.

Yoke

Note: Pull the yarn quite tightly when joining Sleeves and Body to avoid laddering.

Take Left Sleeve and using live MC from sweater body, k29 (31, 30) sts of the Sleeve, place marker, k44 (48, 50) sts from the front of the body, place marker, join Right Sleeve, same as Left Sleeve, k29 (31, 30) sts of the Sleeve, place marker, k46 (50, 50) sts from the back of the body – 148 (160, 160) sts.

Knit over Body and Sleeves for 3 (4, 4) more rnds.

Dec Rnd: Knit to last st before end of rnd, remove marker, slip st back to left needle, replace marker, k2tog, *k to last st before next marker, remove marker, k2tog; rep from * once more, k to end of rnd – 144 (156, 156) sts.

Next Rnd: Knit.

Next Rnd: The first st is the first one of the Stranded Yoke Pattern, following the color chart from right to left or working as described below.

Notes about yarn dominance: In stranded knitting you hold at least two strands in your hand. The one you´ve chosen to be the upper strand should stay the upper strand when carried along behind knitted sts. Try not to mess the strands up. It makes pulling them separately out of the skein harder, and the yarn held underneath will show up more expressive in your pattern than the one held upon. The lower-held strand seems to make bolder sts with more impact. So, if you´ve got a pattern section where a color is knitted only sparingly, I recommend to carry this color underneath the color knitted more frequently. This will prevent its sparingly scattered sts from disappearing beneath the wide sections of the other color. For example, from Rnd 9 the Camel colorway should be carried underneath and from Rnds 11-16, the Marine colored strand.

Rnd 1: *K1 (MC), k1 (CC1), K4 (MC); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 2: *K3 (CC1), k3 (MC); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 3: *K4 (CC1), k1 (MC), k1 (CC1); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 4: *K1 (CC1), k1 (CC2), k4 (CC1); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 5: *K3 (CC2), k3 (CC1); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 6: *K4 (CC2), k1 (CC1), k1 (CC2); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 7: *K1 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k4 (CC2); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 8: *K3 (CC3), k3 (CC2); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 9: *K4 (CC3), k1 (CC2), k1 (CC3); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 10: Rep Rnd 9.
Rnd 11: *K1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k4 (CC3); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 12: *K1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k2tog (CC3), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k3 (CC3); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 13: *K1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k2 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k3 (CC3); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 14: *K1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k2 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k1 (CC3), k2tog (CC3); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 15: *K1 (CC3), k1 (CC1), k3 (CC3); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 16: Rep Rnd 15.
Rnd 17: *K1 (CC3), k1 (CC2), k3 (CC3); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 18: *K3 (CC2), k2 (CC1); rep from * 23 (25, 25) more times.
Rnd 19: *K1 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC2), k2tog (CC2), k1 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k3 (CC2); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 20: *K3 (CC3), k1 (CC2), k3 (CC3), k2 (CC2); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 21: *K1 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k3 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k1 (CC2), k2tog (CC2); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 22: *K1 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k3 (CC2), k1 (CC3), k2 (CC2); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 23: *K3 (CC2), k2tog (CC2), k2 (CC2), k1 (CC1); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 24: *K1 (CC1), k4 (CC2), k2 (CC1); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 25: *K2 (CC1), k2tog (CC2), k3 (CC1); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 26: *K5 (CC1), k1 (MC); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 27: *K1 (MC), k3 (CC1), k2 (MC); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times.
Rnd 28: *K2 (MC), k1 (CC1), k3 (MC); rep from * 11 (12, 12) more times. (72 (78, 78) sts)

Neck

Change to smaller DPNs.

Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * to end of rnd.
Rnds 2-5: Rep Rnd 1.

Change to larger DPNs.

BO loosely in pattern.

Cut yarn and pull tail through the last loop to secure it during the finishing process.

Finishing

Close the underarm sts using Kitchener st. Gently soak sweater in lukewarm water, rinse it, roll it in a towel and push hard on the roll to remove excess water. Remove the towel and lay the sweater out flat to air-dry. After it is completely dry, weave in all loose ends.