A unique construction makes this a really fun sweater to knit. Plus, it’s knit top down, which means you can try it on as you go. No more worrying about fit issues!
Skill level: Advanced
Size: Finished Bust Size 34½ (37¾, 41, 44¼, 47¾, 51, 54¼, 57½)” / [87.5 (96, 104, 112.5, 121.5, 129.5, 138, 146) cm]
Shown in size 41″ / [104 cm]
Gauge 22 sts and 31 rnds = 4″ [10 cm] in St st; 22 sts and 44 rows = 4″ [10 cm] in Garter st
Materials
Yarn:
Quince & Co. Chickadee (100% American Wool; 181 yards [166 meters]/50 grams): Lichen, 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11) skeins
Needles: US size 4 (3.5 mm): straight, 32″ circular and DPNs; US size 3 (3.25 mm): 16″ circular and DPNs
Notions: US size E/4 (3.5mm) crochet hook; smooth waste yarn for provisional cast-on; markers; stitch holders or waste yarn; tapestry needle
Abbreviations:
beg: begin(ning)
BO: bind off
cir: circular
CO: cast on
cont: continue
dec(‘d): decrease(d)
dpn(s): double pointed needle(s)
est: establish(ed)
inc(‘d): increase(d)
k: knit
k2tog: knit 2 sts together
m: marker
m1L: (make 1-left slanting) insert left needle under horizontal strand between st just worked and next st, from the front to the back, knit through the back loop
m1R: (make 1-right slanting) insert left needle under horizontal strand between st just worked and next st, from the back to the front, knit
meas: measure(s)
pm: place marker
rem: remain(ing)
rep: repeat
rnd(s): round(s)
RS: right side
sl: slip
ssk: (slip, slip, knit) slip 2 sts, 1 at a time, knitwise to the right needle; return sts to left needle in turned position and knit them together through the back loops
st(s): stitch(es)
WS: wrong side
wyib: with yarn in back
wyif: with yarn in front
Special Stitches
Garter Stitch (worked in rows): Knit all sts, every row.
Provisional Cast-on Method: With waste yarn, beg with slipknot on crochet hook. *Wrap yarn around knitting needle counter-clockwise, then use crochet hook to draw yarn through loop on hook; rep from * for desired number of sts. Fasten off
Backward Loop Cast-on Method: *Wrap yarn around left thumb from front to back and secure in palm with other fingers, insert right needle upwards through strand on thumb, slip loop from thumb onto needle, pulling yarn to tighten; rep from * for desired number of sts.
Wrap and turn
Knit Row: Wyib, slip next st purlwise onto right needle, bring yarn to front of work, return slipped st to left needle, bring yarn to back of work, then turn work.
Purl Row: Wyif slip next st purlwise onto right needle, bring yarn to back of work, return slipped st to left needle, bring yarn to front of work, then turn work.
Hide Wraps
Knit Row: Pick up the wrap from the front with the right needle and knit together with the st it wraps.
Purl Row: Pick up the wrap through back of loop with right needle and purl together with the st it wraps.
Circular Stockinette Stitch: Knit all sts, every rnd.
Pattern Notes
This sweater begins at the center of the upper body. The right front and back are worked sideways from the center of the neck out toward the shoulder, then joined at the neck to work the shoulder. The piece is joined at the underarm to work the sleeve in the round. The left back, front and sleeve are worked similarly to the right, then body stitches are picked up around the lower edge and worked down. There is no seaming required!
Because the RS and WS of Garter Stitch look the same, markers are placed into the fabric after a few rows of Garter stitch have been worked to easily identify which is the RS. As you work, you may want to move the marker up rows closer to the needle to see it easily.
Pattern
Right Front
With straight needles, CO 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34) sts.
Work in Garter st for 3 rows, then turn so RS is facing. Place a removable m into fabric to indicate that the RS is facing.
Knit 12 (14, 16, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) more rows, ending after a WS row.
Shape Front Neck
Inc Row (RS): K1, m1L, k to end – 1 st inc’d.
Next Row (WS): Knit
Rep the last 2 rows 9 more times – 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 44) sts.
Front should meas about 3¼ (3¼, 3½, 3½, 3¾, 4, 4, 4¼)” / [8.5 (8.5, 9, 9, 9.5, 10, 10, 11) cm] from CO.
Break yarn. Place sts on holder or waste yarn and set aside.
Right Back
With crochet hook and waste yarn, use the Provisional Cast-on method to CO 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45, 46) sts onto straight needles. Join working yarn and beg with a RS row.
Work in Garter st for 4 rows, then turn so RS is facing. Place a removable m into fabric to indicate that the RS is facing.
Knit 26 (28, 30, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) more rows, ending after a WS row.
Shape Back Neck
Inc Row (RS): K to last st, m1R, k1 – 1 st inc’d.
Next Row (WS): Knit.
Rep the last 2 rows 4 more times – 37 (39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 50, 51) sts.
Back should meas about 3¼ (3¼, 3½, 3½, 3¾, 4, 4, 4¼)” / [8.5 (8.5, 9, 9, 9.5, 10, 10, 11) cm] from Provisional CO.
Join Shoulder
With RS facing, k37 (39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 50, 51) Right Back sts, use the backwards loop method to CO 3 sts, pm for Shoulder, then CO an additional 10 sts, return the 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 44) held Right Front sts to the left needle preparing to work a RS row, then k to end – 80 (84, 88, 92, 96, 100, 106, 108) sts.
Shape Shoulder
Knit 5 (7, 7, 7, 9, 9, 9, 11) rows, ending after a WS row.
Dec Row (RS): K to 3 sts before shoulder m, ssk, k1, sm, k1, k2tog, k to end – 2 sts dec’d; 78 (82, 86, 90, 94, 98, 104, 106) sts.
Rep the last 6 (8, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 12) rows 3 more times – 72 (76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 98, 100) sts.
Knit 9 (3, 5, 9, 3, 5, 9, 3) rows, ending after a WS row.
Back should meas about 6¼ (6¾, 7, 7½, 7¾, 8¼, 8¾, 9)” / [16 (17, 18, 19, 19.5, 21, 22, 23) cm] from Provisional CO.
Shape Right Back Armhole
Short-Row 1 (RS): K7 (9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18), wrap and turn.
Short-Row 2 (WS): K to end.
Short-Row 3 (RS): K to 1 st before wrap from previous row, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 4 (WS): K to end.
Rep the last 2 short-rows 4 (6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15) more times.
Next Row (RS): K to end, hiding wraps as they appear.
Shape Right Front Armhole
Short-Row 1 (WS): K7 (9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18), wrap and turn.
Short-Row 2 (RS): K to end.
Short-Row 3 (WS): K to 1 st before wrap from previous row, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 4 (RS): K to end.
Rep the last 2 rows 4 (6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15) more times.
Next Row (WS): P to end, hiding wraps as they appear.
Right Sleeve
Shape Sleeve Cap in St st, with short-rows as follows
Short-Row 1 (RS): K to shoulder m, remove m, k7, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 2 (WS): P14, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 3 (RS): K to wrapped st, knit the wrapped st hiding the wrap, k1, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 4 (WS): P to wrapped st, purl the wrapped st hiding the wrap, p1, wrap and turn.
Rep the last 2 short-rows 7 (7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10) more times – 12 (14, 14, 16, 16, 18, 19, 20) sts rem unwrapped at each end of needle.
Short-Row 5 (RS): K to wrapped st, knit the wrapped st hiding the wrap, wrap and turn.
Short-Row 6 (WS): P to wrapped st, purl the wrapped st hiding the wrap, wrap and turn.
Rep the last 2 short-rows 10 (12, 12, 14, 14, 16, 17, 18) more times – 1 st rem unwrapped at each end of needles.
Next Row (RS): K to end, hiding wrap as it appears. Change to DPNSs, then use the backwards loop method to CO 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) sts, pm for beg of rnd, CO another 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) sts – 78 (82, 88, 92, 96, 100, 106, 110) sts.
Next Rnd: Knit around, hiding wrap as it appears.
Shape Sleeve
Knit 9 (9, 7, 7, 7, 7, 5, 5) rnds.
Dec Rnd: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 – 2 sts dec’d; 76 (80, 86, 90, 94, 98, 104, 108) sts.
Rep the last 10 (10, 8, 8, 8, 8, 6, 6) rnds 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4) more times – 72 (76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, 100) sts.
Cont to work even in St st until Sleeve meas 4″ / [10 cm] from underarm CO sts.
*Purl 1 rnd, knit 1 rnd; rep from * 3 more times.
BO all sts purlwise.
Left Back
Carefully remove waste yarn from Provisional cast-on on Right Back and place 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45, 46) sts onto straight needles so tip of needle is pointing to the right (at the neck edge) with the RS facing. Join yarn to prepare working a RS row.
Work in Garter st for 26 (28, 30, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) rows, ending after a WS row.
Shape Back Neck
Inc Row (RS): K1, m1L, k to end – 1 st inc’d; 33 (35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 46, 47) sts.
Knit 1 WS row.
Rep the last 2 rows 4 more times – 37 (39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 50, 51) sts.
Back should meas about 3¼ (3¼, 3½, 3½, 3¾, 4, 4, 4¼)” / [8.5 (8.5, 9, 9, 9.5, 10, 10, 11) cm] from pick-up row.
Break yarn. Place sts onto st holder or waste yarn and set aside.
Left Front
With straight needles, CO 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34) sts.
Work in Garter st for 3 rows, then turn so RS is facing. Place a removable marker into fabric to indicate that the RS is facing.
Knit 12 (14, 16, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) more rows, ending after a WS row.
Shape Front Neck
Inc Row (RS): K to last st, m1R, k1 – 1 st inc’d; 21 (23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35) sts.
Knit 1 WS row.
Rep the last 2 rows 9 more times – 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 44) sts.
Front should meas about 3¼ (3¼, 3½, 3½, 3¾, 4, 4, 4¼)” / [8. 5 (8.5, 9, 9, 9.5, 10, 10, 11) cm] from CO.
Join Shoulder
With RS facing, k30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 44) Left Front sts, use the backwards loop method to CO 10 sts, pm for Shoulder, then CO an additional 3 st, return 37 (39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 50, 51) held Left Back sts to the left needle preparing to work a RS row, then k to end – 80 (84, 88, 92, 96, 100, 106, 108) sts.
Shape Shoulder
Work the same as for Right Shoulder – 72 (76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 98, 100) sts.
Front should meas about 6¼ (6¾, 7, 7½, 7¾, 8¼, 8¾, 9)” / [16 (17, 18, 19, 19.5, 21, 22, 23) cm] from pick-up row.
Shape Left Front Armhole
Work the same as for Right Back Armhole.
Shape Left Back Armhole
Work the same as for Right Front Armhole.
Left Sleeve
Work the same as for Right Sleeve.
Body
With RS facing and longer circ needles, beg at center of left underarm CO sts, pick up and k95 (104, 113, 122, 131, 140, 149, 158) sts evenly along Back to center of right underarm CO sts, pm for side, pick up and k47 (52, 56, 61, 65, 70, 74, 79) sts evenly along the Right Front, use the backwards loop method to CO 1 (0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0) st, then pick up and k47 (52, 56, 61, 65, 70, 74, 79) sts evenly along the Left Front – 190 (208, 226, 244, 262, 280, 298, 316) sts, pm for beg of rnd and join to work in the rnd.
Shape Waist
Knit 7 rnds.
Dec Rnd: *K2, k2tog, k to 4 sts before next m, ssk, k2, sm; rep from * once more – 4 sts dec’d; 186 (204, 222, 240, 258, 276, 294, 312) sts.
Rep the last 8 rnds 5 more times – 166 (184, 202, 220, 238, 256, 274, 292) sts.
Knit 10 rnds
Inc Rnd: *K2, m1R, k to 2 sts before next m, m1L, k2, sm; rep from * once more – 4 sts inc’d; 170 (188, 206, 224, 242, 260, 278, 296) sts.
Rep the last 11 rnds 5 more times – 190 (208, 226, 244, 262, 280, 298, 316) sts.
Work in St st until piece meas 15″ / [38 cm] from pick-up rnd.
*Purl 1 rnd, knit 1 rnd; rep from * 3 more times.
BO all sts purlwise.
Finishing
Block to measurements.
Neckband
With RS facing and shorter circ, beg at center back neck, pick up and k1 st in each garter ridge and 1 st in each CO st evenly around neckline edge.
BO all sts purlwise.
Weave in ends. Block again if desired. 