Knitty: Spring 2007

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by Alice Bell

I'm forever mentally undressing people. I don't stop there. I unravel seams, undo knots, unpick picked up stitches, deconstruct lace patterns, I can't help myself.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only knitter who does this, but just in case anyone is worried, I should say I'm happy for those people I mentally undress to keep their underwear on. And any garments of woven fabric, that's ok too. Indeed, the person under it all is completely beside the point. It's the knitwear I'm after.

I wanted to design something another knitter could sit behind on the bus, stare at, mentally take to pieces and, after a minute or so, get the "oh that's how its done" feeling.

I developed this piece during a couple of months heavy in gift knitting, I wanted to make myself something, but didn't have a huge amount of time. The aran weight wool gives you a speedy knit as well as warmth, yet it manages to do this without being too bulky. An aran sweater for those without quite enough yarn or time for the full thing.

I managed all the cabling without a cable needle. I tend to find this technique fiddly, but with tightly knit aran weight it's a lot easier. As you are cabling every right side row, it's worth a try. This tutorial is very clear.

model: Alice Bell photos: Marcus Roome

SIZE

XS [S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X] (shown in size M)
To fit bust: 30[34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62] inches

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Back Width: 15[15, 17, 17.75, 17.75, 17.75, 18.5, 18.5, 18.5] inches
Full Back Length: 15[17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31] inches
Note: The sweater will not be as long as this when worn; part of it will be folded back to form a collar. How much is folded back depends on your own wearing preferences.

MATERIALS

Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran [100% pure new wool; 186yd/170m per 100g ball]; color: #013 Claret; 3[3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6] balls

1 long US #7/4.5mm circular needle, 32 inches or longer (For larger sizes, use a needle 40 inches or longer)
1 spare US #7/4.5mm straight or circular needle
Stitch markers (Sizes XS and S require 20 markers; all other sizes require 24)
Tapestry needle
Brooch or kilt pin (optional)

GAUGE

16 sts/22 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

The unusual construction of this piece is very loosely based on the evening wrap pattern from Yesterknits. It can be hard to get your head around its unusual shape; if you're having trouble, you might find this great tutorial helpful.

When choosing your cast on and bind off, consider ones that will resemble each other as much as possible. I paired a cable cast on with a decrease bind off.
Instructions for the cable cast on can be found here.
Instructions for the decrease bind off can be found here.

Note: The decrease bind off will more closely resemble the cable cast on if it is worked through the front loops, rather than the back loops.

Information about blocking can be found here and here.

C4B: Slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work, k2, k2 from cable needle.

C4F: Slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work, k2, k2 from cable needle.

Rib Pattern (Worked over a multiple of 3 sts)
Row 1 [RS]: K1, [p1, k2] to last two sts, p1, k1.
Row 2 [WS]: p1, [k1, p2] to last two sts, k1, p1.
Repeat these 2 rows for Rib Pattern.

Cable Pattern (Worked over 12 sts):
Set-up Row [WS]: P2, k1, p2, kfb, p2, k1, p2.
Row 1 [RS]: C4F, k4, C4B.
Even-numbered Rows 2-12 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K2, C4F, C4B, k2.
Row 5 [RS]: K4, C4B, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: C4F, k4, C4B.
Row 9 [RS]: K2, C4F, C4B, k2.
Row 11 [RS]: K4, C4F, k4.
Repeat Rows 1-12 for Cable Pattern.

PATTERN

BACK
CO 69 [69, 81, 84, 84, 84, 87, 87, 87] sts.
Work 25 rows in Rib Pattern.

In the next row, you will work the Set-up Row of the Cable Pattern. If you are working from the chart, this is the row below Row 1.

Sizes XS, S Only:
Next Row [WS]: Work 2 sts in pattern, [place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 7 sts in pattern] 3 times, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, k1, p1. 73 sts.

Size M Only:
Next Row [WS]: Work 8 sts in pattern, [place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 7 sts in pattern] 4 times, p1. 85 sts.

Sizes L, XL, 2X Only:
Next Row [WS]: Work 8 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 7 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 10 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 7 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 8 sts in pattern. 88 sts.

Sizes 3X, 4X, 5X Only:
Next Row [WS]: Work 8 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 10 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 7 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 10 sts in pattern, place marker, work Set-up Row, place marker, work 8 sts in pattern. 91 sts.

All Sizes:
Work in pattern, working sts between markers in Cable Pattern and all other sts in Rib Pattern as set, until work measures 7.5[8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11.5, 12.5, 13.5, 14.5, 15.5] inches, ending with a WS row. Make a note of how many rows you have worked of Cable Pattern. Set work aside.

Very Important Note: Do not be tempted to change the back length of the piece! Because of the way this garment is constructed, the length of the piece directly affects the chest circumference. The length at this point must be equal to one quarter of the desired chest circumference.

UPPER BACK AND FRONTS
Using spare needle and a new ball of yarn, CO 63[63, 69, 69, 69, 69, 72, 72, 72] sts. Break yarn and set this needle aside.

With RS of work facing, CO 63[63, 69, 69, 69, 69, 72, 72, 72] sts using cable cast on. 136[136, 154, 157, 157, 157, 163, 163, 163] sts.

In the next row, the sts which have been cast onto the spare needle will be joined to the rest of the work.

Sizes XS, S Only:
Next Row [RS]: K1, p1, [k2, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, p1, k2, p1] 3 times, k2, p1, k1; work sts of Back in pattern as set; working across sts on spare needle, k1, p1, k2, p1, [k2, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, p1, k2, p1] 3 times, k1. 199 sts. Make a note of which row of Cable Pattern you have just completed (on Back sts).

Sizes M, L, XL, 2X Only:
Next Row [RS]: P1, [place marker, k12, place marker, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1] 3 times, place marker, k11; k first st of Back, place marker, work in pattern to last st of Back, place marker, k1; working across sts on spare needle, k11, place marker, [p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, place marker, k12, place marker] 3 times, p1. -[-, 223, 226, 226, 226, -, -, -] sts. Make a note of which row of Cable Pattern you have just completed (on Back sts).

Sizes 3X, 4X, 5X Only:
Next Row [RS]: P1, place marker, k12, place marker, [p1, k2] twice, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, [p1, k2] 3 times, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, [p1, k2] twice, p1, place marker, k11; k first st of Back, place marker, work in pattern to last st of Back, place marker, k1; working across sts on spare needle, k11, place marker, [p1, k2] twice, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, [p1, k2] 3 times, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, [p1, k2] twice, p1, place marker, k12, place marker, p1. 235 sts.

All Sizes:
Work all sts in pattern, working sts between markers, beginning with next row of Cable Pattern.
Continue in pattern until you have completed the same number of rows of Cable Pattern for the upper portion as you worked for the Back, ending with a WS row. The upper portion of the work at this point must be the same length as the cabled portion of the lower Back.

Next Row [RS]: [Work in pattern to marker, remove marker, k2, p1, k2, p2tog, k2, p1, k2, remove marker] until all markers have been removed, work in pattern to end. 189[189, 211, 214, 214, 214, 223, 223, 223] sts.

Work 25 rows in Rib Pattern.

Loosely BO all sts. (See note in Pattern Notes about selecting your BO method.)

FINISHING

Weave in ends.
Wet-block piece.

Referring to schematic, sew edge A to edge B, and edge C to edge D.
The long, continuous ribbed edge which will result forms the lower and front edges of the piece, as well as the collar.

Experiment with the piece to determine how you would like to wear it. The part of the garment which was labelled "lower back" during the knitting can also be worn as the upper back and collar... see how it works best for you!

Once you have determined how you wwuld like to wear it, and how much of the collar you wish to turn back, lightly steam block the garment (especially the collar) to help set its shape.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Alice is doing PhD in Children's Science Literature and knit-blogs here. This design is named after a dear friend who died suddenly last summer.