by Julia Farwell-Clay

Party Mix is a raglan A-line sweater you can make from the many irresistible bumps you've picked up in moments of weakness, or from the encroaching fiber club stash. In harmonious or contrasting yarns, the seamed components highlight the colorful textures unique to yarn spun from hand painted top. Commercial yarns can also fill in the gaps nicely.

The first sample sweater [shown at left] was knit using one handspun yarn for the sleeves and side panels, and a coordinating handspun yarn for the front and back. The second sample sweater [shown below] was knit from a combination of Cascade 220 and two complimentary handspun yarns for the front and back panels.

If you want to use 100% commercial yarn, a similar effect can be achieved using a self striping yarn such as Noro Silk Garden in coordinating colors, or get a different look with a solid yarn. This sweater gives permission to play.

SIZE
S[M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X]
(shown in size M with 1" ease)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 33[36, 39, 42.5, 45.5, 49, 52] inches
Length: 16[16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 19] inches, hem to underarm

GAUGE

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

Work body pieces in order given because each piece's finished length references the previous completed pieces.

DIRECTIONS
Triangular side panels (make 2)

With smaller needles, cast on 48[52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72] sts.

Work in garter st for 12 rows, switching to larger needles on last WS row.

Work in St st for 6 rows, ending with a WS row.

Decrease row [RS]: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 2 sts dec.

Repeat Decrease row every 6 rows until 18[22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42] sts remain.

Work even until piece measures 16[16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 19] inches or desired length to underarm, ending with a WS row.

Shape Armhole
Next row [RS]: knit 6[7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14] sts and place on hold, bind off next 6[8, 10, 10, 12, 12, 14] sts for underarm, work remaining 6[7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14] sts.

Now working only left side of piece, work next WS row.

With RS facing at arm hole edge, work raglan shaping as follows:
Row 1 [RS]: K1, ssk, knit to end of row. 1 st dec.

Row 2 [WS]: Purl.

Row 3 [RS]: Knit.

Row 4 [WS]: Purl.

Work Rows 1-4 a total of 1[2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5] times.
Then work Rows 1-2 only 3[3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] times. 2 sts remain. Bind off.

Place held sts on needle. Rejoin yarn to right side of piece at armhole edge, and work next WS row. With RS facing, work raglan shaping as follows:
Row 1 [RS]: Knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 1 st dec.
Row 2 [WS]: Purl.
Row 3 [RS]: Knit.
Row 4 [WS]: Purl.
Work Rows 1-4 a total of 1[2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5] times.
Then work Rows 1-2 only 3[3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] times. 2 sts remain. Bind off.

Shape Raglan:
Decrease row [RS]: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 2 sts dec.

Repeat Decrease row every other row a total of 22[23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31] times. 24[26, 28, 26, 28, 30, 30] sts.

Bind off.

Front Panel
Work as for Back Panel until piece measures same as Back Panel to start of raglan shaping.

Shape Raglan:
Decrease row [RS]: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 2 sts dec.

Repeat Decrease row every other row a total of 20[21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29] times; AT THE SAME TIME, begin neck shaping after 12[13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20] decrease rows have been worked (when 44[46, 48, 50, 50, 52] sts remain), ending with a WS row.

Shape Neck:
Mark center 12[12, 12, 14, 16, 16, 18] sts.
Next row [RS]: K1, ssk, knit to marker, and joining new ball or yarn, bind off center 12[12, 12, 14, 16, 16, 18] sts, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Working both sides at once, continue working raglan decreases and AT THE SAME TIME, at each next neck edge, bind off 3[4, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3] sts, then bind off 3 sts, then decrease 1 st at every neck edge as needed until 2 sts remain. Bind off.

Right Sleeve
With smaller circular needle, cast on 70[76, 82, 90, 94, 100, 108] sts, pm and join to work in the round. Work in garter st for 14 rounds, switching to larger needle on last round. Work in St st until piece measures 9 inches.
Decrease round: K1, k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, ssk. 2 sts dec.
Repeat Decrease round every 10 rounds a total of 6 times. 58[64, 70, 78, 82, 88, 96] sts.
Work even until piece measures 17[17, 17.5 , 17.5 , 18, 18, 18.5] inches, or desired length to underarm.

Shape Neck:
Continue decreases as established at left edge only (this should be the sweater back seam). AT THE SAME TIME, bind off 4[4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8] sts at beginning of next 2 RS rows. Bind off.

Left Sleeve
Work as for right sleeve until beginning of neck shaping. 12[14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24] sts.
Continue decreases as established at right edge only (this should be the sweater back seam). AT THE SAME TIME, bind off 4[4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8] sts at beginning of next 2 WS rows. Bind off.

FINISHING
Block piece to finished measurements. Sew triangular panels to front and to back. Sew sleeves to sweater body at raglan shaping, taking care at intersection of side panel joins to keep seam as smooth as possible.

Neckband
With yarn of choice, RS facing and smaller circular needle, beginning at back right shoulder seam, pick up and knit 26[28, 30, 28, 30, 28, 28] sts along back neck edge (or about one st for every bound-off st plus one st at each seam), 12[13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22] sts along top of Right Sleeve, 38[40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50] sts along Front, 12[13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22] sts along top of Left Sleeve. Pm and join. Starting with a purl row, work in garter st for 5 rounds.
Bind off.
Weave in ends.

Julia Farwell-Clay knit her first knitty.com pattern 8 years ago (Kate Gilbert's Clapotis, of course), and still wears it often.

You can find her on Ravelry and she blogs here.