by Ann Molvik

Though I have been a knitter since I was 16, I have avoided intarsia like the plague. This year, however, I decided to tackle an argyle sock. As I was knitting the first one and muttering under my breath the whole time, my husband saw it and said, wow, that would make a neat sweater, will you make me one? My immediate answer was a resounding no.

I plugged along on that argyle sock, having to rip and re-start it 3 times. I put it away for a while and swore that I wouldn't make a pair. But being the perfectionist that I am I couldn't said to have a knitting project sitting there unfinished. I started the second sock. This one was a lot easier and by the end I was actually having fun! So I re-visited my husband's idea for a sweater.

He had the whole idea in his head and told me what he wanted: a fitted cardigan with large argyles and a retro flair. He picked out the colors too! So here is his Leisure sweater.

SIZE
S [M, L, XL, XXL]
(shown in size M with 2 inches ease)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 36[40, 44, 48, 52] inches
Length: 25[26.5, 27, 27.5, 28] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Knitpicks Wool of the Andes [100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 110yd per 50g skein]
[MC] Pumpkin 23430; 10[12, 14, 16, 18] skeins
[CC1] Fedora 24277; 2[2, 2, 2, 2] skeins
[CC2] Mist 23438; 2[2, 2, 2, 2]skeins
[CC3] Almond 25072; 1[1, 1, 1, 1] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #7/4.5mm double-point needles
1 set US #6/4mm double-point needles
1 24-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle
1 24-inch US #6/4mm circular needle

Notions
yarn needle
removable stitch markers
smooth waste yarn

GAUGE

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

When placing markers for the shoulder shaping, the marker will be placed in the stitch itself rather than between two stitches. This is because the decreases change direction and the markers would have to be moved as the decreases change direction.

DIRECTIONS
Body
CO 180[200, 220, 240, 260] sts on smaller circular needles. Do not join in round but work back and forth.

Work in garter st for 2 inches.

Change to larger circular needles.

Work in st st for 0.25[0.5, 0.5, 0.75, 1] inches ending with WS row.

Next row [RS]: K 3[4, 4, 5, 5] sts, pm, work Row 1 of Argyle chart, pm, k across 108[126, 146, 164, 184] sts on back, pm, work Row 1 of argyle chart, pm, k 3[4, 4, 5, 5].

Next row [WS]: P 3[4, 4, 5, 5] sts, sm, work Row 2 of Argyle chart, sm, p to next marker, sm, work Row 2 of argyle chart, sm, p 3[4, 4, 5, 5].

Next row [RS]: K 3[4, 4, 5, 5] sts, sm, work next row of Argyle chart, sm, k to next marker, sm, work next row of argyle chart, sm, k 3[4, 4, 5, 5].

Next row [WS]: P 3[4, 4, 5, 5] sts, sm, work next row of Argyle chart, sm, p to next marker, sm, work next row of argyle chart, sm, k 3[4, 4, 5, 5].

Rep last 2 rows until until you have worked all rows of Argyle chart.

Break CC1 yarn.

Switch to CC2 yarn and work Argyle chart between markers until piece measures 16.5[17. 5, 17.5, 18, 18.5] inches from CO edge, ending with a WS row.

Put aside and make sleeves.

Sleeves (make 2)
CO 36[40, 44, 48, 52] sts with smaller dpns. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Pm to mark beg of rnd.

Knit 2 inches in garter stitch (knit and purl alternate rounds).
Switch to larger size dpns.

Rnds 1-5: K all sts.
Rnd 6: K 1, M1, k to last st, M1, k1. 38[42, 46, 50, 54] sts. 2 sts increased.
Rep last 6 rnds 1[2, 4, 7, 11] times. 40[46, 54, 64, 76] sts. 2[4, 8, 14, 22] sts increased.

Next 7 rnds: K all sts.

8th rnd: K 1, M1, k to last st, M1, k1. 42[48, 56, 66, 78] sts. 2 sts increased.
Rep last 8 rnds 9[9, 8, 7, 4] times. 60[66, 72, 80, 86] sts. 18[18, 16, 14, 8] sts increased.

Knit straight until sleeve measures 18[18.5, 19.5, 20, 20.5] inches.

Next rnd: K until 4[4, 5, 5, 5] sts before end of round, put next 8[8, 10, 10, 10] sts on waste yarn to weave together later. Put sleeve aside and knit second sleeve.

Join body and sleeves:
Row 1 [RS]: Continuing to work the next row of the argyle pattern between markers as established, k 41[46, 50, 55, 60] sts, pm in the last st on the front of the body; put next 8[8, 10, 10, 10] stitches on waste yarn to weave together later; k across 52[58, 62, 70, 76] stitches on right sleeve, pm in first st of back; k 82[92, 100, 110, 120] sts across back, pm in last st of back; put next 8[8, 10, 10, 10] sts on waste yarn to weave together later; k across 50[56, 62, 70, 76] sts on left sleeve, pm in first st of left front; k 41[46, 50, 55, 60] sts. 268[300, 324, 360, 392] sts.

Work even for 1[1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 0.5] inches ending with a WS row.
Begin saddle shoulder shaping
Decrease one stitch at each of these four marked points EVERY row, as follows:

Row 1 [RS]: *K to st before first marked st, k2tog, move marker to st just worked, k across sleeve to next marked st, SSK, move marker to st just worked, rep from * once, k to end. 264[296, 320, 356, 388] sts. 4 sts decreased.

Row 2 [WS]: * P to st before first marked st, p2tog, move marker to st just worked, p across sleeve to next marked st, SSP, move marker to st just worked, rep from * once, p to end. 260[292, 316, 352, 384] sts. 4 sts decreased.

Rep last 2 rows 2[3, 4, 6, 6] times. 244[268, 284, 304, 336] sts. 16[24, 32, 48, 48] sts decreased.
74[80, 84, 86, 96] sts rem on back.

Change direction of decreases, as follows:
Row 1 [RS]: *K to first marked st, SSK, move marker to st just worked, k across sleeve to st before marked stitch, k2tog, move marker to st just worked, rep from *, k to end. 240[264, 280, 300, 332] sts. 4 sts decreased.

Row 2 [WS]: *P to first marked st, SSP, move marker to st just worked, p across sleeve to st before marked stitch, p2tog, move marker to st just worked, rep from *, p to end. 236[260, 276, 296, 328] sts. 4 sts decreased.
Rep last 2 rows 8[9, 10, 11, 11] times until 16[18, 18, 22, 28] sleeve sts rem. 172[188, 196, 208, 240] sts. 64[72, 80, 88, 88] sts decreased.

Then reverse direction of decreases again.

Row 1 [RS]: k to 1 st before first marker; *k2tog, k across sleeve to marked st, SSK*; k across back to 1 st before next marked st; rep from * to *; k to end. 168[184, 192, 204, 236] sts. 4 sts decreased.
Row 2 [WS]: purl to 1 st before first marker; *p2tog, p across sleeve to marked st, ssp*; p across back to 1 st before next marked st; rep from * to *; p to end. 164[180, 188, 200, 232]. 4 sts decreased.

Rep these 2 rows 5 times (10 sets of decreases), ending with a WS row. 124[140, 148, 160, 192] sts. 40 sts decreased.

Work saddle shoulders:
Row 1 [RS]: K across front and first sleeve to second marked st, SSK (one st from the saddle and one from body); turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: P to marked st, p2tog (one st from the saddle and one from body); turn work.

Rep these 2 rows 8 times for a total of 16 rows or until saddle is desired breadth, ending with a WS row; turn work so RS is facing and k across back to next saddle.
Row 1 [RS]: K across saddle to second marked st, SSK (one st from the saddle and one from body); turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: P to marked st, p2tog (one st from the saddle and one from body); turn work.

Rep these 2 rows 8 times for a total of 16 rows or until saddle is desired breadth, ending with a WS row; turn work so RS is facing and k across back to next saddle.

Break yarn and rejoin at right hand side of back and work back and forth on back sts ONLY:
Row 1 [RS]: K to last back st, SSK (one st from saddle, one from body); turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: P to last back st, p2tog (one st from saddle, one from body); turn work.
Rep these 2 rows until 8[10, 10, 12, 14] sts remain on each saddle.

Break yarn, leaving stitches on needles for the button band.

Buttonhole band
Row 1 [RS]: Using smaller circular needle and beginning at the bottom of the right front edge, pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows up the right front edge, pm at the top of the right front edge; k around neck, decreasing 1 st at each of the 4 decrease points; pm at the top of the left front edge; pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows down the left front edge.
Row 2 [WS]: K all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K to first marker, M1, sm, M1; k to next marker, M1, sm, M1; k to end.
Row 4 [WS]: K all sts.
Rows 5-8: Rep Rows 2 and 3.
Row 9 [RS]: K to marker at top of left front edge; make 7[7, 8, 8, 8] buttonholes evenly spaced down left front edge.
Rows 10-15: K all sts.
Row 16 [WS]: BO all stitches.

FINISHING
Graft together underarm seams using Kitchener stitch and darn in all ends.
Block to measurements.
Sew buttons to right front edge, opposite buttonholes.

Ann is a home schooling mama to 5 little ones. Her grandma taught her to knit at age 16 but she didn't realize that those squares could be sewn together to make sweaters and so gave it up until her second child was born and she wanted to knit a cute horse that one of her friends had made.

In her free time, she loves to knit, sew, garden and read. Ann lives with her husband, brood, cat and bunny in Southern California.