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IntermediateFree Sweater Knitting Pattern
Sizes: S (M, L, XL, 2X, 3X)
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 34 [38, 42, 46, 50, 54] inches (86 [96, 106, 117, 127, 137] cm)
Finished Length: 23 [24, 25, 26, 26, 26] inches (58 [60, 63, 65, 65, 65] cm)
Materials: Noro (affiliate link) Silk Garden aran weight yarn (45% Mohair, 45% Silk, 10% Wool), 110 yards (101 meters) /50 grams, color #358 – 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) balls (A)
Noro (affiliate link) Retro aran weight yarn, (64% Wool, 24% Silk, 12% Angora), 110 yards (101 meters)/ 50 grams, color #12 Royal Blue – 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) balls (B)
Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) straight and long circular
Cable needle
Gauge for stockinette st:
17 sts x 28 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)
Abbreviations:
k knit
p – purl
C8F – cable 8 front: slip 4 sts to a cable needle and hold in front, k 4 from left needle, k 4 from cable needle.
Pattern Notes:
2-Color Cable on 8 sts
Cast on 16 st. (please note that the cable is on 8 sts; the additional 6 sts have been added here for convenience. When knitting the sweater, there will be a different amount of sts on both sides of the cable depending on the sweater size)
Rows 1, 3 and 5: Yarn A k 3, p 1, k 4, yarn B k 4, p 1, k 3. (when changing to the second color, twist the strands on the wrong side)
Rows: 2, 4 and 6: yarn B p 3, k 1, p 4, yarn A p 4, k 1, p 3.
Row 7: yarn A k 3, p 1, C8F: slip 4 st in yarn A to a cable needle and hold in front, knit 4 sts from left needle in yarn B, knit 4 st from a cable needle in yarn A, (p 1, k 3) in yarn B.
Row 8: yarn B p 3, k 1, yarn A p 4, yarn B p 4, yarn A k 1, p 3.
Rows 9, 11 and 13: yarn A k 3, p 1, yarn B k 4, yarn A k 4, yarn B p 1, k 3.
Rows: 10, 12 and 14: yarn B p 3, k 1, yarn A p 4, yarn B p 4, yarn A k 1, p 3.
Row 15: yarn A k 3, p 1, C8F: slip 4 st in yarn B to a cable needle and hold in front, knit 4 sts from left needle in yarn A, knit 4 st from a cable needle in yarn B, (p 1, k 3) in yarn B.
Row 16: yarn B p 3, k 1, p 4, yarn A p 4, k 1, p 3.
Repeat rows 1-16.
Sweater
The sweater is knitted in 2 colors of yarn: light and dark with a 2-color cable down the center of the front and the back, and down each shoulder and sleeve. The sweater is worked mostly sideways from 2 balls of yarn with only sleeve seams. The center parts of back and front are worked first from the bottom up. Then the stitches are picked up alongside the central parts of the back and front and the side parts worked sideways to the armhole. Then the stitches are divided for the armhole sts and side sts. The side sts are then worked separately for the front and for the back and are bound off using the 3-needle bind off technique. Then the armhole sts (including the stitches picked up at the underarm) are worked for the sleeve. Ribs at the neck and around the bottom are knitted to finish the sweater.
Center Back
Cast on 26 (26, 28, 28, 30, 30) sts, half of the sts in yarn A and another half in yarn B.
Work as follows: in yarn A - k 8 (8, 9, 9, 10, 10), p 1, k 4, yarn B - k 4, p 1, k 8 (8, 9, 9, 10, 10). Work 2-color cable pattern for 156 (162, 168, 172, 174, 178) rows. Transfer all the sts to a length of yarn.
Center Front
Cast on 26 (26, 28, 28, 30, 30) sts, half of the sts in yarn A and another half in yarn B.
Work as follows: in yarn A - k 8 (8, 9, 9, 10, 10), p 1, k 4, yarn B - k 4, p 1, k 8 (8, 9, 9, 10, 10). Work 2-color cable pattern for 140 (156, 164, 170, 174, 180) rows.
Neck Shaping
Next row: in yarn A, work 6 sts, transfer the rest of the sts to an auxiliary circular needle up to the last 6 sts; continue to work the right side in yarn A and the left side in yarn B. Work stockinette st for 12 rows, to shape the neckline, transfer 1 st at the beginning of the yarn A row to the auxiliary circular needle, and 1 st at the end of the yarn B row (instead of the decreases, to leave the stitches “live”, they are just transferred to an auxiliary needle). Transfer the last st on both sides to an auxiliary needle.
Sides of Back and Front
The sides of the sweater (both back and front) are worked sideways simultaneously, from 2 balls of yarn, with the 2-color cable in the middle of the shoulder.
Right Side Panel
Starting from the bottom of the center back panel, with yarn A, pick up and knit 95 (98, 101, 104, 105, 107) sts along the right side of the back central panel, cast on 11 sts with the single cast on, place marker after the 9th cast on st (that will be the middle of the shoulder and the center of the 2-color cable), with yarn B pick up and knit 96 (105, 110, 114, 116, 120) sts along the right side of the front central panel. Place another marker after 39 (48, 52, 55, 58, 63). This is where the decreases for a dart will be made.
Work 6 rows of reverse stockinette st (the pick-up and knit row counted as the 1st row). In the second row work yarn B to the marker of the center of the shoulder in reverse stockinette st (knit), except for last 4 sts before the marker, you should purl them, as these st are for the 2-color cable. Move the marker, change to yarn A, purl 4 st, knit to the end of the row. Continue to work 2-color cable in the next rows as established.
Work 28 (33, 38, 45, 50, 54) rows of stockinette st.
AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st in every 8th row 0 (4, 1, 2, 0, 0) times, decrease by 1 st every 6th row 0 (3, 8, 8, 11, 10) times, decrease by 1 st every 4th row 0 (0, 0, 1, 4) times at the dart marker. (No dart decreases for size S).
AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st on both sides of the 2-color cable by working k2tog 6th and 7th stitches before and after marker (stitches next to purl st on the right side), in rows 15 and 25.
Divide stitches for sleeve and body stitches.
Next right side row, work 59 (60, 61, 62, 62, 61) sts, place marker. Continue to work as established to 59 (60, 61, 62, 62, 61) from the end of the row, place marker, continue to the end of the row. The markers divide body and sleeve stitches for the back and front. Turn. Work to the marker. Turn. Work total 10 rows of stockinette st. Transfer all the stitches to an auxiliary circular needle. Work 10 rows of stockinette st on the body stitches of the back.
Sleeve
The sleeve continues from the side of the sweater from 2 balls of yarn with 2-color cable at the center of the sleeve.
With yarn A pick up 6 (7, 8, 8, 9, 10) stitches at the back part of the underarm, work sleeve stitches as established, pick up 6 (7, 8, 8, 9, 10) stitches at the front part of the underarm. Continue to work sleeve stitches as established for 124 (126, 128, 128, 128, 128) rows or to desired length.
AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st at the beginning and at the end of the row in every 6th row 20 (17, 18, 16, 16, 12) times and decrease by 1 st at the beginning and at the end of the row in every 4th row 1 (6, 5, 8, 8, 14) times.
Last row before rib, work *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to the end of the row.
Work rib 1 x 1 for 10 rows. Bind off.
Left Side Panel
Starting from the bottom of the center front panel, with yarn A, pick up and knit 96 (105, 110, 114, 116, 120) sts along the left side of the front central panel, place marker after 61st (61, 62, 63, 62, 61) stitch (this is where the decreases for a dart will be made), with yarn B cast on 11 sts with single cast on, place marker after the 2nd cast on st (this will be the middle of the shoulder and the center of the 2-color cable), pick up and knit 95 (98, 101, 104, 105, 107) sts along the left side of the back central panel.
Work 6 rows of reverse stockinette st (the pick-up and knit row counted as the 1st row). In the second row work yarn B to the marker of the center of the shoulder in reverse stockinette st (knit), except for last 4 sts before marker, you should purl them, as these stitches are for the 2-color cable. Move the marker, change to yarn A, purl 4 st, knit to the end of the row. Continue to work 2-color cable in the next rows as established.
Work 28 (33, 38, 45, 50, 54) rows of stockinette st.
AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st in every 8th row 0 (4, 1, 2, 0, 0) times, decrease by 1 st every 6th row 0 (3, 8, 8, 11, 10) times, decrease by 1 st every 4th row 0 (0, 0, 1, 4) times at the dart marker. (No dart decreases for size S).
AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st on both sides of the 2-color cable by working k2tog 6th and 7th stitches before and after marker (stitches next to purl st on the right side), in rows 15 and 25.
Divide stitches for sleeve and body stitches.
Next right side row, work 59 (60, 61, 62, 62, 61) sts, place marker. Continue to work as established to 59 (60, 61, 62, 62, 61) from the end of the row, place marker, continue to the end of the row. The markers divide body and sleeve stitches for the back and front. Turn. Work to the marker. Turn. Work total 10 rows of stockinette st. Transfer all the stitches to an auxiliary circular st. Work 10 rows of stockinette st on the body stitches of the back.
Sleeve
Work as the first sleeve.
Finishing
Block the sweater.
Place front and back side part right side to right side and bind off stitches using 3-needle bind off method. Repeat for the other side.
With yarn B pick up and knit stitches along the neck line and work rib 1 x 1 for 10 rows. Bind off.
With yarn B pick up and knit stitches along the bottom of the sweater and work rib 1 x 1 for 10 rows. Bind off.
Sew the sleeve seams.
Enjoy!
