I’ve begun several sweaters for myself, as I haven’t knit myself a sweater in many years, so it’s past time!
I usually use heavy worsted (aran) or bulky wt. yarns, for a quicker/thicker garment, but for this cable sweater I thought I’d try a dk/worsted wt. yarn, in this case, Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted. At 70 yds to the oz., this yarn is more a DK wt. than a worsted wt.
It’s such a basic drop-shoulder, wide-ish crew neck design, I thought I’d post it here for free in the one size I knit. It shouldn’t be too difficult to extrapolate further sizes - only simple math and percentages are needed.
C = circumference
armhole depth = 25% of C
back neck = 20-30% of C, depending on whether one wants a regular crew neck or a wide one. I used 25%.
front neck = 15-20% of C, for the same reason as back neck. I used 17%.
I used size 8 ndls, when I would normally use a size 6 or 7 with a DK wt. yarn. The resultant fabric is stretchy, and fits my 36” chest very comfortably, and isn’t snug at all.
There are a few sets of photos. I only had 5 skeins to begin with, which was just enough to knit the sweater with short cuffs and neck edging.
I decided I would prefer longer cuffs, for folding up, and almost a mock turtleneck, so I found one more skein, in the same dyelot, on Ravelry. I unzipped the bind offs and lengthened the cuff and neck edging ribs.
But, it turned out that I didn’t like the taller neck ribbing tickling my chin!, so I unzipped the BO again, ripped out the extra rnds, then worked 1 rnd, while dec 9 sts evenly around, then BO, so it would lie flat.
In retrospect, I should have worked the neck opening as a normal crew neck, instead of a wide-ish one, using 20% of C for the back neck, instead of the 25% I used, and 15% for the front neck, instead of the 17% I used, as I have narrow shoulders.
Generally, I prefer v-necks. If you want to work a v-neck on this sweater, I would make sure the sts are arranged so that a 3-st knit panel is center front, so that when the v-neck shaping begins, there would be 1 knit st for the left and right front edges (to facilitate picking up edging sts) and 1 center front knit st to be put on hold, until the v-neck edging is worked.
Size: S-M
Finished Dimensions
chest: 34” (easily stretches to 38”)
length: 20.5”
sleeve length, with cuff flat: 20”
armhole depth: 8.5”
cuff circ.: 6”
cuff depth: 3”
neck width (with rib): 7.25”
neck depth (with rib): 2.5”
neck rib depth: 1.25”
Yarn
Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, approx. 245 yds/100 gr, 5-6 skeins Victorian Pink
The longer cuffs only needed 11 gr. from the 6th skein.
Needles
24-32” US size 7 (4.5 mm) and 8 (5 mm) circular ndls
16” US size 7 and size 8 circular ndls
Size 7 double pointed ndls
tapestry ndl
stitch marker
cable ndl (optional)
Gauge
18 sts and 26 rows = 4” in St st, and 2 reps of cable patt (18 sts) = 3.5”,with US size 8 (5 mm) ndls or size to give gauge.
Substitute Yarn Weight: DK to worsted
Stitch Pattern (9-st rep)
Rnd 1: (K3, p1, k4, p1) around.
Rnd 2: (K3, p1, 2/2 RC, p1) around. Rnds 3-6: Rep rnd 1.
Rep 6 rnds for patt.
Abbreviations
ssk = slip 2 sts, separately, knit-wise, then knit them together from this position, OR slip the first st as if to purl, then slip the 2nd st as if to knit, then knit them together from this position.
p2tog = purl 2 sts together. This dec, when worked on WS rows, exactly mirrors a ssk, worked on RS rows.
p2togb = purl 2 sts together through their back loops, by inserting the right-hand ndl into the back of the 2nd st, then into the back of the 1st st on the left-hand ndl, then purl them together from this position.
This dec is a little fiddly and is often worked on WS rows, as it exactly mirrors a k2tog, worked on the RS.
2/2RC = 2 over 2 right cable (sometimes called a cross). Put 2 sts onto cable ndl and hold in back, k2, then knit 2 sts from cable ndl.
OR
Pinch off 4 sts, hold 2 sts in front, while replacing rem 2 sts onto the LH ndl, then return the 2 held sts to the LH ndl and knit them in their new positions.
I never use a cable ndl when crossing small cables, like 2/2RC or 2/2LC, but use whichever method works for you!
Notes
The sweater is knit in the rnd, from the lower edge to the underarms, then the sts are divided in half, and the back and fronts worked flat, separately.
After seaming the shoulders, the sleeve sts are picked up around the armhole and worked in the rnd. The neck ribbing is picked up and worked in the rnd.
The lengths of the lower rib, as well as cuff and neck ribs are totally up to you. I prefer a shorter lower rib, but longer cuff ribs.
Lower Ribbing
With longer size 7 ndls, long tail CO 184 sts.
Work 11 rnds k1, p1 rib = approx. 1.75”, or work to desired rib depth.
Inc Rnd: With longer size 8 ndls (k3, p1, k1, m1, k2, p1) around = 207 sts.
Rnd 2 (Setup Rnd): (K3, p1, k4, p1) around.
Rnd 3: (K3, p1, 2/2 RC, p1) around.
Rnds 4-8: (K3, p1, k4, p1) around.
Rnd 9: (K3, p1, 2/2 RC, p1) around.
Rep last 6 rnds (rnds 4-9) 9x more = approx. 11.5” from CO edge.
Back
On next rnd, patt 103 sts. Place rem 104 sts onto waste yarn or a spare ndl.
Work back and forth for 56 more rows = approx. 8.5” from underarm, end after finishing a WS row. (There are 9 cable rows worked plus 3 *even* rnds.)
BO while dec 1 st at center of each cable crossing (to keep edge from flaring). Use k2tog or ssk on the center 2 cable sts. I prefer how the ssk dec looks, but the choice is yours.
Front
Place the 104 held sts onto the working ndl, and with RS facing, continue the patt across.
Work back and forth for 38 more rows = approx. 5.25” from underarm, end after finishing a WS row. (There are 6 cable rows worked plus 3 *even* rnds.)
Right Front Neck Shaping
Row 1 (RS): On next RS row, patt 34 left front sts, BO next 36 center front sts. At this point, 34 right front sts rem.
The st rem on the RH ndl, from the last BO st, stays in St st, then ssk, patt rem of row = 33 sts rem.
The left front sts can rem on the longer working ndl or place them onto a holder, waste yarn, or spare ndl, if you find them to be in the way.
Row 2 (WS): Patt to last 3 sts, p2togb, p1 = 32 sts rem.
Row 3 (RS): K1, ssk, patt rem of row = 31 sts rem.
Row 4 (WS): Patt across.
Row 5 (RS): K1, ssk, patt rem of row = 30 sts rem.
Rows 6-13: Rep last 2 rows = 26 sts rem.
Patt even for 5 more rows.
BO while dec 1 st at center of each cable.
Left Front Neck Shaping
Row 2 (WS): With WS facing, join yarn, p1, p2tog, patt across = 33 sts rem..
Row 3 (RS): Patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 = 32 sts rem.
Row 4 (WS): P1, p2tog, patt across = 31 sts rem.
Row 5 (RS): K1, ssk, patt rem of row = 30 sts rem.
Row 6 (WS): Patt across.
Rows 7-14: Rep last 2 rows = 26 sts rem.
Patt even for 4 more rows.
BO while dec 1 st at center of each cable.
Seam shoulders together.
Sleeves
With shorter size 8 ndls, beg at center underarm, pick up and knit 112 sts around armhole, place marker. The first st of every rnd remains in knit as the center underarm st.
Setup Rnd: K4 (p1, k4, p1, k3) around.
Rnd 2: K2, ssk (p1, 2/2RC, p1, k3) around to last 9 sts, p1, 2/2RC, p1, k1, k2tog = 110 sts.
Rnds 3-5: K3 (p1, k4, p1, k3) around to last 8 sts, p1, k4, p1, k2.
Rnd 6: K1, ssk (p1, k4, p1, k3) around to last 8 sts, p1, k4, p1, k2tog = 108 sts.
Rnd 7: K2 (p1, k4, p1, k3) around to last 7 sts, p1, k4, p1, k1.
Rnd 8: K2 (p1, 2/2RC, p1, k3) around to last 7 sts, p1, 2/2RC, p1, k1.
Continue around, dec 2 sts at underarm on every 4th rnd and crossing the cables on every 6th rnd, until 56 sts rem and sleeve is 17” long, changing to size 8 dpns, when the # of sts dictate.
18 sts will be decreased before working the 3” long ribbing, so if you desire the body of the sleeve to be longer, you can continue to work around in established cable and dec pattern.
Cuff Setup Rnd: With size 7 dpns, p1, k2tog, p2tog (k1, p2tog, k1, p1, k2tog, p2tog) 5x, end k1, p2tog, k1, p1, k2tog, then p2tog using last st and first st of rnd = 38 sts rem.
Work p1, k1 rib around for either 11 rnds = approx. 1.75, or 20 rnds = approx. 3”. BO loosely in rib.
Neck Rib
With 16” size 7 ndls, beg at right shoulder, pick up and knit 1 st at shoulder, 41 sts across back neck, 1 st at left shoulder, 16 sts along left neck edge, 33 sts across front neck, 16 sts along right neck edge = 108 sts.
Work k1, p1 rib for 7 rnds = 1”, or for desired length. On next rnd, dec 9 sts evenly around, as follows: *(k1, p1) 5x, k2tog; rep from *8x more = 99 sts rem.
BO in rib.
Happy Knitting!
Dawn
