I have a hard time believing that I've been doing this knit design thing for nearly a decade. And would I be doing it at all, had I not been inspired and awed by what bloggers - my friends - had done for those first issues of Knitty? My first original design was published in Knitty's third issue ever, and I haven't looked back.Â
To celebrate Knitty's birthday, I wanted to take a new look at a favorite design. Mr. Bluejeans is a modern reworking of Mr. Greenjeans. It uses much of the same shaping and styling, and the same cable motifs. Like Greenjeans, Bluejeans is a top-down raglan; after all these years, still my favorite approach for knitting garments. And like Greenjeans, Bluejeans is designed to fit and flatter all your awesome curves.
While Greenjeans is, in many ways, the perfect first sweater, Bluejeans is a slightly more 'grown-up' version. However, it's still accessible to newer knitters. Using short row shaping to create the gently curved, sideways-knit cable feature is a fun and easy way to take your knitting in a different direction.
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 1 set(s) US #8/5mm double-point needles 1 US #8/5mm circular needle, 32 inches or longer
Notions 4 stitch markers cable needle (optional) waste yarn for holding stitches and working provisional cast on yarn needle
GAUGE
18 sts/24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch using US #8/5mm needles
18 sts/24 rows = 4 inches in Rib and Cable Pattern using US #8/5mm needles, after blocking
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
Instructions for the Backward Loop Cast On can be found here.
C4F (Cable 4 Front): Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work, k2, k2 from cable needle. Note: C4F may also be worked without a cable needle, as follows:
With your right needle held behind your knitting, insert from right to left through the third and fourth stitches from the end of your left needle. Slide all 4 stitches off the left needle, and, with your left needle held in front of your knitting, replace the two loose stitches onto your left needle. Next, slip the 2 stitches back from your right to the left needle. K all 4 stitches in the order in which they now appear on your left needle.
Rib and Cable Edging Pattern: Row 1 [RS]: [K4, p2] to last st before gap, k2tog tbl to join last st with first st from side of work.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1 with yarn in front, [k2, p4] to end.
Row 3 [RS]: [K4, p2, C4F, p2] to last st before gap, k2tog tbl to join last st with first st from side of work.
Row 4 [WS]: Rep Row 2.
Row 5 [RS]: Rep Row 1.
Row 6 [WS]: Rep Row 2.
Row 7 [RS]: P6, [C4F, p2, k4, p2] to last 7 sts before gap, C4F, p2, k2tog tbl to join last st with first st from side of work.
Row 8 [WS]: Sl 1 wyif, [k2, p4] to last 6 sts, k6.
Row 9 [RS]: P6, [k4, p2] to last st before gap, k2tog tbl to join last st with first st from side of work.
Row 10 [WS]: Rep Row 8.
Row 11 [RS]: As for Row 7.
Row 12 [WS]: Rep Row 8.
Repeat Rows 1-12 for Rib and Cable Edge Pattern.
Rib and Cable Sleeve Pattern (Worked in the round over a multiple of 12 sts): Rnds 1-2: [K4, p2] to end. Rnd 3: [K4, p2, C4F, p2] to end. Rnd 4: [K4, p2] to end.
Repeat Rounds 1-4 for Rib and Cable Pattern.
2x2 Rib (Worked back and forth over a multiple of 4 sts + 2 sts): Row 1 [RS]: K2, [p2, k2] to end. Row 2 [WS]: P2, [k2, p2] to end.
Repeat these 2 rows for 2x2 Rib.
2x2 Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 4 sts): Rnd 1 [RS]: [k2, p2] to end.
Repeat this round for 2x2 Rib.
Working Wraps Together with Wrapped Stitches: When working a RS row: Work to wrapped stitch. Slip next stitch from left needle to right needle, use tip of left needle to pick up "wrap" and place it on right needle, insert left needle into both wrap and stitch, and knit them together. When working a WS row: Work to wrapped stitch. Slip next stitch from left needle to right needle, use tip of left needle to pick up "wrap" and place it on right needle, slip both wrap and stitch back to left needle, purl together through back loops.
All Sizes:
Work 4 rows stockinette, without increasing.
Next row [RS]: Kfb, k to last st, kfb. 222[252, 276, 288, 310, 342, 366] sts. 2 sts increased.
Next row [WS]: P all sts.
Divide body and sleeve stitches: Dividing row [RS]: K to first marker, remove marker, sl next 48[56, 60, 62, 66, 74, 78] sts (all sts to next marker) to waste yarn or st holder, remove marker, CO 8 sts using backward loop method, k to next marker, remove marker, sl next 48[56, 60, 62, 66, 74, 78] sts (all sts to next marker) to waste yarn or st holder, remove marker, CO 8 sts using backward loop method, k to end. 142[156, 172, 180, 194, 210, 226] sts.
Next row [WS]: P all sts. Next row [RS]: Kfb, k to last st, kfb. 144[158, 174, 182, 196, 212, 228] sts. 2 sts increased.
Work 3 rows in st st.
Repeat last 4 rows 4[4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5] times more. 152[166, 182, 192, 206, 222, 238] sts. 8[8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10] sts increased.
You’ll now begin to work the short-row section that creates the curve along the lower edge.
Row 1 [RS]: Work to 3 sts before end, w&t. Row 2 [WS]: Work to 3 sts before end, w&t. Row 3 [RS]: Work to 3 sts before wrapped st, w&t. Row 4 [WS]: Work to 3 sts before wrapped st, w&t.
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 7[6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 9] times more.
Row 5 [RS]: Work to 5 sts before wrapped st, w&t. Row 6 [WS]: Work to 5 sts before wrapped st, w&t. Row 7 [RS]: Work to 6 sts before wrapped st, w&t. Row 8 [WS]: Work to 6 sts before wrapped st, w&t.
Sizes 2X and 3X only:
Repeat Rows 7 and 8 once more.
Sizes S, M, L, 1X, 2X and 3X only: Row 9 [RS]: Work to 8 sts before wrapped st, w&t.
Row 10 [WS]: Work to 8 sts before wrapped st, w&t.
Continue for all sizes: Row 11 [RS]: K across to end of row, working wraps together with wrapped sts (see notes above). Turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Working wraps together with wrapped sts, P 38[42, 45, 48, 51, 55, 58], (p 9[10, 8, 8, 7, 8, 7] p2tog) 6[6, 8, 8, 10, 10, 12] times, p across remaining sts, working wraps together with wrapped sts.
146[160, 174, 184, 196, 212, 226] sts remain. You’ll now begin to work the lower rib and cable edging from side to side.
Do not turn work.Â
To use the crochet-chain provisional cast on:
Set sweater aside. Using waste yarn and a crochet hook, loosely ch approximately 60 sts. With WS of sweater facing and using working yarn, pick up and knit 1 st into each loop of the crochet chain until you have 54 new sts.Â
Row 1 [RS]: Work Row 1 of Rib and Cable Edging Pattern across cast on sts.
Row 2 [WS]: Work Row 2 of Rib and Cable Edging Pattern across all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: Work Row 3 of Rib and Cable Edging Pattern across all sts.
Row 4 [WS]: Work Row 4 of Rib and Cable Edging Pattern across all sts.
Rep last 4 rows until all body sts have been joined, ending with a RS row. Do not turn.
Continue along the right front edge, picking up and knitting 2 sts for every 3 rows, then 1 st for every cast on st along top of sleeves and back neck, then 2 sts for every 3 rows down left front edge. Unzip provisional cast on sts and knit across.
Work in 2x2 rib, beginning with a WS row, adjusting sts as necessary to obtain a multiple of 4 + 2.
Continue for 7 more rows of 2x2 rib. BO all sts in pattern.
Sleeves (work 2 the same)
Using a larger double-pointed needle, pick up and k 1 st in each cast-on st at one underarm, placing a marker in the center of these sts to indicate beginning of round; pick up and k 1 st in the space between the CO sts and the held sts; place all held sts of this sleeve on double-point needles, then k these sts; pick up and k 1 st in the remaining space between the sts just worked and the underarm sts. 58[66, 70, 72, 76, 84, 88] sts.
Join to work in the round.
Work in st st until sleeve measures 5 inches from underarm.
Decrease rnd: K3, k2tog, k to last 5 sts, ssk, k3. 56[64, 68, 70, 74, 82, 86] sts. 2 sts decreased.
K 7 rnds.
Repeat these 8 rnds 3[3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 5] times more. 50[58, 60, 62, 68, 74, 76] sts. 6[6, 8, 8, 6, 8, 10] sts decreased.
Continue in st st until work measures 13.5[14, 14, 14.5, 14.5, 15, 15] inches from underarm, or 5.5 inches less than desired sleeve length.
Next rnd: K around dec 2[inc 2,--,dec 2, inc 4, dec 2, dec 4] sts evenly. 48[60, 60, 60, 72, 72, 72] sts.
Cuff
Starting with Rnd 1, work 25 rounds of Rib and Cable Sleeve Pattern, ending with Rnd 1.
Work 8 rounds of 2X2 rib.
Loosely BO all sts in pattern.
FINISHING
Weave in ends.
Steam or wet block, blocking cable/rib portions so that they lay flat.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Amy Swenson is a knitting and crochet designer and software engineer living in Toronto, Canada. She has been writing about knitting since 2002 at indigirl.com. Her patterns have appeared in Interweave Knits and numerous books including Knit Red, Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book, Stitch 'n Bitch Nation, Big Girl Knits and More Big Girl Knits. She has also authored 3 books and sells patterns online and in yarn shops.
Amy’s flattering garment designs are characterized by seamless and unique construction methods. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect yarn for each design.
When she's not knitting, Amy can be found playing with her two chocolate labs at the dog park and watching as much baseball as she can manage. Her work can also be found on Ravelry.
