  by
Kristi Porter
After nearly 15 years together,
I wanted to knit my man a sweater that he would actually
wear.
Looking over patterns, ready-made
sweaters and yarns with him ended up sounding like
a reading of the Berenstain's Old Hat, New Hat.
"Too red, too dotty, too blue, too spotty, too
fancy, too frilly, too shiny, too silly." He
wanted subtle. Well fitted. Not bulky. Not itchy.
No riotous colorwork (okay, not even a stripe). No
ornate cables. Preferably taupe. Taupe? Still, I wanted
to do it, and do it right.
So what pushes this sweater from
simple to well-styled classic that he'll wear? And
wear for years? For starters, attention to detail.
A set-in sleeve flatters his shoulders. Ribs give
just enough form-following fit. Decreases worked a
few stitches in from the edge to create a smooth transition
between sleeve and body. And a yarn that the knitter
and wearer will love.
Admittedly a splurge, Horstia's
Maulbeerseide is half silk and half wool. It has a
lovely drape and elasticity without ANY itch. It's
comfortably warm, but perfect for the office or dinner
with the folks. And it comes in oodles of colors,
including several that qualify as taupe.
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model: Leo
Bleicher
photos: Kristi
Porter
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S[M, L, XL, XXL]
To fit chest: 34-36 [38-40, 42-44, 46-48, 50-52] inches
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Chest: 40[44, 48, 52, 56] inches
Length: 25[26, 27, 27.5, 28] inches
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Horstia Maulbeerseide Schurwolle [50% silk, 50% wool;
111yd/100m per 50g skein]; color: #19; 14[15, 17,
19, 21] skeins
1 US #3/3.25 mm 16-inch circular needle
1 24 inch or longer US #3/3.25 mm circular needle
or set of straight needles
1 24 inch or longer US #4/3.5 mm circular needle or
set of straight needles
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24 sts/32 rows = 4" in stockinette
stitch on larger needles
26 sts/32 rows = 4" in 5x3 rib on larger needles
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abbreviations can be found here]
When working armhole or sleeve
cap shaping, work dec rows as follows:
RS dec rows: K3,
w2tog tbl, work in patt as set to last 5 sts,
w2tog, k3.
WS dec rows: P3, w2tog, work in patt
as set to last 5 sts, w2tog tbl, p3.
W2tog: Work 2 together in
pattern. If the next st is a k st, then k2tog. If
it is a p st, p2tog.
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 Back
CO 129(145, 153, 169, 177] sts with US #3 needles.
Row 1 [RS]: K3, [p3, k5] to last 6 sts, p3,
k3.
Row 2 [WS]: P3, [k3, p5] to last 6 sts, k3,
p3.
These 2 rows set 5x3 rib.
Work in rib as set for 1 inch, then switch to US
#4 needles.
Cont in rib as set until work measures 16[16.5,
17, 17, 17] inches.
Armhole Shaping
BO 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows, then 2 sts at beg
of foll 2 rows.
113[129, 137, 153, 161] sts
Working dec rows as
per Shaping Note above, dec 1 st at each end of
next 1[4, 6, 7, 9] rows.
111[121, 125, 139, 143] sts
Cont in rib patt until
piece meas 9[9.5, 10, 10.5, 11] inches from beg
of armhole shaping, ending with a RS row.
Next row
[WS]: Work across 31[34, 35, 39, 40] sts, BO center
49[53, 55, 61, 63] sts, work across rem 31[34, 35,
39, 40] sts.
Shape shoulders and back
neck
Right shoulder:
Row 1 [RS]: BO 6[7, 7, 8, 8] sts, work to
last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Rows 2 and 4 [WS]: P3, p2tog, work to end.
Row 3 [RS]: BO 6[7, 7, 8, 9] sts, work to
last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 5 [RS]: BO 7[7, 8, 9, 9] sts, work to
last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 6 [WS]: Work even in patt as set.
Row 7: BO rem 7[8, 8, 9, 9] sts in patt.
Reattach yarn and work left
shoulder to match right shoulder, reversing all
shaping, using k2tog tbl and p2tog tbl decreases
in place of k2tog and p2tog.
Front
CO 129(145, 153, 169,
177] sts with US #3 needles.
Row 1 [RS]: K3, [p3,
k5] to last 6 sts, p3, k3.
Row 2 [WS]: P3, [k3,
p5] to last 6 sts, k3, p3.
These 2 rows set 5x3
rib.
Work in rib as set
for 1 inch, then switch to US #4 needles.
Cont in rib as set
until work meas 16[16.5, 17, 17, 17] inches.
Armhole Shaping
BO 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows, then 2 sts at beg
of foll 2 rows. 113[129, 137, 153, 161] sts
Working dec rows as per Shaping Note above, dec
1 st at each end of next 1[4, 6, 7, 9] rows. 111[121,
125, 139, 143] sts
Cont in rib patt until piece
measures 6[6.5, 6.5, 6.5, 7]
inches from beg of armhole shaping, ending with
a RS row.
Neck shaping
Next Row [WS]: Work across 46[51, 52, 59,
60] sts, BO center 19[19, 21, 21, 23] sts, work
rem 46[51, 52, 59, 60] sts
Right side
Next Row [RS]: Work in patt as set to last
5 sts, k2 tog, k3.
Next Row [WS]: P3, p2tog, work in patt as
set to end.
Work these 2 rows 9[10, 10, 11, 11] times more,
then work first row 0[0, 0, 1, 1] time more. 26[29,
30, 34, 45] sts
Work even until piece measures 9[9.5, 10, 10.5,
11] inches from beg of armhole shaping, ending with
a WS row.
Next row [RS]: BO 6[7, 7, 8, 8] sts, work
to end.
Next and all foll WS rows: Work even in patt
as set.
Next row [RS]: BO 6[7, 7, 8, 9] sts, work
to end.
Next row [RS]: BO 7[7, 8, 9, 9] sts, work
to end.
Next row [RS]:
BO rem 7[8, 8, 9, 9] sts in patt.
Reattach yarn and
work left neck and shoulder to match right neck
and shoulder, reversing all shaping, using k2tog
tbl and p2tog tbl decs in place of k2tog and p2tog.
Sleeves
(make 2 the same)
CO 61[69, 69, 77,
85] sts with US #3 needles.
Row 1 [RS]: [K5, p3]
to last 5 sts, k5.
Row 2 [WS]: [P5, k3]
to last 5 sts, p5.
These 2 rows set 5x3
rib.
Work in rib as set
for 1 inch, then switch to US #4 needles.
Maintining patt as
set and working inc sts into patt, inc 1 st at each
end every 8 rows 9[5, 0, 0, 0] times, then
every 6 rows 10[16, 20, 22, 20] times, then
every 4 rows 0[0, 6, 5, 8] times. 99[111, 121, 131,
141] sts on needle.
Work even until sleeve
meas 18[18, 19, 20, 20] inches.
Sleeve cap shaping
BO 6 sts at beg of
next 2 rows, then 2 sts at beg of foll 2 rows. 83[95,
105, 115, 125] sts
Working dec rows as
per Shaping Note above, dec 1 st at each end of
next 1[4, 6, 7, 9] rows. 81[87, 93, 101, 107] sts
Dec 1 st at each end
of every alt row 23[22, 20, 20, 20] times. 35[43,
53, 61, 67] sts
Dec 1 st at each end
of next 0[2, 7, 9, 12] rows. 35[39, 39, 43, 43]
sts
BO 4 sts at beg of
next and foll 3 rows.
BO rem 19[23, 23, 27, 27] sts.
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Sew shoulder seams.
Pin sleeve cap to armhole, beginning by aligning center
of sleeve cap with edge of shoulder seam, and beg
point of sleeve cap shaping with beg point of armhole
shaping. Ease in fabric between to fit.
Sew sleeve cap to armhole.
Sew sleeve and side seams.
Weave in ends.
Neck edging
Using 16-inch US#3 circular needle, with RS facing
and beg at left shoulder seam, pick up and k an even
number of sts around neckline. (Guideline for picking
up sts: pick up each stitch on straight BO sections
of front and back neck, and 6 sts per inch around
contoured sections.)
Work in k1, p1 rib for 1 inch, then work in St st
for 1 inch.
Using US #4 needle, BO all sts loosely.
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 Kristi
is pleased to have finished knitting this sweater
and hopes to borrow it on occasion.
She makes her home with her husband and two daughters
in San Diego, California.
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| Pattern & images
© 2004 Kristi Porter. Contact Kristi |
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