INTRODUCTION

Sock Knitter's Pullover

by Merri Fromm

I'm not living a zero-waste lifestyle—yet. But I'm determined to use what I have, giving birth to this striped turtleneck design. The garment uses leftovers—the old bits and pieces that remain in your stash after you've knit socks or any fingering weight project–to create something brand new. Think of this as a recipe as much as a pattern.

If you don't have enough spare sock yarn, try texting your friends for some–nearly everyone who's made a pair of socks has some remnants. When you've gathered all you can find, you can sort and order the fiber any way you choose—analogous colors, or clashing, it will look just great. The yarn doesn't need to match in fiber content or ply either, just close in gauge as this sweater is all about using what there is. Just get out your scale and weigh the scraps. If you have lots of small amounts, allow for a bit more as you'll have more ends to weave in.

This pullover is knit seamlessly from the top down, sleeves are put on hold while the body is completed, then the sleeves are worked. The collar is picked up from the cast on and worked.

model: Tamara Nelson-Fromm

photos: Merri Fromm

SIZE

Women's XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X]
shown in size L with 5 inches/13 cm of ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest/Bust:  34.75[39.75, 43.25, 48, 52.25, 57, 60.5, 64.75, 69.5, 73.75] inches/ 88.5[101, 110, 122, 132.5, 145, 153.5, 164.5, 176.5, 187.5] cm
Length:  19[20, 20.25, 22, 22, 22.75, 23.75, 24.5, 24.5, 25] inches/ 48.5[51, 51.5, 56, 56, 58, 60.5, 62, 62, 63.5] cm

MATERIALS

Yarn
Sock and/or Fingering weight yarn; 225[270, 300, 350, 380, 425, 475, 525, 560, 600] total grams of fingering weight yarn needed.

Yarn Characteristics:
The sample shown uses various fingering-weight sock yarn, most of them two-ply. The yarns happened to all be superwash, though that attribute is not necessary.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #3/3.0 circular needle, 16 inches/40 cm long
1 US #3/3.0 circular needle, 32 to 40 inches/80 to 100 cm long
1 US #4/3.5mm circular needle, 16 inches/40 cm long
1 US #4/3.5mm circular needle, 32 to 40 inches/80 to 100 cm long
1 set US #4/3.5mm double pointed needles for working small circumferences in the round

Notions
5 stitch markers, with 1 unique marker
stitch holders or waste yarn
yarn needle

GAUGE

23 sts/36 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch

Note: gauge is always taken after blocking

PATTERN NOTES

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

Design notes: Try not to plan your striping too much. In the sample, my first stripe after the yoke is a lovely tan yarn. There was enough for exactly 30 rows. I decided to let that set the tone for the stripes to be 30 rows each, but stripes of different widths would look great too. I worked the bright red in the final 2 rounds before the Rib pattern of the hem and sleeve cuffs and 1 round and the BO of the collar—mostly just to use it up.

Rib Pattern (multiple of 4 sts)
Rnd 1: *K2, p2; repeat from * to end.
Rep Rnd 1 for patt.

DIRECTIONS

Yoke
Using first color and larger 16-inch circular needle needle, CO 72[96, 112, 124, 132, 140, 156, 172, 184, 200] sts. Place unique marker for BOR and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Set-up Rnd: K 15[21, 25, 27, 28, 30, 33, 36, 39, 43] , pm (left back), k 6[6, 6, 8, 10, 10, 12, 14, 14, 14] , pm (left sleeve), k 30[42, 50, 54, 56, 60, 66, 72, 78, 86] , pm (front), k 6[6, 6, 8, 10, 10, 12, 14, 14, 14] , pm (right sleeve), k 15[21, 25, 27, 28, 30, 33, 36, 39, 43] (right back).

Begin working short rows:
Change to longer circular needle as needed. Change to contrasting colors as desired.

Short row 1 [RS]: Knit to marker, sm, k 2[2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] , w&t.
Short row 2 [WS]: Purl to BOR marker, sm, purl to next marker, sm, p 2[2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] , w&t.

Short row 3: Knit to BOR (slipping markers before BOR marker), sm, knit to wrapped st, knit wrapped st with its wrap, k 2[2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] , w&t.
Short row 4: Purl to BOR (slipping markers before BOR marker), sm, purl to wrapped st, purl wrapped st with its wrap, p 2[2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] , w&t.

Rep Short rows 3–4 three more times.

Next row: Knit to BOR.

Begin Raglan Shaping:
Knit 2 remaining short row wraps with their sts in the first round when you reach them.

Rnd 1: *Knit to 1 st before next marker, kfb, sm, k1, kfb; rep from * three more times, knit to end. 8 sts increased.
Rnd 2: Knit, slipping markers.
Rep Rnds 1–2 33[33, 34, 38, 43, 47, 49, 52, 55, 57] times total. 336[360, 384, 428, 476, 516, 548, 588, 624, 656] sts total, 96[108, 118, 130, 142, 154, 164, 176, 188, 200] front/back sts and 72[72, 74, 84, 96, 104, 110, 118, 124, 128] sleeve sts.

Separate sleeves from body:
Next rnd: *Knit to first marker, remove marker and place 72[72, 74, 84, 96, 104, 110, 118, 124, 128] sleeve sts onto waste yarn, using the backward loop cast on, CO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6] sts, pm, CO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6] sts, repeat from * once more, knit to end of rnd. 200[228, 248, 276, 300, 328, 348, 372, 400, 424] total sts.

Body
Next rnd: *Knit to 1 st before marker, p1, sm, p1; repeat from * once more.

Continue in pattern as set until body measures 11[12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 14, 14, 14] inches/ 28[30.5, 30.5, 33, 33, 33, 35.5, 35.5, 35.5, 35.5] cm or until 2 inches/5 cm less than desired length to hem.

Change to smaller circular needles.
Work Rib patt for 2 inches /5 cm.
BO in Rib patt.

Sleeves
Rejoin yarn and beginning at middle of cast on underarm sts, pick up and knit 4[4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8] sts into cast on edge of body, pm, knit held 72[72, 74, 84, 96, 104, 110, 118, 124, 128] sts, pick up and knit 4[4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8] more sts,. Marker is BOR. 80[80, 84, 96, 108, 118, 124, 134, 140, 144] total sleeve sts.

Decrease rnd: K1, k2tog, knit until 3 sts remain, ssk, k1. 2 sts decreased.
Knit 6[8, 8, 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3] rounds.

Repeat the last 7[9, 9, 7, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4] rounds 16[14, 14, 18, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 36] times total. 48[52, 56, 60, 60, 64, 64, 68, 68, 72] sts.

Continue in St st until sleeve measures 14[15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 17, 17] inches/ 30.5[33, 33, 35.5, 35.5, 35.5, 35.5, 35.5, 38, 38] cm or until 1 inch/2.5 cm less than desired length.

Change to smaller double pointed needles.
Work Rib patt for 6 rounds.
BO in Rib patt.

Collar
With RS facing, using larger 16-inch/40 cm circ and starting at center back, pick up and knit 56[72, 84, 92, 100, 104, 116, 128, 140, 152] sts evenly, picking up approximately 3 sts for every 4 cast-on sts.
Work Rib patt for 2 inches/5 cm.
BO in Rib patt.

FINISHING

Weave in ends. Block to measurements.

A - Bust circumference: 34.75[39.75, 43.25, 48, 52.25, 57, 60.5, 64.75, 69.5, 73.75] inches/ 88.5[101, 110, 122, 132.5, 145, 153.5, 164.5, 176.5, 187.5] cm
B - Underarm to hem length: 13[14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 16] inches/ 33[35.5, 35.5, 38, 38, 38, 40.5, 40.5, 40.5, 40.5] cm
C - Total length (front):  20.25[21.25, 21.5, 23.5, 24.5, 25.5, 26.75, 27.5, 28.25, 28.75] / 51.5[54, 54.5, 59.5, 62, 65, 68, 70, 72, 73] cm
D - Armhole depth:  7.25[7.25, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 10.75, 11.5, 12.25, 12.75] inches/ 18.5[18.5, 19, 21.5, 24, 26.5, 27.5, 29, 31, 32.5] cm
E - Sleeve length:  16[17, 17, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19] inches/ 40.5[43, 43, 45.5, 45.5, 45.5, 45.5, 45.5, 48.5, 48.5] cm
F – Neck Circumference (unstretched): 9.75[12.5, 14.5, 16, 17.5, 18, 20.25, 22.25, 24.25, 26.5] inches/ 25[32, 37, 40.5, 44.5, 45.5, 51.5, 56.5, 61.5, 67.5] cm
G - Upper arm circumference:  14[14, 14.5, 16.75, 18.75, 20.5, 21.5, 23.25, 24.5, 25] inches/ 35.5[35.5, 37, 42.5, 47.5, 52, 54.5, 59, 62, 25] cm
H - Wrist circumference:  8.25[9, 9.75, 10.5, 10.5, 11.25, 11.25, 11.75, 11.75, 12.5] inches/ 21[23, 25, 26.5, 26.5, 28.5, 28.5, 30, 30, 30.5] cm

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Merri lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she works as a WW Wellness Coach and graphic designer. She lives with her husband, the sweet cats, Twister and Quigley, and thanks to the coronavirus, her college-age daughter, the lovely model for this sweater.

You'll find more of her work on Ravelry.

Pattern & images © 2021 Merri Fromm