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Knitty�: little purls of wisdom
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Modern Yarn
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Title
Imagine
spacer model:Karen Alfke spacer photos: Michael Colbert

Tangy

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

A few years ago, I gave my mother a peace-sign necklace as a holiday gift. It's now her talisman – she doesn't like to leave home without it. And based on the comments people make when she wears it, this symbol still means a lot to a lot of people.

What better way to spread peace in the world than to wear it front and center on an organic-cotton sweater?

This design lends itself to a mellow, peaceful knitting experience as well; it features a modified drop shoulder and easy angled sleeve cap shaping.

A simple rounded neckline with reverse-stockinette rolled edges that also appear at hem and cuffs mean that you can remain mindful and zen with the glorious organic cotton yarn.

 

SIZE

Women’s XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X] (shown in size L, worn on model with 40 inch bust)

 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest: 32[36, 39.5, 43.5, 49.5, 54, 58] inches
Length: 22 inches
Note: Sweater is designed to be worn with approx. 4-6 inches of ease, for a slightly oversized, boxy fit. If you plan to lengthen sweater, buy extra yarn.

 
MATERIALS
spacer Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton [100% color grown organic cotton; 150yd/137m per 100g skein]; color 80; 6[7, 8, 8, 10, 11, 13] skeins

Recommended needle size:
spacer 1 set US #7/4.5mm straight needles
spacer 1 set US #6/4.25mm straight needles (or one size smaller than needle size required for gauge)
spacer 1 16-inch US #6/4.25mm circular needle (or one size smaller than needle size required for gauge)
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

spacer Large stitch holder
spacer 2 stitch markers
spacer Yarn needle

 
GAUGE

19 sts/26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st using larger needles, after blocking

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

Reverse stockinette st: P all RS rows. K all WS rows.

Directions for Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Bind Off can be found here.

chart


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DIRECTIONS
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BACK
Using smaller straight needles, CO 78[88, 96, 106, 120, 130, 140] sts.

Work 5 rows in reverse stockinette st, beginning and ending with RS row.

Using larger needle, work in stockinette st until work measures 16[15.5, 15, 14, 13, 12, 12] inches or desired length to underarm, ending with a WS row.

Shape Armholes:
BO 3[4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13] sts at beginning of next 2 rows. 72[80, 86, 94, 104, 110, 114] sts.

Decrease Row [RS]: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 2[3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12] times more. 66[72, 76, 82, 88, 88, 88] sts.

Continue in stockinette st until work measures 21 inches (5[5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9] inches from beginning of armhole shaping), ending with a WS row.

Shape Neckline:
Row 1 [RS]: K17[20, 22, 25, 28, 28, 28]. Place remaining 49[52, 54, 57, 60, 60, 60] sts on st holder.

Even-Numbered Rows 2, 4, 6 [WS]: P all sts.

Row 3 [RS]: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 16[19, 21, 24, 27, 27, 27] sts.

Row 5 [RS]: Work as for Row 3. 15[18, 20, 23, 26, 26, 26] sts.

Row 7
[RS]: BO 8[9, 10, 12, 13, 13, 13] sts, k to end.

Row 8 [WS]: BO remaining 7[9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 13] sts.

Place held sts on needle and join yarn with RS facing.
Row 1 [RS]: BO 32 sts, k to end. 17[20, 22, 25, 28, 28, 28] sts.
Even-Numbered Rows 2, 4 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K1, ssk, k to end. 16[19, 21, 24, 27, 27, 27] sts.
Row 5 [RS]: Work as for Row 3. 15[18, 20, 23, 26, 26, 26] sts.
Row 6 [WS]: BO 8[9, 10, 12, 13, 13, 13] sts, p to end.
Row 7 [RS]: BO remaining 7[9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 13] sts.

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FRONT
Work as for Back until work measures 7 inches (or 9[8.5, 8, 7, 6, 5, 5] inches less than desired length to underarm), ending with a WS row.

Place Peace Sign Motif:
Next Row [RS]: K17[22, 26, 31, 38, 43, 48], place marker, work Row 1 of chart over next 44 sts, place marker, k to end.

Continue as for Back, working chart pattern over sts between markers, until work measures 18.5 inches (2[3, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 6.5] inches from beginning of armhole shaping), ending with a WS row. Remove markers when last row of chart pattern is complete.

Shape Neckline:
Next Row [RS]: K19[22, 24, 27, 30, 30, 30]. Place remaining 47[50, 52, 55, 58, 58, 58] sts on st holder.

P 1 row.
Next Row [RS]: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Repeat these 2 rows three times more. 15[18, 20, 23, 26, 26, 26] sts.

Continue in stockinette st until work measures same as back to shoulder, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: BO 8[9, 10, 12, 13, 13, 13] sts, k to end.
Next Row [WS]: BO remaining 7[9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 13] sts.

Place held sts on needle and join yarn with RS facing.
Row 1 [RS]: BO 28 sts, k to end. 19[22, 24, 27, 30, 30, 30] sts.

P 1 row.
Next Row [RS]: K1, ssk, k to end.
Repeat these 2 rows three times more. 15[18, 20, 23, 26, 26, 26] sts.

Continue in stockinette st until work measures same as back to shoulder, ending with a RS row.
Next Row [WS]: BO 8[9, 10, 12, 13, 13, 13] sts, p to end.
Next Row [RS]: BO remaining 7[9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 13] sts.

SLEEVES (Make 2)
Using smaller straight needles, CO 38[40, 42, 44, 52, 54, 56] sts.
Work 5 rows in reverse stockinette st, beginning and ending with RS row.

Using larger needle, work 3 rows in stockinette st, ending with a WS row.

Increase Row [RS]: K1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1.
Work 7[7, 7, 5, 3, 3, 3] rows in stockinette st.
Repeat these 8[8, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4] rows 9[11, 12, 16, 16, 21, 20] times more. 58[64, 68, 78, 86, 98, 98] sts.

Continue in stockinette st until work measures 17 inches or desired length to underarm, ending with a WS row.

Shape Sleeve Cap:
BO 3[4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13] sts at beginning of next 2 rows. 52[56, 58, 66, 70, 78, 72] sts.

Decrease Row [RS]: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows eleven times more. 28[32, 34, 42, 46, 54, 48] sts.

BO 3[4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5] sts at beginning of next 4 rows.
BO remaining 16[16, 18, 22, 26, 34, 28] sts.

FINISHING

Weave in ends and block pieces to measurements shown in schematic.
Note: Measurements shown in schematic are for pieces before sewing, and include selvedge sts.

Sew back to front at shoulders.

Neckband:
Using circular needle and beginning at right shoulder seam, pick up and k approx. 3 sts for every 4 bound off sts and 3 sts for every 4 rows around neckline edge. Join to work in the round.
K 5 rounds. Loosely BO all sts. Sewn bind off is recommended for this edge, as it is very stretchy; see Pattern Notes.

Sew sleeves into armholes. Sew sleeve seams and side seams.
Weave in remaining ends.

schematic
 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designernameBlank Karen learned to knit as a teenager in Germany, and now publishes Unpatterns to create more independent knitters in North America. She gets to play and call it work in a small coastal town near Seattle, where she is trying to love running as much as she loves knitting.

She blogs here.