Fifteen Love has all the elements of a successful summer garment; a lightweight summery yarn, bright and cheery colors, and a fit that is both active and flirty. The design is reminiscent of a 1960's tennis top or something that Gidget would wear while singing on the beach and dancing with surfers. The simple silhouette is timeless and changing the color palette will make it your own.
The sweater is worked top down, starting with the front, then stitches are picked up along the shoulders to work the back. The stripes are intarsia, but the pattern is simple enough that a chart isn't needed.
The only challenging part is when you're working with 5 strands of yarn at once. Pick a good movie, settle down in a comfy chair, and keep the cats and children away while you work through the challenging section. After that it's smooth sailing.
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 24-inch US #3/3.25mm circular needle 24-inch US #2/2.75mm circular needle
Notions yarn
needle waste yarn 2 stitch markers
GAUGE
27 sts/35 rows = 4" in St st with larger needles after blocking.
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
Wind your yarns into either center-pull balls or divide into two balls if you only have 1 skein of MC and CC1.
I recommend washing linen yarn before using it to help soften it and get out any excess dye, as linen has a tendency to bleed.
Linen also doesn't have much stretch, so if you are deciding between two sizes, I recommend choosing the larger size.
I-cord edge: The edging of this top is created as you work by adding an I-cord edge from the shoulder to the end of the armhole. This is created by knitting the first 3 stitches on each row and slipping the last 3 stitches of each row, holding the yarn in front the work.
There is minimal seaming for this top. The front and back colorwork sections are joined using Kitchener Stitch and Mattress Stitch.
DIRECTIONS
FRONT
Using Long-Tail Cast On and MC, CO 99[113, 125, 139, 153, 165, 179] sts onto larger circular needle.
Garter Row: Knit to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif.
Rep this row 6 times more.
Row 1 [WS]: K3, purl to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif. Row 2 [RS]: Knit to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif.
Rep these 2 rows until work measures approx. 2 [2, 2.25, 2.25, 2.5, 2.5, 2.75] inches from cast-on edge, ending after Row 1 [WS].
**Add in CC1 as foll: Row 1 [RS]: K3 CC1, knit to last 3 sts in MC, sl3 wyif. Row 2 [WS]: K3 CC1, p1 CC1, purl to last 4 sts in MC, p1 CC1, sl3 wyif. Row 3: K5 CC1, knit to last 5 sts in MC, k2 CC1, sl3 wyif. Row 4: K3 CC1, p3 CC1, purl to last 6 sts in MC, p3 CC1, sl3 wyif.
Continue in this way, increasing the number of sts worked in CC1 by 1 st at each end of every row and decreasing the number of stitches worked in MC by 2 sts every row, for 24[24, 24, 24, 28, 28, 28] rows more. 30[30, 30, 30, 34, 34, 34] sts in CC1 on each side and 39[53, 65, 79, 85, 97, 111] MC sts in center.
Continue in this way, increasing the number of sts worked in CC2 by 1 st at each end of every row, working 28[28, 28, 28, 32, 32, 32] sts in CC1 each end of every row inside sts in CC2, and decreasing the number of stitches worked in MC by 2 sts every row, for 10[14, 16, 20, 20, 26, 26] rows more. 16[20, 22, 26, 26, 32, 32] sts in CC2 on each side, 28[28, 28, 28, 32, 32, 32] sts in CC1 on each side, and 11[17, 25, 31, 37, 37, 51] sts in MC in center. Piece measures approx. 6.75[7.25, 7.75, 8.25, 9, 9.5, 9.75] inches from cast-on edge.
Next row [RS]: Place first 3 sts of row on holder, k1 CC2, M1 CC2, k13[17, 19, 23, 23, 29, 29] CC2, k28[28, 28, 28, 32, 32, 32] CC1, k9[15, 23, 29, 35, 35, 49] MC, k28[28, 28, 28, 32, 32, 32] CC1, k13[17, 19, 23, 23, 29, 29] CC2, M1 CC2, k1 CC2, place rem 3 sts of row on holder. 95[109, 121, 135, 149, 161, 175] sts rem.
Work even in St st and color patt as est for 4[7, 11, 14, 17, 17, 24] rows more. 19[26, 32, 39, 42, 48, 55] sts in CC2 each side, k28[28, 28, 28, 32, 32, 32] sts in CC1 each side, 1 st rem in MC in center.
Continue in this way, increasing the number of sts worked in CC2 by 1 st at each end of every row and decreasing the number of stitches worked in CC1 by 2 sts every row, for 27[27, 27, 27, 31, 31, 31] rows more. 47[54, 60, 67, 74, 80, 87] sts in CC2 each side, 1 st in CC1 rem in center.
Break all yarn, leaving a long enough tail of CC2 to seam up the side, and place sts on waste yarn.
BACK
With RS of FRONT facing, larger circular needle, and working from the right side of CO edge of the FRONT, attach MC to the 4th cast-on st in from the right edge (first non i-cord st).
Pick up and knit every stitch for 21[27, 31, 36, 42, 46, 52] sts (including first picked up st). Turn work and CO 57[59, 63, 67, 69, 73, 75] sts using cable cast-on. Turn once more and, skipping next 57[59, 63, 67, 69, 73, 75] sts of cast on, pick up and knit 18[24, 28, 33, 39, 43, 49] sts along the left side of the CO edge, ending before the other i-cord edge. Bring yarn to RS of work. Using LH needle, pick up but do not knit the 3 I-cord edge stitches, starting with the stitch that has curved around the WS of the work. Transfer these stitches to your RH needle by inserting RH needle from the back into the stitch on the far left first, reversing the 3 stitches' order on the needle. Turn work. 99[113, 125, 139, 153, 165, 179] sts.
Garter Row: Knit to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif.
Rep this row 6 times more.
Row 1 [RS]: Knit to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif. Row 2 [WS]: K3, purl to last 3 sts, sl3 wyif.
Rep these 2 rows until work measures approx. 2[2, 2.25, 2.25, 2.5, 2.5, 2.75] inches from cast-on edge, ending after Row 2 [WS].
Work as for FRONT from ** to end, but do not break CC2.
Body
Align the FRONT and BACK so that the side seams line up. Using a length of CC2, seam up each side using Mattress Stitch until you reach the I-cord stitches on waste yarn. Transfer I-cord stitches for FRONT and BACK of each armhole onto spare circular needle and use Kitchener Stitch to graft them together, creating an armhole that appears to be seamless.
Transfer held FRONT and BACK sts to larger circular needle.
Rnd 1: With CC2 and working across BACK sts first, k2tog, knit to last 2 sts of BACK, ssk, pm for side seam.
Across FRONT: k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, ssk. Pm for beg of rnd. 186 [214, 238, 266, 294, 318, 346] sts.
Knit 5 rnds.
Decrease rnd: *K2tog, knit to 2 sts before m, ssk; rep from * once more. 4 sts dec'd
Repeat last 6 rnds 2[2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4] times more. 174[202, 226, 250, 278, 298, 326] sts.
Work in St st until piece measures 17[17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 20.75, 21.25, 22] inches from shoulder edge, or 2 inches shorter then desired length. The top was designed to sit at mid-rise trouser level. If you want to have more ease lengthwise, work 1-2 more inches.
Change to smaller needle.
Next rnd: K2tog, k1, (p2, k2) to m, remove m, p2, k2tog, k1, (p2, k2) to last 2 sts, p2. 172[200, 224, 248, 276, 296, 324] sts.
Rib rnd: (K2, p2) around.
Rep Rib rnd until rib measures 2 inches.
BO all sts loosely in rib.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends and wet block to measurements.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Brittany lives on a small farm in Montana with her husband, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 13 chickens. She began knitting obsessively in June of 2007 and has shown no sign of slowing down, not even when she learned to spin in 2009. Her husband, Brian, combats her fiber obsession and need to have lots of animals by buying industrial-sized lint rollers.
