by Melinda VerMeer

Portland has more nicknames than any small city should have. Stumptown, Rip City, Bridgetown, Portlandia, Beervana and on and on. But probably the best known is the Rose City. Roses can be found on our manhole covers, filling rose gardens, and giving name to our neighborhoods, races, elephants and festivals.

Rosarian was named for its concentric layers that remind me of an open rose bloom. It is shown photographed at Peninsula Park's rose garden established in 1909.

Unlike most sweaters with a defined body, Rosarian does not include the typical sweater pieces: body, sleeves, underarm, etc. But instead has a body that encircles the shoulders and upper arms with elbow length arm openings just above the fitted waistband.

Rosarian's unique shape and drapy fabric create a flattering silhouette for most any body type and the rows of dropped stitches make for a speedy knit to kick off your warm weather knitting.

Rosarian is knit in CoBaSi, a fingering weight cotton with a little silk and bamboo for shine and drape and just enough elastic to keep its shape; the perfect summer sweater yarn.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
shown in size XS with 2 inches of negative ease at waistband

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
High Hip Circumference, stretched: 30[33.5, 38, 42, 45.5, 49, 52.5] inches
Length: 20.5[20.5, 22, 22, 23.5, 23.5, 23.5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
HiKoo by Skacel CoBaSi [55% Cotton, 21% Nylon, 16% Bamboo, 8% Silk; 220yd/201m per 50g skein]; color: Framboise; 4[4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
16-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
24-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
16-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
32[32, 32, 32, 40, 40, 40]-inch US #6/4mm circular needle

Notions
Stitch marker
2 stitch holders or waste yarn
Yarn needle

GAUGE

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

The critical measurement of the sweater is the waistband (high hip circumference). Rosarian is designed to sit at the high hip with 0-3 inches of negative ease.

wrap3: Wrap yarn around needle as if to YO 3 times.

drop wrap3: Drop all 3 yarnovers from needle.

Making a Stitch Pattern gauge swatch:
Cast on desired number of sts and join to work in the rnd.
Rnd 1: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 2: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 3-6: Knit.
Rep Rnds 1-6 until gauge swatch is desired length. Cast off and cut swatch to lay flat (if necessary) to measure gauge.

DIRECTIONS
NECKBAND
Using 16-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle, CO 120[120, 120, 120, 132, 132, 132] sts. Join to work in the rnd and pm for beg of rnd.

Rnd 1: Purl.

Rnd 2: Knit.

Rep Rnds 1-2 twice more.

Yoke
Note: Transfer to 24-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle as needed.

Rnd 1: (M1, k3) around. 160[160, 160, 160, 176, 176, 176] sts.

Rnds 2-5: Knit.

Rnd 6: (M1, k8) around. 180[180, 180, 180, 198, 198, 198] sts.

Rnds 7-14: Knit.

Rnd 15: (M1, k9) around. 200[200, 200, 200, 220, 220, 220] sts.

Rnds 16-23: Knit.

Rnd 24: (M1, k10) around. 220[220, 220, 220, 242, 242, 242] sts.

Rnd 25: Knit.

Short-row Yoke Shaping:
Row 1 [RS]: K85[85, 85, 85, 96, 96, 96], turn.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, purl to m, sl m, p85[85, 85, 85, 96, 96, 96], turn.

Row 3: Sl1, k154[154, 154, 154, 176, 176, 176], turn.

Row 4: Sl1, p139[139, 139, 139, 161, 161, 161], turn.

Row 5: Sl1, k122[122, 122, 122, 144, 144, 144], turn.
Row 6: Sl1, p105[105, 105, 105, 127, 127, 127], turn.
Row 7 [RS]: Sl1, (knit to 1 st before first short row gap, pick up right leg of st below next st on LH needle and place on LH needle, k2tog) three times, (knit to next gap, pick up right leg of st below next st on LH needle and place on LH needle, k2tog) 3 times, knit to marker. 220[220, 220, 220, 242, 242, 242] sts.

Change to longer US #6/4mm circular needle.

Rnd 1: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 2: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 3-5: Knit.
Rnd 6: (M1, k11) around. 240[240, 240, 240, 264, 264, 264] sts.
Rnd 7: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 8: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 9-11: Knit.

Sizes XS, S, 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 12: Knit.

Sizes M & L:
Rnd 12: (M1, K12) around. 260 sts.

Sizes XS, S, 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 18: (M1, k12) around. 260[260, -, -, 286, 286, 286] sts.

Sizes M & L:
Rnd 18: Knit.

All Sizes:
Rnd 19: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 20: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 21-23: Knit.

Sizes XS & S:
Rnd 24: Knit.

Sizes M, L, 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 24: (M1, k13) around. -[-, 280, 280, 308, 308, 308] sts.

All Sizes:
Rnd 25: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 26: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 27-29: Knit.

Sizes XS, S, M, L & 3X:
Rnd 30: (M1, k13[13, 14, 14, -, -, 14]) around. 280[280, 300, 300, -, -, 330] sts.

Sizes 1X & 2X:
Rnd 30: Knit.

All Sizes:
Rnd 31: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 32: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 33-35: Knit.

Sizes XS, S, M & L:
Rnd 36: Knit.

Sizes 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 36: (M1, k-[-, -, -, 14, 14, 15]) around. -[-, -, -, 330, 330, 352] sts.

All Sizes:
Rnd 37: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 38: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 39-41: Knit.
Rnd 42: (M1, k14[14, 15, 15, 15, 15, 16]) around. 300[300, 320, 320, 352, 352, 374] sts.
Rnd 43: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 44: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 45-47: Knit.

Sizes XS & 1X:
Rnd 48: Knit.

Sizes S, M, L, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 48: (M1, k-[15, 16, 16, -, 16, 17]) around. -[320, 340, 340, -, 374, 396] sts.

Sizes XS, S & M:
Rnd 54: Knit.

Sizes L, 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 54: (M1, k-[-, -, 17, 16, 17, 9]) around. -[-, -, 360, 374, 396, 440] sts.

Sizes XS & S:
Skip to **.

Sizes M, L, 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 55: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 56: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 57-59: Knit.

Sizes M & L:
Rnd 60: Knit.

Size 1X, 2X & 3X:
Rnd 60: (M1, k-[-, -, -, 17, 9, 20]) around. -[-, -, -, 396, 440, 462] sts.

Sizes M & L:
Skip to **.

Sizes 1X, 2X, 3X:
Rnd 61: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 62: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 63-66: Knit.

**All Sizes:
Adding additional length (optional):
Note: Each repeat of Rnds 1-6 will add 1.5 inches in length.
Rnd 1: (K1, wrap3) around.
Rnd 2: (K1, drop wrap3) around.
Rnds 3-6: Knit.

Change to 24-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle.

Next rnd: K40[45, 53, 58, 63, 68, 73], place next 68[68, 65, 65, 73, 85, 86] sts on holder, k83[93, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145], place next 67[67, 65, 65, 73, 85, 86] sts on holder, k42[47, 52, 57, 62, 67, 72]. 165[185, 210, 230, 250, 270, 290] sts rem.

Rib rnd: (K3, p2) around.
Rep Rib rnd until rib measures 3 inches.
Bind off all sts using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

Sleeve Edges:
Place sts held for one sleeve onto 16-inch US #6/4mm needle. Pm for beg of rnd.
Rnd 1: Purl.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: Purl.
Bind off using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.
Repeat for other sleeve.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Soak and block garment.

By day Melinda designs at a commercial architecture firm in the yarn-bombed City of Roses, Portland, Oregon. By night she designs knitwear in her fiber-filled home. She has numerous patterns available for download on Ravelry and Knit Picks and published in the books First Light and Under 100 Knit Collection.

You can find out more about Melinda's designs on her website.