by Merri Fromm

This sweater was created for someone like me, who is not the kind of gal who desires close-fitting, figure hugging garments. Featuring a cool open neck and a slightly cropped boxy shape, this pullover is easy to wear and meant to be lived in. Knit in linen because it is light and breezy, softens with wear and gives and moves with your body. Pop this on over a swimsuit, a tank top or even a button-down blouse since there is ample ease to allow a layer beneath.

Worked from the bottom up in the round, Inhabit features picked up sleeves, three-needle bind off shoulders, and no seaming.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
shown in size L with 11 inches of positive ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust circumference: 41[45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65] inches
Length: 22[23, 23.75, 24.5, 25.25, 26, 26.5] inches at center back

MATERIALS
Yarn
Louet Euroflax [100% Wet Spun Linen; 270 yd/246 m per 100g skein]
[MC] Black; 5 [5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7] skeins
[CC1] Ginger; 1 skeins
[CC2] Cedarwood; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below — every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 32- to 40-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
1 16-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
1 set US #5/3.75mm double-point needles

Notions
2 stitch markers
waste yarn or 4 stitch holders
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

This garment is worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up. The body is worked from the hem to the underarms in stockinette stitch without shaping. Work the body with a needle length closest to the finished bust measurement.

This sweater is then split at the underarms and the front and back are finished separately. The shoulder seams are finished by using 3-needle bindoff as instructed, or alternatively by binding off each shoulder and seaming them together.

Be sure to block your swatch as you would your sweater, as linen blooms and shrinks when washed.

Please note that due to the nature of linen and the weight of the sleeve, the shoulders will stretch horizontally to a gauge of approx. 19 sts per 4 inches when worn. If using a yarn with better holding properties (like non-superwash wool), you may wish to work the sleeves longer to match the cuff length of the sample--for a total length from the pick-up of approx. 13 inches. Re-stagger the decreases accordingly. You may wish to also adjust the number of sts joined at the shoulders to alter the width of the neck.

Schematic is drawn to scale as blocked; shoulder edge will stretch width-wise when worn.

Stripe Pattern:
Rnd 1: Work in MC.
Rnd 2: Work in CC1.
Rnd 3: Work in MC.
Rnd 4: Work in CC2.
Repeat Rnd 1–4 for pattern.

DIRECTIONS
Body
Using longer circular needle and MC, CO 246[270, 294, 318, 342, 366, 390] sts.

Pm and join to work in the round. Place second marker after first 123[135, 147, 159, 171, 183, 195] sts to mark side “seam.”

Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: Purl.
Rnd 3: Purl.

Joining CC1 and CC2, work 4 rows of Stripe Pattern a total of 12[12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14] times, then rep Rnds 1-2 of Stripe Pattern once more. Cut CC1 and CC2.

Cont in St st with MC only until piece measures approx. 14[14.5, 14.75, 15, 15.25, 15.5, 15.5] inches from CO edge, or desired length to underarm.

Separate Front and Back:
Next row [RS]: Knit to side marker, place next 123[135, 147, 159, 171, 183, 195] sts on holder for Back (removing markers), turn.

Front
Cont in St st on these 123[135, 147, 159, 162, 171, 183, 195] sts until armhole measures 7.5[8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5] inches, ending after a RS row.

Note: See Pattern Notes on sleeve length and neck width.

Next row [WS]: P34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66], k55[55, 57, 57, 61, 63, 63], p34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66].
Next row [RS]: K34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66], p55[55, 57, 57, 61, 63, 63], k34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66].
Next row [WS]: Purl.

Next row [RS]: K34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66], BO 55[55, 57, 57, 61, 63, 63], knit to end.

Place each set of 34[40, 45, 51, 55, 60, 66] sts on holder or waste yarn for shoulders. Break yarn, leaving a 24 inch tail.

Back
Place 123[135, 147, 159, 171, 183, 195] sts held for Back on circ and work as for Front.

Sleeves
Join shoulders on WS using 3-Needle Bind Off.

With MC and RS facing, using shorter circ and starting at armhole division, pick up and knit 42[43, 46, 49, 53, 59, 63] sts to shoulder, pick up and knit 42[43, 46, 49, 53, 59, 63] sts to armhole division. Place marker and join to work in the rnd.

Note: See Pattern Notes on sleeve length and neck width.

Knit 2[2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1] rnds.
Dec Rnd: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 2 sts dec'd.
Rep last 3[3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2] rnds 20[20, 22, 23, 25, 29, 31] times more. 42[44, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62] sts.

Work even in St st until sleeve measures 10.75[10.5, 10.25, 10, 9.75, 9, 8.75] inches from pick-up edge.

Next rnd: Purl.
Next rnd: Purl.
Next rnd: Knit.

BO all sts loosely. Repeat for other sleeve.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block to measurements.

Merri spends her days doing a little bit of graphic design and a lot of dreaming about what she’s going to knit next, while working on her current knitting project. As a resident of Minnesota, she feels knitting is a required life skill.

You can see more about her on her website.