by Wool + Bricks

Here's something fun for spinners: a simple tunic designed around a complex yarn.

This is my first sweater quantity of handspun, carded as a wearable autobiography from my favourite wools (Gotland, Hebredian, Finn), from sheep that graze on the hillsides I love to walk (BFL, Masham, Derbyshire Gritstone), alpaca from my cousin’s smallholding in Australia, and some sea cell as a reference to my knitting roots when I was all about the vegan fibers.

Another reason for keeping the pattern simple is that this allows it to look both rustic and modern depending on how you choose to style it, working equally well with hiking boots and neon high-tops. I love the idea of making a fibre blend that encompasses the complexity of our spinners' hearts, knitting it into something so plain, and then accessorizing it up to elevate it once more.

SIZE
For women's garments: A[B, C, D, E//F, G, H, I///J, K, L, M////N, O, P, Q, R, S]
shown in size E with 4 inches of positive ease at upper bust
and 1.5 inches of positive ease at full bust

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 30[32, 35, 36.5, 38/40, 43, 44, 47//49, 51, 54, 55///58, 60, 62, 63, 65, 68] inches
Length: 29.75[30.25, 30.5, 30.5, 30.75/31.25, 31.25, 31.5, 31.75//32.25, 32.25, 32.5, 32.75///33.5, 33.5, 33.5, 33.5, 33.75, 34.25] inches

MATERIALS
Fiber:
Custom drum-carded blend [30% Gotland, 22% Hebridean, 20% Masham, 11% Derbyshire Gritstone, 6% Bluefaced Leicester, 6% alpaca, 2% Finn, 2% Seacell]; Total weight: 14[15, 16.5, 17, 18//19, 20.5, 21, 22.5///24, 25, 26.5, 27////29, 30, 31, 31.5, 32.5, 34.5] ounces / 385[417, 456, 471, 500//535, 567, 591, 632///668, 696, 738, 765////816, 845, 867, 884, 918, 970] grams

Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 9
Ply: 2
Yardage used: 812y/748m
Drafting method: Long draw

	Spinning Tool: Woolmakers Bliss wheel; bobbin drive

Commercial Yarn Alternative
Quince & Co Owl [50% wool, 50% alpaca; 120yd/110m per 50g skein]; color: 307 Barred; 6[6, 7, 7, 7/8, 8, 9, 9//10, 10, 11, 11///12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 14] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
3 16-inch circular needles: one each of US #8/5mm, US #6/4mm, and US #4/3.5mm
3 24-inch circular needles: one each of US #8/5mm, US #6/4mm, and US #4/3.5mm
3 sets of needles for working small circumference in the round (DPNs, 1 long circular or 2 short), US #8/5mm, US #6/4mm, and US #4/3.5mm

Tools
9 stitch markers
2 stitch holders or waste yarn
yarn needle

GAUGE
16 sts/24 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch on largest needles

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

Increases for the body
You can also use standard lifted increases for the body, but I prefer how these increases look:

IIR (Almost invisible lifted increase – right-leaning):
Insert needle into the stitch below the first stitch on left-hand needle, and pull the loop of the stitch onto the left-hand needle to make an additional stitch. K1, sl 1 (slipping the original stitch as presented on the left-hand needle). 1 stitch increased.

IIL (Almost invisible lifted increase – left-leaning):
Slip the next stitch. Insert left-hand needle into the stitch below the slipped stitch, and pull the loop of the stitch onto the left-hand needle to make an additional stitch. K1. 1 stitch increased.

Be aware of these increased stitches when working the next round: they can sneak in behind other stitches and get worked as a k2tog, stealthily undoing all your hard work!

Instructions for the tubular bind off.

DIRECTIONS
Yoke
With larger 16-inch circular needle, CO 68[76, 80, 88, 96/104, 112, 116, 124//132, 140, 148, 152///160, 168, 176, 184, 188, 196] sts using a stretchy yet stable cast-on method of your choice (such as the long-tail cast on).

Join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts. Pm for beg of rnd -- this will be the center of the front neck.

Short rows to shape back neck:
Short row 1 [RS]: K17[18, 19, 21, 23/24, 26, 26, 28//29, 30, 32, 32///35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41] for left front neck, pm, k1, pm, k6[8, 8, 8, 10/12, 12, 14, 14//16, 18, 18, 20///20, 22, 22, 24, 24, 26] for sleeve, pm, k1, pm, k18[20, 22, 26, 26/28, 32, 32, 36//38, 40, 44, 44///46, 48, 52, 54, 56, 58] for back neck, pm, k1, pm, k6[8, 8, 8, 10/12, 12, 14, 14//16, 18, 18, 20///20, 22, 22, 24, 24, 26] for sleeve, pm, k1, pm, k1, w&t.

Short row 2 [WS]: (Purl to m, sl m) eight times, p1, w&t.

Short row 3 [RS]: (Knit to m, M1R, sl m, k1, sl m, M1L) four times, knit to wrapped st, knit wrapped st together with next st, w&t. 8 raglan sts inc'd, 1 st dec'd at right front neck.

Short row 4 [WS]: (Purl to m, sl m) eight times, purl to wrapped st, purl wrapped sttogether with next st through the back loops, w&t. 1 st dec'd at left front neck.

Rep last 2 rows 2[2, 2, 2, 3/3, 3, 3, 3//3, 3, 3, 3///4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4] times more. 86[94, 98, 106, 120/128, 136, 140, 148//156, 164, 172, 176///190, 198, 206, 214, 218, 226] sts.

Short row 5 [RS]: (Knit to m, M1R, sl m, k1, sl m, M1L) four times, knit to wrapped st, knit wrapped st together with next st, k1, w&t. 8 raglan sts inc'd, 1 st dec'd at right front neck.

Short row 6 [WS]: (Purl to m, sl m) eight times, purl to wrapped st, purl wrapped sttogether with next st through the back loops, p1, w&t. 1 st dec'd at left front neck.

Rep last 2 rows 2[2, 2, 3, 3/3, 3, 3, 3//3, 3, 3, 3///3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] times more. 104[112, 116, 130, 144/152, 160, 164, 172//180, 188, 196, 200///214, 222, 230, 238, 242, 250] sts.

Short row 7 [RS]: (Knit to m, M1R, sl m, k1, sl m, M1L) four times, knit to wrapped st, knit wrapped st together with next st, k2, w&t. 8 raglan sts inc'd, 1 st dec'd at right front neck.

Short row 8 [WS]: (Purl to m, sl m) eight times, purl to wrapped st, purl wrapped sttogether with next st through the back loops, p2, w&t. 1 st dec'd at left front neck.

Rep last 2 rows 1[1, 1, 1, 1/1, 1, 1, 1//1, 1, 1, 1///2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2] times more. 116[124, 128, 142, 156/164, 172, 176, 184//192, 200, 208, 212///232, 240, 248, 256, 260, 268] sts.

Next row [RS]: Knit to end of rnd, working wraps with wrapped sts.
Next rnd: Knit all sts, working wraps with wrapped sts.

Note: Switch to longer circular needle when necessary.

Raglan inc rnd: *Knit to m, M1R, sl m, k1, sl m, M1L; rep from * 3 times more, knit to end. 8 sts inc'd. Next rnd: Knit.

Rep last 2 rnds 8[9, 10, 9, 9//10, 10, 11, 12///13, 13, 14, 15////15, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17] times more. 188[204, 216, 222, 236/252, 260, 272, 288//304, 312, 328, 340///360, 368, 376, 384, 396, 412] sts.

Separate sleeves from body:
Next rnd: *Knit to m, place next 42[46, 48, 48, 52/56, 56, 60, 62//66, 68, 70, 74///78, 80, 80, 82, 84, 88] sts on holder for sleeve (removing markers), using backward loop method, CO 4[4, 5, 5, 5/5, 6, 6, 6//6, 7, 7, 7///7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9], pm, CO 4[4, 5, 5, 5/5, 6, 6, 6//6, 7, 7, 7///7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9]; rep from * once more, knit to end of rnd, remove m. Knit to next m. This is the new beg of rnd. 120[128, 140, 146, 152/160, 172, 176, 188//196, 204, 216, 220///232, 240, 248, 252, 260, 272] sts on needles.

Body
Work in St st for 4 inches.

Dec rnd: *K4, ssk, knit to 6 sts before m, k2tog, knit to m; rep from * once more. 4 sts dec'd.
Knit 8 rnds.
Repeat last 9 rnds 3 times more. 104[112, 124, 130, 136/144, 156, 160, 172//180, 188, 200, 204///216, 224, 232, 236, 244, 256] sts.

Knit 7 rnds.
Inc rnd: *K5, IIL, knit to 5 sts before m, IIR, knit to m; rep from * once more. 4 sts inc'd.
Rep last 8 rounds 7 times more. 136[144, 156, 162, 168/176, 188, 192, 204//212, 220, 232, 236///248, 256, 264, 268, 276, 288] sts.

Work even in St st until body measures 21.5 inches from underarm CO, or approx. 2 inches shorter than total desired length (you may wish to continue repeating Inc Rnd every 8 rounds if you lengthen the body).

Change to middle-sized needle and work in K1, P1 rib for 2 inches.
Switch to smaller needle and bind off using tubular bind-off.

Dec Rnd: K2, ssk, knit to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2. 2 sts dec'd.
Knit 10[9, 7, 8, 6/6, 6, 6, 5//5, 4, 4, 4///3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3] rnds.

Rep last 11[10, 8, 9, 7/7, 7, 7, 6//6, 5, 5, 5///4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4] rnds 8[9, 11, 10, 12/12, 13, 13, 14//15, 17, 17, 19///19, 21, 19, 20, 20, 23] times more. 32[34, 34, 36, 36/40, 40, 44, 44//46, 46, 48, 48///52, 52, 56, 56, 58, 58] sts.

Work in St st until sleeve measures 17[17, 17, 17, 17/17, 17, 17, 17//17, 17, 17, 17///16.5, 16.5, 16.5, 16.5, 16.5, 16.5] inches from underarm or 3 inches shorter than total desired length.

Change to middle-sized needle(s) and work in K1, P1 rib for 3 inches.
Switch to smaller needle(s) and bind off using tubular bind-off.

Repeat for other sleeve.

Collar
With middle-sized 16-inch circular needle and starting at center back of CO edge, pick up and knit 68[76, 80, 88, 96/104, 112, 116, 124//132, 140, 148, 152///160, 168, 176, 184, 188, 196] sts from yoke cast-on. Join to work in the rnd and pm for beg of rnd.

Work in K1, P1 rib for 1 inch.

Switch to smaller needle. Bind off using tubular bind-off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and wet block the sweater to finished measurements shown on schematic. Let it dry completely before stylin' it up your way.

Wool + Bricks is in Detroit, Michigan, dancing, reading, knitting, discovering what real winters are, and learning new swear words.

Visit woolandbricks.com for photos of buildings, or say hello on Ravelry.