Winter Sweater by Kate Gagnon Osborn

Craft: Knitting

Worthy of Note

The winter sweater is a heavily cabled raglan pullover knit in pieces from the bottom up. The sleeves are worked in moss stitch and the back, left front, and right front are worked in cable patterns with moss stitch on the sides.

The raglans are shaped using compound decreases. Short rows shape the top of the sleeves; the back raglans are intentionally 1” (2.5 cm) longer than the left and right fronts.

The buttonband is worked at the same time as the left and right fronts. After all shaping is complete, short ribbed tabs are worked and then joined along the top of sleeve and back neck. Front neck and raglan shaping occurs simultaneously. All pieces are seamed using mattress stitch.

SPECIFICATIONS

Yarn

Kelbourne Woolens Erin (60% fine Irish wool, 40% New Zealand wool; 164 yds/100 gm skein): 105 natural, 6 (6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9) skeins.

Gauge

14 sts and 20 rows = 4” (10 cm) in moss stitch on larger needle, after blocking.

Center Chart Panel (32 sts) = 7” (18 cm) wide on larger needle, after blocking.

Panel Charts A and B (13 sts each) = 2.75” (7 cm) wide on larger needle, after blocking.

Cross Charts A and B (5 sts each) = 1” (2.5 cm) wide on larger needle, after blocking.

Needles

1 – US 7 (4.5 mm) 24–36” (60–90 cm) circular.

1 – US 9 (5.5 mm) 24–36” (60–90 cm) circular.

Take time to check your gauge and adjust needle size(s) accordingly if necessary.

Notions

Tapestry needle, stitch holders or waste yarn, stitch marker.

Size

40.5 (41.75, 45, 50.75, 53, 55, 62, 64)” 95.5 (101.5, 113, 124.5, 131, 136, 153.5, 159) cm finished chest, buttoned, with 1.25” (3.2 cm) front bands overlapped. Cardigan is designed to be worn with 4–6” 10–15 cm positive ease. Please see schematic for more detailed finished measurements.

Skills

Cables from charts, mattress stitch, short row shaping.