Stripes of all Stripes / PULLOVER / PDF download
Stripes of all Stripes / PULLOVER / PDF download
Includes Instructions for knitting this simple pullover in a short or long (dress) version. Instructions for an optional side vent and neckband are also included and can be applied to the long or short styles.
This garment is cast on at the bottom edge, where short rows are used to create a gentle scoop across the lower back / butt area. The body is then knit in the round to the armholes, without any shaping. After separating for the armholes, the front and back are worked flat to the shoulders and are completely identical. There is no neck shaping and an optional edging to finish off the neck. Sleeve stitches are picked up in the armholes and the sleeves are knit in the round to your desired length. The length of the body and armholes are both easily adjusted as the pattern contains no shaping.
These instructions are a template from which you are invited to explore, experiment, modify and develop your own ideas. The simplicity of this pattern leaves space for you to add details and make modifications. And of course, you are also welcome to knit it in its simple glory, exactly as it’s written below.
SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Finished chest circumference: 101 (114, 127, 137, 147,160, 173, 183) cm / 40 (45, 50, 54, 58, 63, 68, 72) inches. Intended to fit with 30.5-38cm / 12-15 inches positive ease.
MATERIALS
Yarn: Viola Mohair Lace (72% Kid Mohair / 28% Silk; 50g / 420m / 459 yds) in as many colours as you want. The original sample used no less than 12 colours, but it was knit so long ago that the details are a little blurry. It was knit in size 3 and weighed 150g.
*Yarn is held double throughout the pattern.
PULLOVER (short): 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5) skeins, or approx 925 (970, 1135, 1260, 1430, 1600, 1765, 1890)m / 1015 (1070, 1250, 1390, 1575, 1760, 1940, 2080) yds / 110 (115, 135, 150, 170, 190, 210, 225)g of a similar (mohair) lace weight yarn
DRESS (long): 4 (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins, or approx 1390 (1600, 1810, 2020, 2185, 2440, 2690, 2860)m / 1530 (1760, 1990, 2225, 2405, 2685, 2960, 3150) yds / 165 (190, 215, 240, 260, 290, 320, 340)g of a similar (mohair) lace weight yarn
Needles:
5mm (US8) circular needle, 100cm / 40” in length (or longer for larger sizes), needles suitable for working small circumferences in the round, and an additional circular needle for cast-on (optional, see Material Notes)
OPTIONAL: 4mm (US6) circular needle, 40cm / 16” in length for knitting optional neckband as shown on long version.
*Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain correct gauge
GAUGE
16 sts & 23 rows/rounds over 10cm / 4 inches in Stocking stitch / Stockinette Stitch with yarn held double.
Read more about this pattern and sizing info right here.
This simple pattern has been in the works for a very long time. It was one of the first garments that I knit for myself, as well as one of the first times I cast aside instructions and knit an idea that had been floating in my mind. Working on this project I learned that I prefer plain and simple shapes. Their uncomplicated aesthetic and flowing pace of knitting allow space for each knitter to customize, experiment and set their own pace throughout the project.
I knit the original, now more than 10 years old, well mended and well travelled, while on a holiday, tucking in my last ends just in time to drive to Big Sur from Los Angeles and into cooler temperatures. I wore it with pride around a sparking bonfire on a warm summer evening. Not only has my simple striped jumper been with me since that happy holiday, it has taught me so much about the way that I work and think, my preferences in knitting and in life and the direction I hope to move into as the future unfolds. That’s a hefty responsibility for one little jumper, but it has proven, over the years, to be up to the task.
Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this design and please do not take it for granted either. My guidance is sparse because, through your involvement, planning and time, you stand to gain much more than a new sweater or technical abilities. I am still discovering the many ways my striped jumper has carried me through the past ten years.The longer I have lived with and worn my sweater, the more I have become aware of its deepening value to me. It contains memories, feelings and ideas not only of the time I spent knitting it, but the time passed since in wearing, mending and contemplating the harmony of its colours and shape.