11.16.2008

BRROQUE


BRRROQUE

I’m not a particularly girly girl, but I do love me some floral and leafy patterns. Heck, I like patterns of all sorts. The goal of this sweater was to see how many different patterns I could weave into one sweater, using blocks of those patterns. (We hit 4 before the sweater and I started getting too neurotic.)

This sweater is a relatively painless way to ease into stranded knitting – with big chunks of two color knitting and fun patterns to learn. You could easily modify the pattern to use as few as two or as many as 8 different colors.

Photo credit [model: Sharon Hodges/photographer: Lisa Bowes]

SIZE
XS [S, M, L, 1X, 2X] (shown in size 1X)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 39[42, 44, 46, 49, 51] inches
Length: 23[24, 25, 26, 26, 26] inches

MATERIALS
[C1] BrownSheep Nature Spun Sport [100% wool; 184yd/168m per 50g skein]; color: N56 Meadow Green ; 3 skeins[C1] BrownSheep Nature Spun Sport [100% wool; 184yd/168m per 50g skein]; color: N27S Monument Green; 4 skeins
[C2] BrownSheep Nature Spun Sport [100% wool; 184yd/168m per 50g skein]; color: N59S Butterfly Blue ; 4 skeins


1 set(s) US #5/3.75mm double-point needles
1 24 or 36 -inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
1 16 -inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
tapestry needle

GAUGE
24 sts/24 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch


PATTERN

Body
Cast on 238[252, 266, 280, 294, 308] stitches in MC. Place a marker and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the knitting.

Work in st st for 6 rounds.
Purl one round.
Knit 1 round

Add CC1. Begin chart A.
Repeat chart A 17[18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23] times around the body.
Work until body measures 11.5[11.5, 12.5, 12.5, 12.5, 12.5] inches high from the purl round.

On the next round, switch from CC1 to CC2, and begin charts B and C.

Knit chart B for 159[168, 178, 188, 196, 206] stitches. Place marker.
Knit chart C for 80[84, 88, 92, 98, 102] stitches. Place marker.

Continue for another 3.5 inches.


Armhole Steeks
On the next round, knit 74[79, 85, 89, 93, 98] stitches, bind off 10 stitches, alternating colors each stitch to carry both colors through. Knit, following chart, to next marker.

Knit 35[37, 39, 41, 44, 46] stitches, bind off 10 stitches, alternating colors each stitch. Knit, following charts, to bound off stitches.

Place marker, cast on 7 stitches, alternating colors. Place marker. Knit to next set of bound off stitches, place marker, cast on 7 stitches, alternating colors. Place marker. The 7 stitches between the markers are your steek stitches.

Continue working charts and steek stitches for another 7[8, 8, 9, 9, 9] inches.

Shaping the neck
On the next round, knit 74 stitches and 7 steek stitches. Knit 45 stitches, BO 20 stitches, alternating colors each stitch. Continue knitting around the body, following the charts and the steek stitches.

When you reach the bound off neck stitches, place a marker, and cast on 7 steek stitches. Place another marker.

Continue working the charts and the steek stitches, decreasing 1 st every other round on each side of the neck for 2 inches.

BO all stitches.


Cut open neck and arm hole steeks. (I’ve found Eunny Jang’s tutorials on steeks to be an excellent resource. http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/01/steeking_chronicles_the_should.html)

Sew together shoulder seams.

Neckband
Starting at the center back, using MC, and with right side facing you, pick up stitches for neckline, adjusting so that you will have a multiple of 4.

Work a k2, p2 rib for 1 inch, then BO in pattern.


Sleeves

Beginning at the bottom center of the arm hole, pick up 108[122, 122, 134, 134, 134] stitches with CC1. Place marker at beginning of round.

Add CC2 and work chart D for 2 inches.

On the next round, begin decreases. K1, k2tog, k to 3 stitches before marker, ssk, k1. Work decreases every other row until 44[48, 48, 48, 52, 52] stitches remain. Work even until sleeve measures 19 inches (or 1 inch less than desired length).

Change to MC and work k2, p2 rib for 1 inch.

BO in pattern.


FINISHING

Fold bottom hem up at the purl row, and tack in place with MC.Weave in all ends.
Chart A





Chart B


Chart C

Chart D

6 comments:

Cindy said...

Caught this on the front of the pattern pages at Ravelry just now...LOVE IT!!! I haven't tried stranded knitting yet but this may just push me into it.

Kitten With a Whiplash said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kitten With a Whiplash said...

This is a fantastically beautiful sweater. Kaffe Fasset, move over! Lisabee, claim your throne.

Michele / akkasha said...

It looks great! I am so impressed with your work.

Debbie said...

When I am sound asleep, I dream of being able to knit something like this! Of course then I wake up and realize I am still struggling with color and mittens. Maybe someday, it is beautiful!

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