Saturday, July 14, 2012

New FREE knitting pattern for a quick-to-knit chunky sweater

I have designed a new FREE pattern for a quick and easy chunky sweater which I have called 'Chunky with a Twist'



I wanted a quick to knit chunky design that was slimming rather than adding inches, so came up with this sweater with side cable panels to add shaping.
The main pieces are knitted flat to the underarm, then joined and knitted flat to the neck with raglan and front shaping, then finished with a back neck band and with just side and sleeve seaming.
The pattern is only available in my size (36” bust).
Suitable for knitting in any chunky yarn to match gauge.

It can be downloaded as a PDF file from Ravelry and is also reproduced below.  Hope you like it and I would love to receive comments and photos if you knit it!


bitstobuy

www.bitstobuy.co.uk


CHUNKY WITH A TWIST


A quick to knit sweater in chunky yarn.  Twisted side panels and ribbings give a slimming outline.

 
Materials:

8 balls of Sirdar Tweedie Chunky 50g (864 yards, 800 metres)
or
7 balls of Patons Soft Tweed 50g (882 yards, 805 metres)
or
Any light weight chunky yarn to give correct gauge.

A pair of 4mm knitting needles

A 5mm circular needle

4 stitch markers

Size:

To fit chest size 36 inches (92 cm)

Actual measurements of finished sweater laid flat after blocking:
 

Chest
Length to underarm
Length of sleeve to underarm
Length to back of neck
20 inches
15 inches
17 inches
23 ½ inches
51 cm
38 cm
43 cm
59.5 cm


Gauge:

 14 stitches and 21 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch on 5mm needle

Abbreviations:

K = knit;  p = purl; st = stitch;  sts = stitches;  ss = stocking stitch (stockinette stitch); twist2back = twist two sts back by knitting into the back of the second st on the needle, then into the front of the first st on the needle and dropping both loops off together;  knit2front = knit two sts front by knitting into the front of the second st on the needle, then into the front of the first st on the needle and dropping both loops off together;  ssk = slip the next 2 sts knitwise, transfer back to left hand needle, then k together through back of loops; sl1 = slip one;  [  ] = repeat instructions in brackets


All pieces are knitted flat.  The main sections are knitted separately flat to the underarm, then joined and knitted flat to the neck.  The circular needle is required to hold the large number of stitches on the yoke.



BACK AND FRONT (make two pieces the same)     

With 4mm needles cast on 74 sts.

Work rib as follows:

Row 1:  p2, [k4, p2] to end

Row 2:  k2, [p4, k2] to end

Row 3:  As Row 1

Row 4:  As Row 2

Row 5:  p2, [twist2back, twist2front, p2] to end

Row 6:  As Row 2

Repeat these 6 rows 3 times more.

Change to 5mm needle and work in pattern as follows:

Row 1:  p2, k4, p2, k to last 8 sts, p2, k4, p2

Row 2:  k2, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2

Row 3:  As Row 1

Row 4:  As Row 2

Row 5:  p2, twist2back, twist2front, p2, k to last 8 sts, p2, twist2back, twist2front, p2

Row 6:  As Row 2

Continue in pattern until work measures approximately 15 inches (38 cm).

Break yarn and leave sts on a stitch holder or a spare needle.


SLEEVE (make two the same)   

Cast on 38 sts with 4mm needles.

Work 24 rows of rib as given for Back/Front.

Change to 5mm needle and continue in ss.

Increase one st at both ends of 9th and then every following 8th row to 52 sts.

Work straight until work measures approximately 17 inches (43 cm).

Break yarn and leave sts on a stitch holder or spare needle.
 

YOKE

The yoke and raglan decrease is knitted in one piece from the underarm to the neck.
 

Take the Front, and with right side facing slip 37 sts onto a stitch holder.

Using the 5mm circular needle, join in yarn (centre front) and starting with the remaining sts of the Front, work as follows:


-          sl1 purlwise, p1, twist2back, twist2front, p2, k26, ssk, place marker, k1

-          continue across first Sleeve, k1, k2tog, k46, ssk, place marker, k1

-          continue across Back, k1, k2tog, k68, ssk, place marker, k1

-          continue across second Sleeve, k1, k2tog, k46, ssk, place marker, k1

-          continue across sts on stitch holder for Front, k1, k2tog, k26, p2, twist2back, twist2front, p2 (244 sts)
 

Note that the yoke is knitted flat – sts are not joined in a circle and the work is turned at the end of each row.
 

Next row:  sl1 knitwise, k1, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2


Continue in pattern as follows:


Row 1:  sl1 purlwise, p1, k4, p2, [k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, k2, k2tog] 4 times, k to last 8 sts, p2, k4, p2

Row 2:  sl1 knitwise, k1, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2

Row 3:  As Row 1

Row 4:  As Row 2

Row 5:  sl1 purlwise, p1, twist2back, twist2front, p2, k2tog, [k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, k2, k2tog] 4 times, k to last 10 sts, ssk, p2, twist2back, twist2front, p2

Row 6:  As Row 2
 

Repeat Rows 1 to 6 until 72 sts remain, ending on Row 4.
 

Next row:  sl1 purlwise, p1, twist2back, twist2front, p2, ssk, (remove marker), k1, k2tog, [knit to 2sts before next marker, ssk, k2, k2tog] twice, k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, k1, k2tog, p2, twist2back, twist2front, p2

Next row:  sl1 knitwise, k1, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2

Next row:  sl1 purlwise, p1, k4, p2, ssk, k2tog, [knit to 2sts before next marker, ssk, k2, k2tog] twice, k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, k2tog, p2, k4, p2

Next row:  sl1 knitwise, k1, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2

Next row:  sl1 purlwise, p1, k4, p2, k2tog, k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, knit to 2sts before next marker, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1, ssk, p2, k4, p2

Next row:  sl1 knitwise, k1, p4, k2, p to last 8 sts, k2, p4, k2

Next row:  sl1 purlwise, p1, twist2back, twist2front, p2, cast off 34 sts, p1, twist2back, twist2front, p2 (2 sets of 8 sts remain)
 

BACK NECK BANDS

Continue working on last 8 sts, and starting with a wrong side row, working in twist pattern (slipping first stitch of row on neck edge and twisting on every 6th row) until length reaches to centre back with slight stretching.  Cast off.

Rejoin yarn to 8 sts on needle and complete in same way, working twist pattern to match.

Cast off.

  

TO MAKE UP

Join cast off edges of back neck bands.

Join neck bands to back along neck edge.

Join side and sleeve seams.

Run in ends and block to size.
 

©  Helen Cox 2012

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