BLUE SNOWDROP SWEATER

YARN

• Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted (100% superwash wool, 219yds/200m, 3.5oz/100g)
  - 5 (5.5, 6, 6.5, 7) skeins in color 112 (light grey) for the body
  - 0.5 skeins in each color 102 (off white) and 150 (dark purple) for colorwork

• Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Superwash (100% superwash wool, 219yds/200m, 3.5oz/100g)
  - 0.5 skeins in each color 753 (dark teal) and 724 (light pink) for colorwork

• You can use Worsted weight yarn (as in the sample sweater) to create a more dense and warm fabric. Sport weight yarn will work fine for a more drapey garment.

NEEDLES

• US 2.25 - 3.00 mm for the ribbing
• US 6 - 4 mm for the body
• For the body: circular needles on 32”(80cm) cable
• For the sleeves: circular needles on 32”(80cm) cable for magic loop method,  or a set of dpns

NOTIONS

• Stitch markers
• Stitch holders (optional)
• Tapestry needle

GAUGE

• 23 sts and 34 rows in 4”/10cm in Stockinette Stitch, blocked

FIN ISHED SIZE: XS (S, M, L, XL):

• Bust 32.6”/83cm (36”/92cm, 40”/101cm, 43”/109cm, 46”/117cm)

• Waist 28”/71cm (31.5”/80cm, 35”/89cm, 38”/97cm, 41.7”/106cm)
• Hips 33.2”/84cm (36.7”/94cm, 40.7”/103cm, 43.7”/111cm, 47”/120cm)
• Sleeve width at the armpit 10.6”/27cm (11.8”/30cm, 13”/33cm, 14.4”/36.5cm, 15.7”/40cm)
• Size shown: S.

Pattern

BODY

SET UP

With the smaller needles and yarn of the main color, CO 196 (216, 236, 256, 276) sts. Combine them in the round. PM to mark the BOR.
R1-16: (k1, p1) to BOR.
R17: knit plain for 1 rnd using the same needles.

Switch to the larger needles.
Knit plain in the round for 18 (20, 20, 24, 24) rows or until there is 5”/12.5cm (5.1”/13cm, 5.3”/13.5cm, 5.8”/14.7cm, 6”/15.3cm) to the desired length from the waist.
Start the waist shaping.

DECREASES

Set-up: k25 (28, 30, 33, 35), pm, k48 (52, 58, 62, 68), pm, k47 (53, 57, 63, 67), pm, k54 (58, 64, 68, 74), pm, k22 (25, 27, 30, 32) to BOR.
Dec.R: (k to M, slip M, ssk, k until 2sts to M, k2tog, slip M)x 2 times, k to BOR.
Knit 4 (4, 4, 5, 5) rows.
Complete these 5 (5, 5, 6, 6) rows for 7 times total. Then make one more Dec.R. Current number of stitches: 164 (184, 204, 224, 244).

WAIST

Knit plain for 12 (16, 20, 14, 18) rows.

INCREASES

Inc.R: (k to M, slip M, m1L, k to M, m1R, slip M)x 2 times, k to BOR.
Knit 4 (4, 5, 5, 5) rows.
Complete these 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) rows for 6 times total. Then make one more Inc.R. Current number of stitches: 192 (212, 232, 252, 272). Remove all the markers except for BOR.

Knit plain in the round for 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) rows or until the desired length.
In the last row: k to 8 (9, 10, 12, 13) sts before BOR. Place the next 15 (17, 20, 23, 26) sts onto a stitch holder or waste yarn. Do not break yarn. Set body aside.

SLEEVES

I used the magic loop method for knitting 2 sleeves at a time, but you can knit them one by one as well. Use magic loop, a set of dpns, or any other desired method for knitting small circles.
Use directions below to knit each of the sleeves.

SET UP

With the smaller needles and yarn of the main color, CO 44 (46, 52, 56, 62) sts. Combine them in the round. PM to mark the BOR.
R1-16: (k1, p1) to BOR.
R17: knit plain for 1 rnd using the same needles.
Switch to the larger needles. Knit plain for 5 rows.

INCREASING

Inc.R.: k1, m1R, k until 1 last st to BOR, m1L, k1.
Knit 8 rows.
Complete these 9 rows for 9 (11, 12, 14, 15) times total. Current number of stitches: 62 (68, 76, 84, 92).

Next R (Sleeve 1): k until 1 last st to BOR, m1L, k1.
Next R (Sleeve 2): k1, m1R, k until the end of the rnd. Current number of stitches: 63 (69, 77, 85, 93).

Knit all sts in the round until sleeves reach desired length from the underarm. The sample sweater has sleeves 19.5”/50cm long.
In the last row: k to 8 (9, 10, 12, 13) sts before BOR. Place the next 15 (17, 20, 23, 26) sts onto a stitch holder or waste yarn. Break yarn leaving at least 15”/40cm tail for grafting the armpits later.

JOINING BODY AND SLEEVES

With the body in the right hand, reposition BOR marker onto the right needle (before the stitches on the stitch holder). With working yarn of the body k48 (52, 57, 62, 67)sts of the first (left) sleeve. K81 (89, 96, 103, 110)sts of the body. This is the front part of the sweater.

Place the next 15 (17, 20, 23, 26) sts onto the stitch holder or waste yarn.

With working yarn of the body k48 (52, 57, 62, 67)sts of the second (right) sleeve. K81 (89, 96, 103, 110) remaining sts of the body to the BOR. This is the back part of the sweater.

Current number of stitches: 258 (282, 306, 330, 354).
Knit 2 rows.

YOKE

R1-14: knit by the Chart, repeating 6 stitches of the stranded colorwork pattern for 43 (47, 51, 55, 59) times.
R15: knit by the Char until 1 last stitch to the BOR. Move the BOR marker here.
R16: (k2tog, k4 by patt)x until the end of the rnd.
215 (235, 255, 275, 295)sts left on the needles.

R17-21: knit by the Chart
R22: knit by the Char until 1 last stitch to the BOR. Move the BOR marker here.
R23: (k2tog, k3 by patt)x until the end of the rnd.
172 (188, 204, 220, 236)sts left on the needles.

R24-31: knit by the Chart
R32: knit by the Char until 1 last stitch to the BOR. Move the BOR marker here.
Here you can cut all strands of yarn except for the main color.
R33: (k2tog, k2)x until the end of the rnd.
R34: k all 129 (141, 153, 165, 177)sts.

NECK SHAPING

Prepare several stitch markers.
The next 9 rows are knitted back and forth using only a part of the stitches on your needles. This will make the back of a sweater a bit higher for more comfortable fit.

R1 (RS): k36 (40, 43, 46, 50) starting from BOR. Wrap the next stitch and turn your work to the WS (w&t). Mark this place with a stitch marker.
R2 (WS): p114 (125, 136, 147, 157), w&t, mark this place.
R3 (RS): k107 (118, 129, 140, 150) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R4 (WS): p100 (111, 122, 133, 143) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R5 (RS): k93 (104, 115, 126, 136) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R6 (WS): p86 (97, 108, 119, 129) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R7 (RS): k79 (90, 101, 112, 122) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R8 (WS): p72 (83, 94, 105, 115) or until there are 7sts left to the mark, w&t, mark this place.
R9 (RS): k to BOR.

The next rows are knitted in the round again.
R10 (RS): k2tog; (k until the marked place, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around, remove marker)x until all markers are taken off; k to BOR.
Total number of stitches has to decrease by 1: 128 (140, 152, 164, 176)sts.

NECKLINE

Switch to the smaller needles.
If you want to make the neckline a bit wider and easier to pull through, make 1 row of increases. If not, proceed to R1.
R0 (Optional): (k5, m1L)x until the last 8 (0, 2, 4, 6)sts; k3 (0, 2, 4, 6) to BOR.  Makes 152 (168, 182, 196, 210)sts.
R1-20: (k1, p1) to BOR.

FINISHING

Fold the ribbing in half to the WS so that the last row appears near the stitches from R1. Cut the yarn leaving the tail at least 3x as long as the circumference of the neckline. Pull the tail through the tapestry needle.
Graft the live edge to the WS, sewing each stitch with the corresponding stitch from R1.

Sew the stitches from the stitch holders under arms using Kitchener Stitch:

• Pick up stitches from the stitch holders or waste yarn on each side of the underarm hole.
• Using Kitchener stitch and the tail of yarn left from the sleeve, seam the stitches together.
• If th ere are small holes left between the ends of the seam and the body of a sweater, stitch them up.

Weave in ends. Wash the sweater in lukewarm water. Block it, laying flat to dry. Enjoy!