SUGAR CLOUD SWEATER

YARN

• 7 (7.5, 8) of 1.75oz/50g skeins of Drops Alpaca Bouclé: 1.75oz/50g, 153yds/140m, 80% alpaca, 15% wool, 5% polyamide

• This pattern will work great with any bouclé yarn. It can be adjusted to other yarns as well.

NEEDLES

• US 6/4mm circulars for the ribbing

• US 8/5mm circulars for the body (or size needed to fit the gauge)

• For the body: long straight needles or circular needles on 32”(80cm) cable

• For the sleeves: circular needles on 32”(80cm) cable for magic loop method/ circular needles on 16”(40cm) cable/ a set of dpns

GAUGE

• 20 sts and 25 rows in 4”/10cm in Stockinette Stitch, blocked

NOTIONS

• Stitch markers

• Stitch holders (optional)

• Waste yarn

• Tapestry needle

• Scissors

FINISHED SIZE: S (M, L):

• Bust 39.4”/100cm (42.5”/108cm, 45.7”/116cm)

• Body length: 19”/48cm, adjustable

• Sleeve circumference 15.7”/40cm (17.3”/44cm, 19”/48cm)

• Sleeve length from armpit: 16.5”/42cm, adjustable

• Shown size: M. For the fit as on pictures, choose the size that matches your bust measurement with appr. 7”/18cm of positive ease.

Pattern

TURTLENECK

With the smaller needles, CO 84 sts. Combine them in a round. PM to mark the BOR.
R1-54: (k1, p1) to BOR.
You can adjust the length of the turtleneck by changing the number of rows.
R55: k11, PM (left sleeve); k34, PM (front); k11, PM (right sleeve); k28 until BOR marker (back).

NECK SHAPING

Switch to the larger needles. Prepare several pieces of waste yarn (WY).
The next 13 rows are knitted back and forth using only a part of stitches on the needles. This will make the back of a sweater a bit higher for more comfortable fit. Raglan shaping starts from R6.

R1 (RS): k until 8sts to BOR, w&t, place WY
R2 (WS): p until 8sts to M, w&t, place WY
R3 (RS): k until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around; k until 4sts to BOR, w&t, place WY
R4 (WS): p until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and p2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around; p until 4sts to M, w&t, place WY
R5 (RS): k until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around; k BOR, sl M, k1, w&t, place WY

Start raglan increases.

R6 (WS): p to BOR, LLI, sl M; p until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and p2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around;
p to M, sl M, p1, w&t, place WY
R7 (RS): k to M, LLI, sl M, RLI; k to BOR, LLI, sl M; k until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around;
k3, w&t, place WY
R8 (WS): p to BOR, LLI, sl M; p to M, sl M; p until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and p2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around;
p3, w&t, place WY
R9 (RS): as R7
R10 (WS): as R8
R11 (RS): k to M, LLI, sl M, RLI; k to BOR, LLI, sl M; k until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around;
k1 to M, sl M, k2, w&t, place WY
R12 (WS): p to M, LLI, sl M, RLI; p to BOR, LLI, sl M; p to M, sl M; p until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and p2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around; p1 to M, sl M, p2, w&t, place WY
R13 (RS, combining the round): (k to M, LLI, sl M, RLI)x 2; k to BOR, LLI, sl M; k to M, sl M; (k until WY, pick up the wrapped loop and k2tog with the stitch it was wrapped around)x 2; (k to M, sl M)x 2, k to BOR.

The next rows are knitted in the round again.
Current stitch distribution: BOR, 16sts - left sleeve, 36sts - front, 16sts - right sleeve, 36sts - back; 104sts total.

RAGLAN PART

Raglan increases are made in every other row.

R1: (RLI, k to M, LLI, sl M)x 3, RLI, k to BOR, LLI
R2: k all sts.

Repeat these two rows for 30 (34, 38) times total. Stop after completing “k all sts” row.
Current number of stitches: 354 (376, 408).

SEPARATING THE SLEEVES

Prepare two pieces of waste yarn appr. 20”/50cm long each.
Take off the BOR marker. Place the first 76 (84, 92)sts on a piece of waste yarn (left sleeve).
Cast on 2sts, place the BOR marker, cast on 2 more sts, k96 (104, 112)sts (front).
Place the next 76 (84, 92)sts on a piece of waste yarn (right sleeve).
Cast on 4 sts, k96 (104, 112)sts (back).
Current stitch distribution: 76 (84, 92)sts - both right and left sleeve; 200 (216, 232)sts - body.

BODY

Knit plain in the round until 2”/5cm to the desired length of the sweater.
For the sample knit the body without the ribbing measured 17”/43cm.

RIBBING

Switch to the smaller needles.
R1-12: (k1, p1) to BOR
R13 (Bind Off): k1, (slip st back to left needle, k2tog tbl)x until 1 stitch is left.
Video tutorial for this bind off is available here.

Cut the yarn leaving an appr. 6”/15cm tail. Pass it through the last loop and tighten.

SLEEVES

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

Transfer 76 (84, 92)sts to the needles.
Pick up 6sts under arm: 4sts that were casted on for the body + 1st from each side to avoid the holes.
Distribute sts on the needles as follows:

FOR MAGIC LOOP:

• 3 casted on sts + 38 (42, 46)sts; 38 (42, 46)sts + 3 casted on sts; BOR marker.

FOR DPNS:

• 3 casted on sts + 18 (20, 22)sts; 20 (22, 24)sts; 20 (22, 24)sts; 18 (20, 22)sts + 3 casted on sts; BOR marker.

R1: k2, k2tog, k until last 4sts, ssk, k2.
R2: k all 80 (88, 96) sts.

Knit all sts in the round until sleeves reach appr. 2”/5cm shorter than the desired length from the underarm.
For the sample knit sleeves without the cuffs measured 14.5”/37cm.

CUFFS

Switch to the smaller needles.

Size S:
R1: (k2tog, k3)x 16 = 64sts left
R2: k2tog x 32 = 32sts left

Size M:
R1: (k2tog, k3, k2tog, k4)x 8 = 72sts left
R2: k2tog x 36 = 36sts left

Size L:
R1: (k2tog, k4)x 16 = 80sts left
R2: k2tog x 40 = 40sts left

All sizes:
R3-14: (k1, p1) to BOR.
R15 (elastic Bind Off): k1, (p1, pass the last st from the right needle over; k1, slip the last 2sts back to the left needle, k2tog tbl)x until 1 stitch is left on the needles.
Cut the yarn leaving an appr. 6”/15cm tail. Pass it through the last loop and tighten.

FINISHING

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