BEAUTIFUL WORLD PULLOVER
People who write knitting patterns will be able to relate to how Sisyphian the process can sometimes feel, the months that can go into developing an idea, the endless testing and occasional setbacks that can occur (late night freakouts when a swatch you’ve sunk 30-plus hours into is ultimately a bust, or when the nifty shaping idea you thought you had isn’t really as great as it needs to be).
For me, creating knitting patterns remains the best work ever, but in these boulder-up-a-hill moments, it can also help immensely to find some sort of north star to help keep things moving forward and feeling right and good. For this project, that north star was my enduring admiration for Anthony Bourdain.
Through his various books and travel programs, his writing has long been a source of comfort for me, a fun and hopeful reminder that people like him can actually exist. What I have appreciated most has been the rare gift he had to be critical and funny without being mean, how he was so well read and curious and seemed to approach everyone with a gentle and open heart.
In watching several of my favorite Parts Unknown episodes and other appearances of his, there was a striped t-shirt I began to notice * (one he wore while drinking wine in a small mountain village in Greece, wandering around Rome and even preparing tripe with Anderson Cooper) and it just started to creep into my brain and represent some sort of ease and travel and comfort. I began to imagine a sweater version and to think of it as something one could easily pack up in a bag and take on an adventure going anywhere, to wrap around your shoulders on a long, overly air-conditioned flight or simply have on hand to turn to again and again for a long time, something unisex and suitable for many occasions.
I shared the idea with my friend Keith Foster who runs Kelson Goods and hand dyes the most beautiful yarn and he was immediately enthusiastic and supportive and set out to create the perfect shades of blue and gray. Much like writing patterns, many hours of work goes into testing and creating color formulations, especially when trying to be specific. Keith nails it every single time and I consistently feel like I’ve won the lottery being able to work with him.
For this project we chose his gorgeous superwash merino yarn called Workshirt, which is sturdy yet soft and provides wonderful stitch definition and drape. All of the hopes I had for the sweater to feel durable yet elegant were realized with Workshirt and for this piece especially, I loved knowing the thoughtfulness and attention to detail that Keith puts into everything he does.
As I’ve gotten older, my idea of an enjoyable pattern is one that features a few interesting, slightly involved aspects (patterns where you might have to perhaps pay a bit more attention and follow line by line instructions for a short while) followed by longer portions of smooth sailing. I’ve come to really appreciate the more meditative aspects of knitting and working on things that I know I will wear often.
That is how I feel about this design. There is a bit of care that needs to be taken at the outset when making the yoke in order to allow the stripes to line up as they do. But once the yoke is finished, the rest of the piece is basically a breezy ocean of striped stockinette stitch. And because it’s created from the top down, it’s super easy to adjust the length of the body and sleeves just as you’d like. For me, sleeves are like blankets and can never be too long (but it’s just as easy to go shorter), and I find this feature of the construction particularly helpful.
For this post, I wanted to think of and pass along a few of the things I thought of and remembered fondly while I was working on the sweater. A comprehensive list would be far too long and it would be very easy to go on and on, but there are just a few particularly wonderful things I wanted to highlight for those who are interested and may not have yet seen them.
I’ll start with a clip with Anderson Cooper where he’s wearing the t-shirt. I could watch a continuous loop of Bourdain laughing and find their interactions incredibly dear.
The next clip also includes Cooper and the recipe for Army Stew. When Cooper dubiously asks, “Ew, is that what that smell is?” and Bourdain answers, “It’s the smell of deliciousness!” I always love the reminder the moment provides to not be so quick to dismiss, to not live with rigid absolutes, and to simply go for it and try new things.
They are drinking negronis in the Army Stew clip, and this next link shows how they are made. If you enjoy a good cocktail from time to time like I do and don’t yet have negronis in your rotation, I would encourage you to try them. They are bright, potent and absolutely delicious.
During the pandemic and the seemingly endless isolation of that time, I ordered the cookbook that he wrote with his daughter through my local bookstore (a book called Appetites) and going through it and trying many of the recipes kept me looking forward and felt immensely satisfying. The Army Stew in the clip above is included in the book and another one of my favorites is as well, his Macaroni and Cheese, which is simply the best I’ve ever had.
It feels good to focus on the amount of love and friendship that seemed to surround Bourdain, especially with Eric Ripert. Having someone come over and cook is one of my most favorite things on earth to do and everything about this clip with Ripert lifts me up.
Like many, I felt the loss of Anthony Bourdain like a gut punch and was very moved by David Simon’s touching and beautiful tribute. His descriptions and stories affirmed how brilliant and funny I always imagined Bourdain to be.
The intended vibe of this pattern is one of love and goodness, essentially from our home to yours. I chose to call it the Beautiful World Pullover, in part as a nod to the Parts Unknown opening song (and the lovely deep tone of Bourdain’s voice as he sings the lyric) but also because it felt fittingly hopeful and an appropriate clarion call to get out into the world as much as we possibly can.
With love and happy knitting.
* My many attempts to figure out the brand of the t-shirt unfortunately failed. I had a glimmer of hope when I came across a long Reddit thread on the topic and even when I found something similar on Ebay and quickly bought it. Despite the misaligned raglan seams the shirt had and its small size, it was as close as I had gotten. Unfortunately a few days after placing the winning bid, the seller wrote to say that the package had been stolen off of her porch and that it was lost and gone forever. So although the search for the actual make and model remains active, I continue to celebrate the inspiration and happiness it ignited.
MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED
Yarn A: 2 (2, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 4, 4) skeins of Workshirt from Kelson Goods (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon) in Oyster Shell. Each skein is approximately 430 yards (393 meters). Approximately 730 (840, 955, 1080, 1225) (1325, 1415, 1485, 1605) yards (670 (770, 875, 990, 1120) (1215, 1295, 1360, 1470) meters) required.
Yarn B: 2 (2, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 4, 4) skeins of Workshirt from Kelson Goods (80% superwash merino and 20% nylon) in Tattoo Ink. Each skein is approximately 430 yards (393 meters). Approximately 730 (840, 955, 1080, 1225) (1325, 1415, 1485, 1605) yards (670 (770, 875, 990, 1120) (1215, 1295, 1360, 1470) meters) required.
US 4, 16-inch circular needle
US 4, 24-, 32-, or 40-inch circular needle, depending on sweater size
US 4 set of double pointed needles
US 5, 16-inch circular needle
US 5, 24-, 32-, or 40-inch circular needle, depending on sweater size
US 5 set of double pointed needles
Stitch holder or scrap yarn
Stitch markers, including one unique
Tapestry needle
GAUGE
24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch after blocking
SIZES
To fit actual chest circumference of 28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42) (44-46, 48-50, 52-54, 56-58, 60-62) inches, with approximately 1.25 inches of ease
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest Circumference: 31¼ (35¼, 39¼, 43¼, 47¼) (51¼, 55¼, 59¼, 63¼) inches
Body Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge: 22 (22¾, 23¾, 24¾, 26) (26¾, 27¼, 27¾, 28) inches
Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 14½ (14¾, 15, 15¼, 15½) (15¾, 15¾, 16, 16) inches
Sleeve Length from Underarm to Cuff: 17½ (18, 19, 19, 19½) (20, 20, 20½, 20½) inches
Upper arm circumference: 11½ (13½, 15, 17, 18½) (19¼, 20, 20, 21½)
The sweater images pictured here all depict size 39¼ inches chest circumference.