I LOVE HUE PULLOVER
Early on in my knitting career when I did my first deep dive into learning construction techniques, it was Barbara Walker’s book Knitting from the Top that captivated my imagination the most. Her innovative ideas and the sense of discovery I felt reviewing each section of her book were thrilling and I adhered rather strictly to every assertion or direction.
Of course one of the strongest, perhaps most passionate themes in the book is that knitting doesn’t need to be treated like sewing. Walker rejected knitting methods that required knitters to seam separate pieces together and part of her project was to illustrate all of the ways one could bypass what she considered to be unnecessary, laborious steps and instead embrace knitting’s “unique properties.” This included using provisional cast-ons (being able to knit seamlessly in two directions), knitting in the round whenever possible (again no seams), and even neatly creating set-in sleeves from the top down by working a series of short rows, all without a tapestry needle in sight.
And so perhaps the greatest (and for me, most surprising) lesson I learned in developing and creating this particular design over the last few years (given my dogged rigidity with all things Walker) was how much I actually really like seaming and how, rather than something to bemoan, it can actually be an immensely satisfying part of the process. I know I might be quite late to the game, but I learned that the sense of wonder I still feel whenever I undo a provisional cast-on (having fresh stitches appear as if by magic) is not unlike the rush I feel when joining two pieces of knitting beautifully together with a graceful (practically invisible) mattress stitch. Instead of laborious, seaming can actually be fun, pride-inducing and gratifying. So thank goodness for our ongoing ability to evolve, question and reflect!
All of this is to say that this design contains quite a bit of seaming! The front and back panels, the side flanks and sides are all sewn together. I kept the sleeves top-down and seamless mostly because that remains my favorite way to make them, but most every other component requires a bit of (easy! relaxing!) sewing.
Creating the sweater in 1x1 ribbing and mitering the edges to create 90° angles presented a few unique challenges pertaining to gauge. The mitering tends to draw the stitches closer together in certain spots, and expand them in others and so understanding how this all works mathematically took some doing. Ribbing on a good day can feel a bit like measuring a wet eel. But everything has now been tested and retested and tested again and if you’re able to get the required gauge, you should have no problems matching any of the 10 sizes available as shown on the schematic.
For the yarn, I chose Purl Soho’s Line Weight, which is soft and light and comes in a vibrant, elegant array of colors for which the company is known. The Bright Flamingo shade I used for the outer stripe practically glows. Early on in the development of the sweater, a friend commented that the colors I chose made her think of Josef Alber’s striking square color studies and I loved the idea that other versions might also find inspiration from those enduring and remarkable pieces of art. The beautiful combinations one could put together are endless.
MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED
Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool. Each skein is approximately 100 grams / 494 yards (451 meters): 3 (3, 4, 4) (4, 5, 5) (5, 6, 6) skeins in Heirloom White (Color A), approximately 1195 (1350, 1555, 1760) (1930, 2130, 2295) (2475, 2610, 2800) yards required. 1 skein each in Pink Apricot, Heather (Color B), Autumn Oak, Heather (Color C) and Bright Flamingo, Solid (Color D), approximately 195 (205, 215, 230) (240, 245, 250) (265, 270, 285) yards of each required.
US 3, 24-, 32-, or 40-inch circular needle, depending on sweater size
US 3, 16-inch circular needle
US 3 set of double pointed needles
Removable stitch markers
Tapestry needle
GAUGE
33 stitches and 38 rows = 4 inches in 1x1 Rib, slightly relaxed after blocking.
SIZES
To fit bust sizes 28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42) (44-46, 48-50, 52-54) (56-58, 60-62, 64-66) inches; sweater is intended to have 6-8 inches of ease
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest Circumference: 36 (40, 44, 48) (52, 56, 60) (64, 68, 72) inches
Body Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge: 24 (24½, 25, 25½) (26, 26, 26) (26½, 26½, 27) inches
Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 17 (17, 17, 17) (17, 16½, 16¼) (16½, 16¼, 16½) inches
Length of Flank to Armhole: 12 (12, 12, 12) (12, 11½, 11¼) (11½, 11¼, 11½) inches
Sleeve Length from Underarm to Cuff: 18 (18, 18½, 18½) (18½, 18½, 19) (19, 19½, 19½) inches
Armhole Depth: 7 (7½, 8, 8½) (9, 9½, 9¾) (10, 10¼, 10½) inches
The sweater pictured here is size 44 inches.