Inukshuk Pullover

Inukhuk Pullover revisits my favourite icon... you can see the knitted inukshuk in my hands in the photo. I took that guy and charted him, then knit it straight into a simple pullover sweater. The new twist for me is the coloured yarns used in the motif are hand dyed by me with ONIONS and TEA! How cool is that... I had the most fun researching the natural dyes and "cooking" the yarn on my stove (my friends will tell you that's the most cooking I have done in a long time!).

Yarn used is Ram Wool's Inca Silk, unfortunately discontinued and it has been in my stash for over a year, waiting for the right dying / knitting project. The colour is natural (off white). I used 10 balls, 50 gms each, but wound one ball into 3 mini skeins for dying.

DYING: using a medium saucepan, simmer 2 tsp Alum (in the spice - pickling section of the grocery store) in 4 cups of water. Add all 3 skeins and simmer on low for one hour.

At the same time, in 3 small sausepans simmer one cup water with 1: skins from one spanish onion, 2: skins from one red onion, 3: 3 teabags.

Take out the skins and the bags, and add one skein to each small saucepan, and simmer low for half an hour. Rinse well in cold water until water runs clear. The spanish onion will make a butter yellow yarn, the red onion will make moss green yarn (yes, green) and the tea will make, of course, tea tan yarn. Dry and roll back into small balls.

Yarn: any dye-able worsted weight yarn that knits to gauge.

Gauge: 22 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches on 4.0 mm needles (US 5)

Needles: 3.5mm for ribbing (US 4), 4.0 mm (US 5) for body

Size: medium (chest measures 39")

Back: With smaller needles, cast on 101 sts. Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 2.5 inches. On last row, increase 12 sts evenly across wrong side.

Change to larger needles , work in stocking stitch (knit right side, purl wrong side). Continue until back measures 16 inches from start.

Armholes: Bind of 8 sts at beginning of next 2 rows. Decrease one st each side, every other row 8 times. Continue even until piece measures 25 inches from start. Bind off 7 stitches at start of next 6 rows. Bind off all remaining stitches.

Front: Work same as back until piece measures 9.5 inches.

With right side facing Start Inukshuk chart: Knit 43 sts, starting at the first bottom right stitch of the foot, work the chart as presented. (May be best to print the chart so you can mark the rows and follow more easily) (email me if you can't print and I will attach it back to you)

Work the chart in stocking stitch EXCEPT the two sections marked seed stitch (for texture). Seed stitch is described Here.

AT THE SAME TIME: When the body measures 16 inches from start shape armholes as for back. After the chart is finished, and the length is 22 inches, make neck shaping by binding off the center 29 stitches. Use 2nd ball of yarn work both sides and decrease one stitch at each neck edge, every other row 5 times. Work even until 25 inches, and bind off from each shoulder edge, 7 sts, then 7 sts, then the rest.

Sleeves: With smaller needles, cast on 47 sts and work k1, p1 ribbing for 2.5 inches.

Increase 5 sts in the last wrong side row.

Change to larger needles, work in stocking stitch, increase one stitch each side, every 6th row until 96 sts and 18 inches. Shape cap: Bind off 8 sts at start of next 2 rows. Decrease one st each side, every other row 10 times. Decrease one st each side every row 10 times. Bind off 4 sts at start of next 4 rows, then bind off all the rest.

Make another sleeve.

Sew shoulder seams, and with double point 3.5 mm needles, pick up 84 sts around neckline and work k1,p1 ribbing for 1.25 inches and bind off loosely in rib stitch.

Sew shoulder seams and side seams. Enjoy!