Monday, October 29, 2012

Pulsing Cable Sweater




 Here it is. Just in time for the fall weather.  A beautiful cabled sweater.  It is also the first sweater that I am posting in multiple sizes!  The cable pattern pulses thick and thin vertically up the sweater.  It will keep you interested and challenge you in the shaping.  This pattern is for experienced knitters only!  Hope you like it!
 The chart below is like a photo.  Right click on it and save it to your computer, or print it out.  You will need this at your side, at least until you get the rhythm of the pulse!



Pulsing Cable Sweater
Yarn:  Sport weight yarn:  Label should suggest 3.5mm – 4mm needles, and 20-22 sts=4” in stocking stitch… 50gram balls should have around 125m, and you need 12 – 14 balls.  (I used Sandnes DUO, a merino/cotton blend)
Needles: 3.5 mm (US 5) for body, and 3.5mm and 4.0mm(US6) short circulars for the big turtleneck.
Gauge: 26 stitches, 30 rows = 4 inches knit from the chart. You should do a swatch using the whole chart width, and at least half the chart height…. Then wash or block the swatch before measuring!  This is very important to get the size that you want!!!
Sizes:  Small (4 – 6, fits up to 35 inch chest), Medium (8 – 10, fits up to 38 inch chest), Large ( 12 – 14, fits up to 42 inch chest).  The cable knit is very stretchy, but I like a natural fit (not too stretched)
Cable stitches: 
4 stitch left cable:   place next 2 sts on cable needle, hold to front of work, knit next 2 sts from left needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.
4 stitch right cable: place next 2 sts on cable needle, hold to back of work, knit next 2 sts from left needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.
2 of 3 left cable: place next 2 sts on cable needle, hold to front of work, knit 1 st from left needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.
2 of 3 right cable: place next 1 st on cable needle, hold to back of work, knit 2 sts from left needle, then knit 1 st from cable needle.
2 stitch left cable:  place 1 st on cable needle and hold to front of work, knit 1 st from left needle, then knit 1 st from cable needle.
2 stitch right cable: place 1 st on cable needle and hold to back of work, knit 1 st from left needle, then knit 1 st from cable needle.
A word about raglan edges:  On all four pieces you will decrease above the armhole for the raglan edge.  You will keep all edges as 2 knit stitch (2 purl on wrong side), and have 2 purl stitches right beside them.  You will do the decreases in the 2 purl stitches next to the 2 stitch knit edge.  It makes a nice clean line to the raglan, and an easy seam to sew up at the end.  Don’t worry, I will talk you through this… 
Pattern:   ***when there are multi size instructions, they will be like this…..  small(medium,large)***
Back: With 3.5mm needles cast on 112(120,136) stitches.  Work in k2, p2 ribbing for 2.5 inches.  On last row (wrong side) increase 12(18,16) evenly across.
Start using the chart (save the photo and print out!) starting at row one and stitch one, work first 6 sts, then repeat stitches 7 – 20 (between the light blue lines) 8(9,10) times, then last 6 sts. All wrong side rows are knit or purl as presented to you.  Work up the chart repeating the center 14 stitches as established.  After row 47, work the wrong side 48 , then start row 1 again.
Work in pulsing cable pattern until length of back measures 14.5”(15.0”, 15.5”).  End with a right side row facing you.
Raglan shaping:  Bind off 14 stitches at the start of next two rows.  (at this point, if you do not have enough stitches to make a cable, just knit the stitches that you do have.)  Now start decreases…
Row one decrease: Knit 2, purl 2 together, purl 1, work in cable pattern until 5 stitches remain, purl 1, purl 2 together, knit 2 sts.
Row two decrease: knit the knits, purl the purls like usual!
Repeat this decrease pattern, keeping the cable pattern as much as you can – you will lose the cables at the edges gradually – until you have 42(50,56) stitches left.  Place these on a stitch holder.
Front:  Work at for back until front measures 21”(22”,23”).  Make neck opening:  find and mark center 16(20,24) stitches.  Work until center stitches, join second ball of yarn and bind off 16(20,24) stitches.  Work both sides at once, bind off one stitch at each neck edge (knit 2 together at neck edge) every right side row 6 times.  (keep doing the outside edge raglan shaping at the same time) then leave neck edge even, and work until the raglan gets down to three stitches on each side.  Last three rows:  row 1: Knit 2 together, knit one.  Row 2:  purl 2.  Row 3: knit 2 together, and fasten off.

Sleeves:  Cast on 48(54,60)
Work in k2,p2 ribbing for 2.5 inches, increase 6(4,4) across last row….  (54(58,64) stitches are on the needles now)
Start chart pattern:  Small: Start row 1, stitch1, and repeat center 14 stitches 3 times, end with chart st 26.
Medium: purl 2, work chart repeating center 3 times, end with stitch 26, purl 2.
Large: Start with stitch 3, work across, repeating center 4 times, end with stitch 24.
All sizes: work chart as established.  Increase one stitch each side every 6  rows.  Work increases in purl stitches until there are enough to establish another cable pattern.  Add pattern first in knit stitches, then in cables when enough allow.  (if this is too difficult, you can continue to work the new stitches in purl stitches (reverse stocking stitch) all the way up the sleeve.
Work this way until increases grow to 94(98,104) stitches.  Work even until 17”(17.5”,18”) from start.
Begin raglan shaping, bind off 14 from start of next two rows, then use decrease pattern until 8 stitches remain.  Place these on a holder.
Finishing: sew the raglan seams.  Slip held stitches from right sleeve, back and left sleeve onto a short cable needle (3.5mm).  Pick up 54(58,62) stitches evenly around the front neck edge.  Count the stitches on the needle and divide by 4.  If any extra stitches, decrease them across the back , and work in a knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 4 inches.  Switch to 4 mm needles and work ribbing for another 4 inches, then bind off loosely.
Sew under sleeve and side seams.

 I love cables...  :)



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

No row gauge here, and I've found row gauge to be really important for a raglan sweater. Can you give us one?

chris said...

Thank you for the question, I have added the row gauge too... 30 rows to 4 inches.
Readers keep me on my toes, and I am grateful to that!
Cheers, Chris