Lightweight Raglan Pullover in Cattail Silk
We love our Lightweight Raglan Pullover in Linen Quill, but for summer, we love it even more in beautiful Cattail Silk… as light and gentle as a warm breeze!
The charm of this sweater is in the details: sweet cording stitch edges, gently curved bottom hems, and a graceful drape. Knit in the round from the bottom up with a raglan shoulder, this free pattern achieves a rare blend of challenge and simplicity that will equally engage beginners and old pros.
Whether your summer plans include stargazing, strawberry picking, or subway commuting, embrace simplicity with this subtly detailed warm-weather knit. It’s hard to imagine a sweeter sweater!
UPDATE: NEW COLORS
January 2022
Whether it’s your first sweater or fiftieth, casting on with something special makes the knitting special. And when it comes to our Lightweight Raglan Pullover in Linen Quill, the mix of fine highland wool, alpaca, and linen ensure every stitch of this sweater is a thrill, no matter how many times you’ve knit it. See our two new versions here!
Originally designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoLightweightRaglanPullover, and #PurlSohoCattailSilk. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 (3, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 4, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Cattail Silk, 100% silk. Each skein is approximately 618 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1220 (1360, 1505, 1650, 1800) (1940, 2070, 2200, 2335) yards required. We used the color Rabbit Ear Pink (no longer available).
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 32- or 40-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
- US 4, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 4 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
GAUGE
28 stitches and 33 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
NOTE: For help picking the correct size, visit our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size Tutorial.
32 (36, 40, 44, 48) (52, 56, 60, 64)
To fit actual chest circumference of 28-31 (32-35, 36-39, 40-43, 44-47) (48-51, 52-55, 56-59, 60-63) inches, with 1-4 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 32 (36, 40, 44, 48) (52, 56, 60, 64) inches
- Finished Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge of Back: 22¾ (23¼, 23½, 23¾, 24) (24¼, 24¾, 25¼, 25¾) inches
- Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge (measured at side): 10½ (10½, 10¼, 10, 9¾) (9¾, 10, 10¼, 10½) inches
- Finished Length from Underarm to Cuff: 16¾ (16¾, 17, 17½, 17¾) (17¾, 17¾, 18, 18¼) inches
SAMPLE: The sample pictured here is size 36 inches, modeled with 4 inches of ease.
PATTERN
For the free pattern, please visit our original Lightweight Raglan Pullover story!
I like your free patterns, but cannot find a way to print them without copy/paste into Word. Is there a pdf link somewhere for the Raglan Pullover?
Hi Sylvia,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! We do have a handy printer function that will allow you to print or download a PDF in a more simplified and printer friendly fashion!
f you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%.
Best,
Cassy
i have been using your great “Print” and PDF function for some time. Lately, the PDF shows up without the pictures I wanted included. Any ideas how to correct that? Could it be some weird plug-in or other problem in the browser? (Using Safari on an iMac, but could use a different browser.)
Hi June,
Thanks for reaching out! Is it possible that you are running an ad or pop-up blocker that is interfering with the images in the pdf dialogue? I would also suggest trying in a different browser if you can. If neither of those options solves the problem, please email us at customerservice@purlsoho.com to see if we can troubleshoot this for you!
Best,
Julianna
You have so many lovely patterns but never for larger sizes. I have a growing list of designers who accommodate us who deal with things like broad shoulders, big busts and/or large hips but wish you would too. You have classic styles, something larger women would like too. You could be the J.Jill of the knitting industry who realizes larger women would like to look nice too. Thanks for your time and thank you for your patterns. They are beautiful, just not large enough!
Hello Jane,
Thank you for your insights and thoughtful suggestions. We are very sorry that our patterns aren’t currently in your size range. We really do appreciate that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and share your concern that patterns be as inclusive as possible. As a small company, we haven’t yet had the resources to offer the scope of sizes we would like to, but as our company grows, we have been steadily expanding that range and plan to continue to do so!
Please be on the lookout, and thank you so much for adding your voice to this issue. We greatly appreciate your feedback!
Warmly,
Marilla
I want to second Jane’s comments and to thank you for your response affirming the need to accommodate those of us whose bodies are larger or curvier than what is now considered the ‘norm.’ I too love your simple classic patterns and am in the process of trying to adapt this pattern to a slightly thicker yarn as well as my ‘slightly thicker’ body. I have had success doing this with patterns for my grand girls but haven’t tried it yet for myself. Wish me luck!
Your patterns and yarns are lovely. My knitting skills are limited at best, but, love this pattern and want to try and use the yarn color as shown in your model.
Thanks
Helen
For what it’s worth, I completely agree with Jane and Victoria, and appreciate your thoughtfulness on this issue.
Hi! I’m eager to get this pattern underway, but stumble with the mobius band problem. I’ve cast on 308 st numerous times and knit a few rows, but haven’t succeeded in doing it without a twist. Do you have any tricks? Thanks!
Hi Kris,
It can be so frustrating to find a twist in a circular piece after you have already worked a few inches! I find it helpful to knit the first round before joining since it will be easier to see a twist around the needle when you have something a bit more substantial than just the cast on, and you can close up any gap when weaving in the tail of the cast on. You may also have an easier time if you use a longer circular needle – although the sweater will fit on a 24″ or 32″ needle, if you choose a longer needle, especially for the larger sizes, you can spread the stitches out more which will make it easier to spot a twist.
I also like to do one last check after I have completed the first round after joining, because if there is a twist, you can still untwist it at this point when there is only a strand or two of yarn joining the cowl together without creating a too-obvious lump or bunchy area!
I hope that helps! Best of luck!
Julianna
I agree with Julianna, the longest possible needle the stitches fit on for the cast on and 1st round.
Hi to whoever! I have purchased a few sleeveless tops and am thinking about the new lightweight raglan sleeve top. My ? is this: what would be your second choice of yarn to knit this and other tops made w fingering yarn and knit in a worsted weight?
Hi Pam,
Thanks for writing in! Our Lightweight Raglan Pullover is knit in a light fingering weight yarn – if you are looking for something just a bit warmer but still pleasingly thin for layering, our original pullover was knit in Linen Quill, a drapey blend of wool, alpaca, and linen. Although worsted weight yarns would not work for this pattern, we do carry quite a few lovely worsted weight yarns!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I purchased Linen Quill and downloaded the pattern for the Lightweight Raglan Pullover. In looking over the instructions I see something that I’m unsure of. Under “Shape Sleeve” on p. 2, the 3rd step is “Next Round: K5 {that’s for the smallest size}. Place previous 10 stitches on stich holder.” Does this mean the 5 stitches I just knitted and the 5 before them? I’m just confused.
Hi Jane,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you are correct – in order to center the underarm stitches relative to the beginning of the round and the increases you previously worked on the sleeve, you will be placing the last 5 stitches from the end of the round and the first 5 stitches from the beginning of the round on a holder, so you will have 10 stitches total on the holder.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi,
I’m an advanced-beginning knitter, so I have some confidence but not a lot. How challenging is this pattern?
Thank you,
Tricia
Hello Tricia,
Thank you for reaching out! This is a great first time sweater. I would say that the most challenging part of this pattern would be the short rows and the hem. I think you should go for it!
Let us know how it goes and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Would Anzula Cloud work for this pattern? I have 3 skeins of it bought from you a few years ago. Would need to make a size 36. Thanks
Hello Jane,
Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately, Anzula Cloud has a smaller gauge than Cattail Silk so getting gauge would be challenging. If you wanted, you could try and get gauge with cloud and see how you like the texture. You will likely need to go up a couple of needle sizes and it will have a fairly open knit.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
The pattern cannot be printed. I pressed the Print sign on the right column, it’s does not work.
Hello Julia,
Thanks for reaching out! To print out this pattern you will need to go to the original pattern post. You will be able to print the pattern from there.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
This is a nice pattern could it be made out of a little heavier yarn such as DK?
Thank you.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately changing the yarn from fingering weight to DK would change the gauge and finished size of the sweater quite a bit. To keep the original dimensions would require extensive pattern alteration which we are unable to do in the comments. Instead, you may be interested in either our Shoulder Forward Pullover or Top Down Circular Yoke Pullover, both of which have a similar simple shape and are designed to use DK weight yarn.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi! I was wondering how soft the cattail silk was. I am very sensitive to even the slightest rough fiber (linen quill is too rough for me). Since cattail silk is kind of expensive, I dont want to purchase it and have it turn out to be too rough. I love this pattern and was wondering if you could help me out in this regard!
Hi Ari,
Thanks for reaching out! Although Cattail Silk looks rustic and tweedy, the hand is anything but! It is 100% silk so there aren’t any fibers that can feel scratchy like the linen in Linen Quill, and it gets even more buttery soft after a trip through the washer and dryer! I highly recommend it for anyone with sensitive skin, so I encourage you to give it a try!
Best,
Julianna
I am having trouble with page 13. On For all sizes, the raglan decrease round, continue in stockinette stitch and repeat raglan decrease round. So I do not decrease any stiches on the body. Am I correct? Only on the raglan. please let me know if I am doing this the right way.
Carol
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! You should actually be decreasing on both the body and the sleeves during this section. The raglan decrease row for all sizes reads: [K1, ssk, knit to 3 stitches before next marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker (sm)] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased] The first repeat of the bracketed section will decrease two stitches on the Left Sleeve, the second repeat will decrease two stitches on the Front, the third repeat will decrease two stitches on the Right Sleeve, and the fourth repeat will decrease two stitches on the Back.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
When beginning to shape raglan, pattern indicates for size 32 inches only, Then has sleeve decrease round. Next is for 36 and 40. Just says to knit. Where are instructions for sleeve decrease and body decrease. Is there no body decrease for size 36 and 40?
Hello Wendy,
Thank you for reaching out! After you knit under the instructions for 36 and 40 you will go to the FOR ALL SIZES section. This section will give your raglan decreases – so yes you do not have a body decrease for these two sizes.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi there! I would love to make this in your new sweet grass yarn. What us the actual yardage needed for this sweater? Or could you tell me how many skeins I would need for size 40? Thanks!
Hi Lily,
Thanks for reaching out! For the Size 40 sweater, you will need 1,365 yards, or 4 skeins of Sweetgrass.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Knit in the round, does this tend to twist and bias?
Hello Vicki,
Thanks for reaching out! It does not tend to to twist or bias in my experience. Though, like many garments, it might over a long period of time, especially if you machine was this garment.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Could you please explain why the number of skeins for the lightweight tee and the lightweight raglan pullover in your Catsilk is exactly the same according to your descriptions? I am looking at the smaller sizes where it says for both patterns 2 skeins. Surely this can’t be correct given that one of the patterns has long arms and the other short. I am considering to order the yarn but live in the UK so need to get this right due to the high shipping rates.
Thanks
Hi Judith,
Great question! Due to the very generous yardage in each skein of Cattail Silk, you do only need two skeins for the smaller sizes of both the Lightweight Raglan Pullover and Lovely Lightweight Tee, despite the differences in the two patterns. For instance, for the smallest size of the Pullover, you need 1070 yards, or for the Tee, 905 yards, but since two skeins of Cattail Silk come out to 1236 yards total, you have extra yardage for either top.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Is it possible to use a small 9″ circular needle rather than double pointed needles to start the sleeves of this sweater?
Hello Peggy,
Thank you for reaching out! The needle circumference needs to be smaller than the circumference of the sleeve, so I would reccomend double pointed needles or magic loop.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Is it possible to use a small (9 in.) circular needle to start the sleeves rather than double pointed needles?
Hi Peggy,
Great question! This will really depend on the size that you are making! I think only the two largest sizes will work with a 9 inch needle as they are the only two sizes with a smallest arm circumference of over 9 inches. The 3 smallest sizes all start with circumferences smaller than 9 inches and thus the 9 inch needle would be too long.
Best,
Cassy
Hello. I enjoyed a visit to Purl Soho in July when over from England coming away with 4 projects! My first is the raglan pullover. I am about to join sleeves to main body and I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know how to distinguish the left from the right sleeve?. Please can you help me? Helen
Hi Helen,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m so glad to hear you were able to visit us in person! At this point, there is no difference between the left and right sleeves as they are knitted exactly the same. After you follow the steps for joining the sleeves to the body, you will then have a right and left sleeve, but it doesn’t matter which sleeve goes on which side of the body. You may find our Joining Sleeves to Body tutorial helpful for this step!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
I’m following the pattern so far with no problems, and am about to start the short rows for shaping the hem of the sweater, but it looks to me like the sweater done in cattail silk has much less shaping here and I like this hem better than the one done in the linen quill, which is a much more pronounced “shirt tail” hem. Can you please tell me how the shaping was done for this in this cattail silk? Thanks!
Hi Mary Kay,
Thanks for reaching out! We did actually follow the pattern exactly for the Cattail Silk version of the sweater, though I agree the hem does look less pronounced in the pictures! This is due to the nature of Cattail Silk, which has a lot more natural drape than Linen Quill so the hem blocked out straighter across. If you prefer a straight across hem, you can simply omit the short rows at the beginning of the body of the sweater!
Best,
Julianna
I think your lightweight raglan pullover is a beautiful pattern, but I am confused by some of the directions. For instance, under “Shape Sleeve” it has seemingly strange numbers. For instance, Continue in stockinette stitch… while repeating the Increast Roung every 7th round 112 (18,5,22,12) more stitches. How can the 5 or the 22 be right. I don’t know what to make of it. I would much appreciate your advice!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this row makes a bit more sense if you read on to the next part! The full row should read:
Continue in stockinette stitch, knitting each round, while repeating the Increase Round every 7th (6th, 6th, 5th, 5th) round 12 (18, 5, 22, 12) more times, then every 6th (0, 5th, 4th, 4th) round 4 (0, 16, 1, 14) times. [86 (94, 104, 112, 122) stitches]
Although some sizes may not have you work the increase on the 7th round very many times compared to other sizes, you then make up for it by working the increase round every 6th round more times. For instance, if you are knitting the third size, you only work the increase round on the 7th round 5 times, but you will then work the increase round on the 6th round 16 times, so you are still increasing the proper amount of stitches.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi, I love this pattern and would like to adapt it to be worked flat with side seams rather than in the round. But I can’t seem to figure out how to adapt the short rows section. Please can someone help? Thanks so much! -Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for writing in! Since each set of short rows is worked on the front or back and doesn’t wrap around, this should be fairly straightforward. You will simply work short rows 1 through 28 once on each piece of the sweater, and then work straight in stockinette to the underarm.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for your earlier help, and I started knitting. Have both sleeves done and am 4 inches up the body, However, I did not like the look of the cording stitches I was making, so decided to have just rolled edges, which I like. Except I did not realize quite how insistent the body would be on rolling up tight. I expected a little roll at the bottom. I don’t want to rip out what I have done, so I am desperate to find a way to control the roll. I don’t believe steam will solve the problem, but I think there must be some way of tacking down the bottom rows to get rid of excessive rolling. Can you help me? I will be most grateful!
Hello Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m happy to hear the sweater is going well! The first thing I would recommend is to steam the bottom to relax the fabric. You could certainly use safety pins, or clothes pins to pin its to itself, which would like help to keep it out of your way as you knit.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Sorry if I keep getting confused. I sure do appreciate your help! I am up to where I am separating front and back. I knit 9 stitches then placed them and the previous 9 on scrap yarn for underarm, but now I am left with two ends of a round needle (on either side of the scrap yarn) that can’t reach each other to continue to knit. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! After placing the underarm stitches on hold, you should still be able to keep knitting because the working yarn is attached to the last underarm stitch, right next to the next stitch you need to knit. If you pulled your needles out of the work so that your stitches are all on the cable part of the needle, as you would if you were putting your knitting away, just scoot the stitches back onto the needle tips so that you can knit comfortably as you would if you were knitting in the round normally, even though there will be a gap in the stitches on the right hand needle.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi, Julianna, and thanks, you have the patience of a saint. I thought I was almost done with the raglan decreases, but only now checked the number of stitches and I counted 26 stitches for each sleeve (okay) and 82 for the front and for the back (not okay!). What have I done wrong and is it fixable? I can’t understand how I could start with the number of stitches the pattern indicates and then get so weirdly off. Also, is there a way to make the neckline higher so it almost hugs the neck? Thank you !
Hi Nancy,
Hmm, it does sound like you got off somewhere! You must have done some body decreases, but somehow were skipping them on about half the rows. Is it possible that you were sometimes following the Sleeve Decrease Round, which should have only been worked on the 32 inch size and only once after joining the sleeves, instead of the full Raglan Decrease Round sometimes? Unfortunately, since you are so far off, I would recommend going back to the point where you joined the sleeves to the body and double checking that you have the correct number of stitches. After the initial sleeve or body decrease round, which you may or may not work depending on which size you are making, you should always be following the Raglan Decrease round, which reads [K1, ssk, knit to 3 stitches before next marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker (sm)] 4 times, for the rest of the yoke decreases. This row has you decrease one stitch on either side of every marker in the yoke, so you decrease 8 stitches total – 2 each from the front, back, and two sleeves.
Once you get the decreases working out correctly, if you wish, you can continue the raglan decreases for a few more rows past where we ended to make the neck opening smaller, or add a ribbed collar to make the neckline higher if you wish. Just be sure to use a loose or stretchy bindoff so you can still get the sweater on over your head!
Best,
Julianna
I am knitting this in a size 40. I have I have completed the raglan decreases and at the shape neckline and shoulders set up round. I knitted the 41 stitches and placed the previous 22 on a holder. The next step is to knit to the end of the round. However, the stitches on the holder are in the way of my next stitches. What have I done wrong.? Is my end of round marker in the wrong place?
PS. I submitted this same request for help a few days ago but got not reply so I checked here and don’t see my request.
Hi Georgia,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m so sorry that we missed your comments! During the raglan decreases, your beginning of round marker is the marker that separates the back of the sweater from the left sleeve, so when working this set up round, you will knit across the left sleeve first, then knit 41 stitches from the front, and place the previous 22 on a holder. Your yarn should then be attached partway through the front stitches, so to complete the row, you will finish knitting the remaining front stitches, then the right sleeve and back stitches to get back to the beginning of round marker. After placing the stitches on hold, make sure you turn your knitting so the right side is facing you to complete the row!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I cannot get gauge with size 4 needles, now using size 2 and it is 28 stitches to 4 1/4” , making size 36 is that ok?
Hi Heike,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you might have to go down one more needle size. Although it might seem odd to knit the sweater on US 1 needles, getting the gauge exactly right is very important for making sure the sweater fits properly. Being off by 1/4″ doesn’t sound like much, but once you scale it up to the full sweater, it will actually add 2 1/4 inches to the chest measurement, which is a full size larger than you are planning on making!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
This pattern inspired me to go back to knitting after 28 year absence. I am up to shaping the shoulder and neck line and read “cut the yarn”. For some reason I am not understanding this section. Once I have the stitches set aside for the neck line am I cutting the yarn on the right side and then loading the left sleeve stitches onto the right side needle?
I am also a little confused about the short rows- where does the first wrap and turn hit- on the left sleeve or through entire back and right sleeve then purling back?
Sorry for my stupidity
Hope you are well and safe in this scary time
Diane
Hi Diane,
Thank you for reaching out with these great questions! I’ll do my best to explain what you can expect from this section. Previously your end-of-round marker was located at the Back Left- after cutting the yarn, you will be moving your Left Sleeve and Front stitches to your right hand needle and creating a new end-of-row at the on-hold Front Neckline. The reason for this is that the short rows will be worked back and forth on your active stitches, from Right Front across the back to the Left Front, creating extra fabric for your back neckline and shoulders. The first wrap will be created at the end of Short Row 1 when you reach the Left Front, after which you’ll turn and work your way across the wrong side to create your second wrp-t at the Right Front. You’ll keep working back and forth like this according to the pattern, and your Front Neckline stitches will remain on hold until the next section for the Neckband! I hope this makes sense and is helpful but do let us know if you have other questions!
Best,
Gaby
Anxious to get started on this beautiful design I immediately stumbled on the cording stitch. I see the pictures and understand the description, but I’m finding the execution nearly impossible. I knit with magic loop. On the cording row I had to turn my work to look at it from behind, then its my left needle picking up the purl bump, then turn my work facing me transfer the stitch and knit them together, then turn my work going thru the process again for the next stitch. It took over an hour for the sleeve and it ended up a mess anyway. Am I making it harder than it has to be?
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with the cording stitch! I do have a few tips that I hope will make it a bit easier. Rather than turning all the way around, I usually push the fabric that I have knit so far up behind the needle, as if you were turning the sleeve inside out through the middle of the magic loop, to see the wrong side of the work. This technique is similar to how we work our Knit Hem, so that video might be helpful! If you are still having trouble, you might try separating the two steps by picking up all the purl bumps on a separate smaller needle first, and then knitting them together with the stitches on the needle.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I fee like a complete idiot but I am just STUCK at the bottom edge short row transition. I have completed through Short Row 29. Row 29 is knit and ends with “wrp-t” –that suggests turning around and heading back the way I came in purl. The directions after Row 29 are to Repeat Short Rows 2 through 28 once more. Row 2 is purl (and purl for 52 stitches). But I am facing the wrong way. If I purl 52 stitches in that direction I am not shaping the back half of the sweater’s bottom edge, I am messing up the front I just finished. If I purl forward past the wrp-t I get to a strange spot in the back side that doesn’t look like the right place to begin the short rows. Does that makes sense? I have tried and tried to visualize alternatives or see what I am doing wrong and I’m just stuck. The front half looks terrific and if I can just get myself turned in the correct direction and in the right spot, I think I’ll be ok from there on. Thank you for any assistance!
Hi Caren,
Thanks for writing in, and I hope I can clear this up for you! On row 29, after you knit to the wrapped stitch from the previous row and knit it together with its wrap, you should knit 75 (84, 93, 103, 112) more stitches before working the wrap & turn. This should move you to the other half of the hem so you are set up to finish the other curved portion of the hem!
Best,
Julianna
Hi there, thank you for all of your wonderful patterns and tutorials! Do you think this pattern could be made with tussock?
Thank you!
Hi Cassandra,
Great question! Although you will need to knit a gauge swatch to make sure, the gauge of Tussock is quite similar to both Linen Quill and Cattail Silk, so I think this would be a wonderful option! You will need 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) skeins of Tussock.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Hi. Just wondering if Burnish would work with this pattern and for the Cowl Vest. Would I need to use a different needle size?
Also, if I wanted the length to be 4” longer for a size 36 of this sweater, how do I work out how much extra yarn is required? Is there a formula which I can use in general for any garment? Many thanks.
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, Burnish should be a great option for either this sweater or our Cowl Vest! Whenever you are substituting a different yarn, even if it’s the same gauge as the original, it’s really hard to say whether you will be able to get the same gauge on the same size needles, so it’s always best to knit a swatch to find out. Unfortunately, it’s also hard to say just how much extra yardage you will need when lengthening a garment, but since Burnish has a fairly generous amount of yardage, one extra skein should be enough for a few inches!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’m new to knitting sweaters (I knit socks mostly) and this pattern fit my idea of what would something I can accomplish.
My problem is I’m a size 55 bust and I’m not sure I trust my self to accurately enlarge it. Do you have the means to enlarge it? I have read the description of other patterns that are similar but different size needles are used, and I’m not sur it will work with my yarn. As a beginner I can’t experiment with expensive yarn first.
Hi Pat,
Thanks for reaching out! We are in the midst of expanding the size range of all our sweater patterns and are happy to report that many of them now fit chest sizes up to 62-64 inches! We are steadily working to make sure this is true of all our patterns. Please be on the lookout, and thank you so much for adding your voice to this issue. We greatly appreciate your feedback!
Warmly,
Gianna
I am interested in knitting this pattern up for my teenage granddaughter. Does Purl Soho have a yarn that may be more washable that could work for this pattern.
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for reaching out! Our yarn Cattail Silk that we used in this pattern is actually extremely easy to care for! It is machine washable and can be put into the dryer on a tumble dry low setting! Another few options that are also machine washable fingering weight yarns are our Burnish, Spectrum Silk or Posy! For future reference you can find all the care details on the yarn product page under Product Details! I also suggest to be sure to work a gauge swatch whenever using a different yarn than recommended in the pattern to insure you are consistent before beginning!
Warmly,
Gianna
I knit 5” of sleeve for my gauge swatch in cattail silk. I got gauge on my swatch, but when I washed it as directed on the yarn label, I had considerable shrinkage in length. I don’t know what to do.
Hi Janet,
Thanks for reaching out. Very smart to wash your gauge swatch before beginning the pattern! If you plan on machine washing your finished pullover, then it’s important to take your gauge measurement from the swatch after it’s been washed. Since you’ve found that your pre-washed gauge is larger than your gauge after washing, then it will be important to make sure your gauge as you knit is larger than intended, so that it will shrink to the correct gauge when you wash it. Therefore, I would recommend making another swatch with larger needles in order to achieve the gauge after washing. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I just started knitting the pattern. Is it possible to knit the sleeves to be 3/4 length instead of a full sleeve? How would that change the pattern? Thank you!
Hi Mandy,
Thank you for your question! While this is possible to knit in a ¾ sleeve length, we advise against it because of the bottom-up design and raglan shape. To create a ¾ length sleeve, though, it involves some math; first, measure the length of your arm, stopping where you want the sleeve to end. Measure the circumference of your forearm where the ¾ sleeve would hit. Then, compare that measurement against your gauge to determine how many stitches to cast on initially for the cording stitch, and finally jump in the pattern in your desired sweater size starting at the number of stitches you cast on and following the increases from there, referring back to the first arm length measurement to determine where to stop.
It might take some experimenting but having a trusty gauge swatch makes this do-able!
Hope this helps!
Best,
Margaret
Wonderful, thank you for taking the time to answer. I have just started to knit the first sleeve and this is very helpful!
Happy knitting,
Mandy
I am knitting this in Cattail Silk. I had to go down to a size 2 needle to get the stitch gauge(ugh!), but my row gauge is short…5 rounds per inch vs. 8.5 rounds/in. Therefore, the increases at the wrist/arms are happening too quickly. It feels too loose. Any suggestions about spacing them out better? I have 36″ chest & am making size 40.
Sorry..I gave you the wrong gauge calculation. Yours is 33 rounds/4 inches or 8.25 rounds/in. Mine is 43 rounds/4 inches, or 10.75 rounds/in.
Hi Joan,
Thanks for reaching out. I would recommend trying the swatch once more but with size 3 needles this time! You’ll likely end up with a stitch gauge that’s slightly too large and a round gauge that’s still slightly small. Then, when you block your swatch before measuring it, you can tug it gently in the vertical direction. This will cause the round gauge to grow while simultaneously shrinking the stitch gauge, and it should even out to the correct measurements. I think that adjusting the needle size upwards will help tremendously in this situation!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I am having an issue with gauge. Going down to a US3, I’m still only getting 26.5 sts/4 in. I am trying to have a finished chest circumference of 40″, but I can’t get the math to work correctly based on the # of sts listed in the pattern under the “Divide Front + Back” section. Can you please help?
I’m assuming I would size down, but want to confirm that this is correct before I start. Thanks!
Hi Dora,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble meeting the gauge of this pattern! Have you washed or blocked your swatch yet? If you’re planning on washing or blocking your finished project, you’ll want to do the same to your swatch for the most accurate gauge measurement. Particularly, Cattail Silk is machine washable and dryable, and we’ve found that it tends to shrink a bit in the wash! Perhaps washing and drying your swatch will bring it closer to the intended gauge.
However, if you’re happy with the looser fabric (and if washing the swatch doesn’t shrink it that much), you could select a different size to make. Here’s how to figure out which size would work: Multiply the number of stitches per inch in your gauge swatch by the chest circumference measurement for your original size. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts around the body of each size (224 (252, 280, 308, 336) (364, 392, 420, 448) stitches]). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
All the best,
Lili
I’ve ordered your cattail silk to make this sweater. I’m a relatively new knitter and have never knit with silk but have read online in various sites that pure sillk stretches with wear between washings. Is this the case with your cattail yarn and do you recommend sizing down to accomodate this? I’m right between sizes S and M with a 36 inch bust but don’t want the sweater to be overly loose if I knit a size M.
Any insights would be much appreciated, thanks!
Hi Marite,
Thanks for writing in! Although silk does tend to grow slightly, you won’t be left with something that is completely unwearable. The important thing to keep in mind is that each time you wash your sweater, you will want to be sure to do it by hand to keep control over your stitches and avoid ruining the sweater altogether. I would recommend making the size 3 which is for bust sizes 36-39 inches. You can also read more about our recommended handwashing process here! I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella