To ease you out of those cold, gray winter days and into the bright, dewy spring, we’ve redesigned our favorite summertime pullover in fresh spring yarns! In a slightly bigger gauge than the original, our Striped Spring Shirt is a classic, boat-neck, drop shoulder pullover, perfectly suited for clear spring days… and crisp summer nights.

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

We knit up this season’s Striped Shirt In Purl Soho’s beautiful, creamy Mulberry Merino, and we punctuated it with thin garter ridge stripes of our Line Weight merino. In two shifting shades of deep blue, the effect is well-crafted subtlety, very pretty and hugely satisfying! -Laura

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoStrippedSpringShirt, and #PurlSohoLineWeight. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho
  • Main Color (MC): 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) skeins of Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino, 80% extra fine merino, 20% mulberry silk. Each skein is 247 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 730 (820, 910, 1010, 1105) yards required. We used the color Heirloom White. (NOTE: We no longer offer Mulberry Merino, but choose from one of our other sport weight yarns.)
  • Contrast Color 1 (CC1): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino. Each skein is 494 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 270 (295, 320, 350, 375) yards required. We used the color Timeless Navy.
  • Contrast Color 2 (CC2): 1 skein of Line Weight; approximately 110 (130, 155, 175, 200) yards required. We used the color Peacock Blue.
  • US 4 (3.5 mm), 32-inch circular needle
  • Optional: US 4, 12- or 16-inch circular needle (for picking up and working upper sleeves)
  • A set of US 4 double pointed needles
  • stitch marker

Additional Palette Ideas

  • Post Image
  • Post Image

ON THE LEFT

  • Main Color (MC): Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino in the color Heirloom White (bottom)
  • Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Purl Soho’s Line Weight in the color Lichen Green (middle)
  • Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Purl Soho’s Line Weight in the color Desert Blue (top)

ON THE RIGHT

  • Main Color (MC): Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino in the color Heirloom White (bottom)
  • Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Purl Soho’s Line Weight in the color Yellow Zest (middle)
  • Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Purl Soho’s Line Weight in the color Yellow Yellow (top)

Gauge

NOTE: See Begin Striping section below for swatching in the round and/or see Continue Back Evenly for swatching flat.

24 stitches and 35 rows = 4 inches in striped stitch pattern, blocked

Sizes

NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!

33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼)

  • Finished Chest Circumference: 33¼ (37¼, 41¼, 45¼, 49¼) inches
  • Finished Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge: 22 (22½, 23, 23¾, 24¼) inches
  • Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 14 inches
  • Finished Length from Center of Neck to Cuff: 26½ (27½, 28½, 29½, 30½) inches
Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

EASE: This piece is designed with a 1 to 3-inch ease.
SAMPLE: Size 37¼ is pictured here.

Pattern

Body

Begin at Bottom Edge

With MC, cast 200 (224, 248, 272, 296) stitches onto the longer circular needle. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On. Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Work in stockinette stitch, knitting each round, until piece measures 1½ inches from the unrolled cast-on edge.

Begin Striping

NOTE: For some extra tips visit our Working Stripes in the Round Tutorial.

Round 1: With CC1, knit.

Round 2: With CC1, purl.

Rounds 3, 4 and 5: With MC, knit.

Repeat Rounds 1-5 twenty-one more times or until piece measures approximately 14 inches from unrolled cast-on edge, ending with Round 5.

Divide Front and Back

Round 1: With CC1, knit 100 (112, 124, 136, 148) stitches, place these stitches on hold for Front, knit to end of round. [100 (112, 124, 136, 148) stitches remain for Back]

Back

NOTE: You will now be working back and forth in rows rather than in the round. Each row in this pattern ends with the instructions to either “turn” or “slide” the work:

“Turn” means to do what you would normally do when knitting rows with a circular needle. That is to say, put the needle in your left hand into your right and the needle in your right hand into your left, and flip the work around so the opposite side is facing you.

“Slide” means to keep the same side of the work facing you and to push all the stitches to the right end of the circular needle. Without turning the work, start the new row as you normally would.

Shape Back Sleeves

Row 1 (wrong side): With CC1, knit to end of Back stitches, slide.

Cut CC1.

Row 2 (wrong side): With MC, purl to end, turn.

Row 3 (right side): With MC, cable cast on 6 stitches, knit across these cast-on stitches and then knit to end, turn. [106 (118, 130, 142, 154) Back stitches]

Row 4 (wrong side) With MC, cable cast on 6 stitches, purl across these cast-on stitches and then purl to end, turn. [112 (124, 136, 148, 160) Back stitches]

Row 5 (right side): Join CC1, knit to end, turn.

Row 6 (wrong side): With CC1, knit to end, turn.

Cut CC1.

Row 7 (right side): With MC, knit to end, turn.

Row 8 (wrong side): With MC, cable cast on 6 stitches, purl across these cast-on stitches and then purl to end, turn. [118 (130, 142, 154, 166) Back stitches]

Row 9 (right side): With MC, cable cast on 6 stitches, knit across these cast-on stitches and then knit to end, slide. [124 (136, 148, 160, 172) Back stitches]

Row 10 (right side): Join CC1, knit to end, turn.

Cut CC1.

Continue Back Evenly

NOTE: For this section do not cut CC2 between stripes. Instead, loosely carry CC2 up the edge. This minimizes the number of ends you’ll have to weave in.

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

Join CC2 on wrong side…

Row 1 (wrong side): With CC2, knit to end, slide.

Row 2 (wrong side): With MC, purl to end, turn.

Row 3 (right side): With MC, knit to end, turn.

Row 4 (wrong side): With MC, purl to end, turn.

Row 5 (right side): With CC2, knit to end, turn.

Row 6 (wrong side): With CC2, knit to end, turn.

Row 7 (right side): With MC, knit to end, turn.

Row 8 (wrong side): With MC, purl to end, turn.

Row 9 (right side): With MC, knit to end, slide.

Row 10 (right side): With CC2, knit to end, turn.

Repeat Rows 1-10 five (five, six, six, seven) more times.

SIZES – (37 ¼, –, 45 ¼, –) INCHES ONLY

Repeat Rows 1-5 one more time.

ALL SIZES

Next Row (wrong side): With CC2, knit 34 (39, 44, 49, 54) stitches, place these stitches on hold for Back Left Shoulder, loosely bind off following 56 (58, 60, 62, 64) stitches for Neck, knit to end, place previous 34 (39, 44, 49, 54) stitches on hold for Back Right Shoulder.

Cut CC2 and MC.

Front

Shape Front Sleeves

Slip FRONT on-hold stitches onto longer circular needle. Join CC1 to wrong side and…

Work Rows 1-10 of the Shape Back Sleeves section, above. [124 (136, 148, 160, 172) Front stitches]

Continue Front Evenly

Work Rows 1-10 of the Continue Back Evenly section, above, six (six, seven, seven, eight) times.

SIZES – (37 ¼, –, 45 ¼, –) ONLY

Work Rows 1-5 in the Continue Back Evenly section, above, one more time.

ALL SIZES

Next Row (wrong side): With CC2, knit 34 (39, 44, 49, 54) stitches, place these stitches on hold for Front Right Shoulder, loosely bind off following 56 (58, 60, 62, 64) stitches for Neck, knit to end. [34 (39, 44, 49, 54) stitches remain on needle for Front Left Shoulder]

Cut MC.

Shoulders

Left Shoulder

With the Front Left Shoulder stitches already on the longer circular needle, working from neck-side to shoulder-side, slip the Back Left Shoulder stitches onto the other end of the needle. The tips of the needle should exit the stitches at the shoulders’ edge. You will join the Front and Back Shoulders with wrong sides together in order to have a decorative seam on the outside.

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

Holding the needles parallel in your left hand, use either the shorter circular needle or a double pointed needle to work a 3-needle bind off. For extra help, please visit our 3-Needle Bind Off Tutorial.

Cut CC2.

Right Shoulder

Orient the Front Right Shoulder stitches and Back Right Shoulder stitches onto the longer circular needle as you did for the Left Shoulder stitches. With wrong sides together, join CC2 and use a 3-needle bind off to join the two sets of shoulder stitches.

Cut CC2.

Sleeves

Seam Underarm

NOTE: Before you seam the cable cast-on edges at the underarm, make your job easier by first weaving in the Contrast Color tails, just around this area.

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

To seam the first underarm, hold the Front and Back cable cast-on edges parallel. Use a tapestry needle threaded with the MC yarn to sew together these edges, starting at the armpit and working outward. Sew under the knit stitch at the cast-on edge of one side and then under the knit stitch directly opposite. Continue back and forth until you reach the end.

Pick Up for the Sleeve and Start Striping

With right side facing and starting to the left of the underarm seam, use the shorter circular or double pointed needles and CC2 to pick up a total of 77 (83, 89, 95, 101) stitches around the armhole. To do this, first pick up 2 stitches from the MC stitches to the left of the seam; then continue up the armhole, picking up 1 stitch for each MC row and 1 stitch at the 3-needle bind off ridge; then continue down the other side, picking up 1 stitch for each MC row; and lastly, pick up 2 stitches from the MC stitches just before the underarm seam. Place a stitch marker and join for working in the round. [77 (83, 89, 95, 101) stitches]

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho

Round 1: With CC2, purl.

Rounds 2, 3 and 4: With MC, knit.

Round 5: With CC2, knit.

Cut CC2.

Transition Colors and Shape

NOTE: If you started the sleeves on circular needles, change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Joining CC1…

**Round 1: With CC1, purl.

Rounds 2, 3 and 4: With MC, knit.

Round 5: With CC1, knit.

Round 6: With CC1, purl.

Rounds 7 and 8: With MC, knit.

Round 9: With MC, k2tog, knit to last two stitches, ssk. [2 stitches decreased]

Round 10: With CC1, knit.

SIZES 33 ¼ (37 ¼, 41 ¼, 45 ¼, – ) ONLY

Repeat Rounds 6-10 one (2, 3, 5, – ) more times. [2 (4, 6, 10, – ) stitches decreased] ***

Repeat everything from ** to *** seven (5, 4, 2, – ) more times. [45 (47, 49, 59, – ) stitches]

SIZE – ( -, – , 45 ¼, – ) ONLY

Repeat Rounds 1-10 one more time. [ – ( -, -, 57, – ) stitches]

Repeat Rounds 6-10 two more times. [ – ( -, -, 53, – ) stitches]

SIZE – ( -, -, -, 49 ¼) ONLY

Repeat Rounds 6-10 twenty-two more times. [ – ( -, -, -, 55 ) stitches]

Continue Evenly

Round 1: With CC1, purl.

Rounds 2, 3 and 4: With MC, knit.

Round 5: With CC1, knit.

Repeat Rounds 1-5 one (one, zero, zero, one) more time(s).

Next Round: With CC1, purl

Cut CC1.

With MC, work in stockinette stitch, knitting each round, for 1 ½ inches.

Bind off loosely.

Repeat the entire Sleeves section for second sleeve.

Finish

Weave in ends and block as desired.

Striped Spring Shirt | Purl Soho