Classic Hemmed Crewneck
This Classic Hemmed Crewneck is the sweater that never makes it back into my drawer. It lives either on my body or draped over the back of a chair, ready for next time. It’s the kind of perfectly simple, perfectly useful sweater that, when you’re not wearing it, you throw it in your bag “just in case.”

Pared down and flattering but roomy enough for layering, the Classic Hemmed Crewneck’s achieves subtle shaping with the use of only a few easy knitting techniques. One of them is the no-fuss hems that help give this sweater its name and which we carefully explain in our new Knit Hem video tutorial!

But this sweater wouldn’t be what it is without Purl Soho’s magical Flax Down. A single-ply blend of alpaca, wool, and linen, this yarn has a beautiful bloom that seems to make the fabric glow. Flax Down folds gracefully at the hemmed edges, submits happily to the raglan shaping, and feels soft and cozy against the skin.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

My Classic Hemmed Crewneck goes everywhere with me these days and I’m confident, for many days to come as well. Make it your new just-in-case sweater, too! –Laura
UPDATE: NEW YARN
October 27, 2021

A sweater so nice, we made it twice: one in our original Flax Down, alpaca, extra fine merino, and linen, and one in our supremely soft extra fine merino and cashmere blend Cashmere Merino Bloom. See the new versions here!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoClassicHemmedCrewneck, and #PurlSohoFlaxDown. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
In addition to a Purl Soho Classic Hemmed Crewneck pattern (Please Note: The Classic Hemmed Crewneck Pattern is no longer available for purchase. For assistance, please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com), you’ll need…
- 5 (6, 6, 7) (7, 8, 8, 9) skeins of Purl Soho’s Flax Down, 43% baby alpaca, 42% extra fine merino, 15% linen. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1015 (1125, 1250, 1395)(1525, 1635, 1735, 1835) yards required. We used Heirloom White and Toasted Charcoal.
- US 7 (4.5mm), 32 or 40-inch circular needles, depending on sweater size
- US 7, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles
- US 6 (4mm), 16-inch circular needles (for Neckband)
- 4 stitch markers, including 1 of a unique color or shape for end-of-round
- 4 stitch holders or scrap yarn
NOTE: Looking to knit your sleeves in double-time? Swap the double pointed needles for 32-inch or longer circular needles, and check out our Magic Loop: Two At A Time Tutorial!
Gauge
21 stitches and 28 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
37¾ (42, 46, 50¼) (54½, 59, 63¼, 67½)
- To fit actual chest circumference 32–34 (35–39, 40–43, 44–47) (48–51, 52–56, 57–60, 61–64) inches, with approximately 3–7 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 37¾ (42, 46, 50¼) (54½, 59, 63¼, 67½) inches
- Finished Length From Shoulder To Bottom Edge: 22¼ (23, 23¾, 24¾) (25¼, 25½, 26, 26½) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Bottom Edge: 13 (13½, 13¾, 14½) (14¾, 14¾, 15, 15) inches
SAMPLES: The Heirloom White sweater pictured here is Size 37¾ with 5 inches of ease. The Toasted Charcoal sweater pictured here is size 42.
Pattern

Please Note: The Classic Hemmed Crewneck Pattern is no longer available for purchase. For assistance, please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I love your patterns but only knit with double pointed needles. Do you have any patterns that are not knitted in the round? Advanced thanks for your reply on this.
Hello, Gillian!
Thank you for writing in! I am more than happy to direct you to some patterns not knit in the round. What do you typically knit and what are you interested in making?
You’re also welcome to check out our knitting gallery here.
Best,
Kumeko
I am also despairing at all these lovely patterns done on circular
needles. I much prefer knitting on straight needles and would buy so many of your patterns if they were so designed. Please design some simple roll neck and crew neck sweaters for straight needles !
Hello Tamar,
Thanks for writing in! We will keep your request in mind for future projects!
-Adam
You can’t do this with intarsia but lace, fair isle, cables etc will work. You would have to read the stitch chart on the even rows as if they were odd rows.
Is this a top down pattern? Thanks
Hi Sandy-
No, it’s a bottom up pattern.
Thanks for your question!
Molly
This sweater looks wonderful! Can you tell me how much ease this is designed for?
Thanks
Hi, Sarah!
Thank you for writing in! This sweater is designed with a 4- to 6-inch ease around the chest. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
Is this sweater knit for the top down or done in pieces and put together ?
Hello, MJ!
This sweater is knit from the bottom-up! Please let us know if you have further questions! As always, thank you for writing in!
Best,
Kumeko
What is the construction technique? Top-down, bottom-up? I assume seamless in-the-round due to the needles required, but it would be helpful to have this specified in your description of the pattern.
Hi, Leticia!
Thanks for writing in! This sweater is knit bottom-up and there is no shaping from the bottom to the armholes. Then there is raglan shaping at the yoke and some short rows at the back shoulders. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
Does this use the full 5 skeins of yarn for the smallest size?
Hi, Alexis!
Thank you for your question! Each skein of the Alpaca Pure is 219 yards. The smallest size uses approximately 1015 yards so you’ll most likely be using at least 3/4 of the 5th skein.
If you have further questions please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Alexis,
Hey! I meant to write that each skein of the Flax Down is 219 yards, not Alpaca Pure! Sorry for the mix up!
Best,
Kumeko
Love this, but can you r commend a less fuzzy yarn?
Hello, Debbi!
Thank you for writing in! For less fuzz, I recommend:
Tosh Merino DK
Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton
Manos Silk Blend
Kersti Merino
As always, I highly recommend making a gauge swatch with any yarn that you plan on using for this (or any) project. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
Can you explain the gauge swatch I should be knitting? What does 28 rounds mean? Do I CO 21 sts and knit in the round, or is it 28 rows in stockinette?
Hello, Alexis!
Thank you for your questions! Most patterns will you the gauge over 4-inches, so to make sure you get the most accurate measurements I recommend making all gauge swatches at least 6-inches square. Also, because this pattern is knit in the round you’ll want to knit your swatch in the round (and by knitting in the round you naturally get the stockinette stitch). For this project I recommend casting on about 31 stitches and knitting enough rounds to get you about 6-inches in length.
If you have further questions please let us know.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
2 questions: 1) being a single-ply yarn, does it tend to bias? and 2) can you post a better image of the underarm/raglan area? I want to see how this works. Thank you, Pat Mersman in Takilma, Oregon.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for writing in! We do not find that Flax Down biases when you knit it. The fabric of the sweater is even. Additionally, we do not have a photo of the the underarm area. All of the images that we currently have available of the sweater are shown above. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about the underarm area. Please let me know if there is anything that I can clarify for you!
Best,
Cassy
I just purchased the yarn and pattern for this sweater. I love it! In reading through the directions I’m just a little confused by the direction “continue in stockinette stitch, knitting each round…” Is it — stockinette stitch (knit every other round) or knitting each round (garter stitch)? This direction is throughout the pattern. Please advise. Thanks
Hello, Mae!
Thank you for writing in! Great question! Knitting in the round is slightly different from knitting flat. When you knit stockinette flat you knit one row and purl one row and repeat. However, when you’re knitting in the round you create the stockinette stitch by knitting each round (which is pretty cool). Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
I love the Classic Hemmed Crewneck. Do you have it in a cardigan? – All your patterns are so beautiful. I appreciate your emails.
🙂 Sheryl Muraca
Hello, Sheryl!
Thank you for writing in and thank you for your kind words! Unfortunately, we don’t have a cardigan version of this sweater, but we do have some lovely cardigan patterns available. Please check these out and let us know what you think.
New Treeline Striped Cardigan
Classic Knit Jacket
Top Down Shawl Collar Cardigan
Folded Squares Cardigan
Best,
Kumeko
Hello!
This is beautiful and looks like a classic–is it knit top down? Easy to make longer–can you just keep knitting a couple more inches at the bottom or is there shaping anywhere?
Thanks,
Beverley
Hi, Beverley!
Thank you for your questions! This sweater is knit bottom-up and there is no shaping from the bottom to the armholes. There is raglan shaping at the yoke and some short rows at the back shoulders. If you have further questions please let us know! Again, thank you for writing in.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Lovely. Is this sweater top down?
Hello, Brenda!
Thank you for your comment! This sweater is knit bottom up! Please let us know if you have further comments!
Best,
Kumeko
Is it top down?
Hello, Pat!
Thank you for writing in! This pattern is knit bottom up. If you have further questions please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Can you tell me if this (beautiful) sweater is knit from the top down?
Hello, Kendall!
Thank you so much for writing in! This sweater is knit bottom down. If you have further questions please let us know!
Best,
Kumeko
Can this pattern be adapted to men? I would like to knit my boyfriend a sweater. He is about a size medium.
Hello, Hanna!
Thank you for your question! This can totally be knit for a man! For a more customized fit, I recommend measuring your boyfriend (chest circumference, arm lengths, etc.). If you have any questions regarding pattern modifications just let us know, we are more than happy to help!
Best,
Kumeko
When your pattern gives the measurement for ease, does that mean it is included in the size (i.e., the smallest size fits bust/chest size approx. 32 – 33″) or that it must be added to fit?
Thanks – I LOVE your patterns and made the lattice crewneck last summer for a friend of mine!
Hello, Chris!
Thank you for writing in! And thank you for your kind words! The 4-6 inches of ease is included in the size. If you have further questions please let us know!
Best,
Kumeko
This is my idea of the perfect sweater, simple and sophisticated, layer or not. Can’t wait til the white comes back in stock.
Hi, Nacny!
Thank you for kind words! Have you signed up to be notified when the Heirloom White is back in stock? If not, you can do so here. Just click the link right above the “Save to Favorites” button.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Do the hemmed cuffs for the sleeves need to be knitted with double pointed needles or would circular needles using magic loop work as well?
Hi Grace.
Magic loop would definitely work.
Thanks for asking.
Laura
Is the yarn used for it similar to a worsted weight yarn?
Hi Barbara.
Great question. Thanks for asking. Flax Down is a Light Worsted or what some people call DK weight. I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hello,
I love this pattern, and many of your others, but I would like to use some yarn I already have. I am not familiar with the yarns you sell, are you able to tell me what ply the Flax Down is? Once I have knitted through my stash I will be sure to be ordering some of your beautiful yarns.
Thanks
Hi Xanthe,
Thank you for your kind words! Our Flax Down is a DK weight.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I think I just answered my own question – Dk weight is 8 ply.
Ill be ordering your pattern now then!
Hi Xanthe,
You are correct! DK roughly correlates to 8 ply.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Beautiful sweater! A questions though, could you point me to patterns that have waist shaping? As a slender, but busty hourglass shaped person, it’s really hard to pull off sweaters without 🙁 I love a lot of your sweater patterns, but haven’t tried one yet for this reason. I understand it adds some difficulty, but surely I can’t be only female knitter that doesn’t have a straight build.
Hi Simone,
Thank you for your kind words! None of our sweaters have waist shaping. Waist shaping does add some complication but not a huge amount. At its base, waist shaping involves decreasingly evenly on either side of where the back and front of the sweater meet and then increasing similarly to accommodate for the bust. This essentially creates a slight pinch in at the waist. It is possible to add waist shaping to a pattern but I would recommend starting out knitting one that already has waist shaping built in so that would could learn the basics of how it is done. I find that Ravelry is a great resource for finding patterns with specific construction types.
We’ll keep you request for sweaters with waist shaping in mind!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi! Do you think the Quill doubled would give a similar gauge? I really want a sweater in the salt and pepper!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for writing in! That sounds like a very creative and even more lovely idea! The Linen Quill can be knitted on a US 7 doubled and has a similar gauge to Flax Down singled. I think it would be wise to do a gauge swatch in the round with the Quill doubled before starting the sweater. From there, depending on if the gauge is tighter or looser, you can decide whether to knit a size up or down. Since this sweater is meant to fit on the looser side (and is also pictured that way), there is some flexibility in gauge. I hope this helps you make your decision! Good luck on your adventure!
Best,
Adam
I’m knitting this and it’s gorgeous! I’m stuck on a section of the pattern that I don’t understand — shaping the back shoulders. It only mentions 2 markers and I have 4 raglan markers. What am I missing?
Thanks for your help — I’m so close yet so far from finishing!
Tracey
Hi Tracey,
Yes, you are so close! If you did the front neckline successfully, then you’ll have no problem knitting the back. The two markers that we refer to in this pattern are the back left and right raglan markers. The back neck is shaped with short rows and you will be starting at the beginning of round marker at the wearer’s right front neck. Follow the directions to get where you need to wrap and turn. You will end up 7-8 stitches beyond your back left shoulder marker. This is where you wrap and turn. When you purl back, you will end up wrapping and turning again 10-11 stitches after you pass your back right raglan marker. Keep wrapping and turning as prescribed and you will be finished with the sweater in no time. Please let me know if you have any other confusion with this!
Best,
Adam
Thanks so much — that was exactly what I needed to know. I finished and am proudly wearing my beautiful new sweater!
Thanks again,
Tracey
Hi there!
I’m a reasonably new knitter, I havnt done a pattern like this before and the only shaping I have done has been on hats.
Would you say this is an easyish knit? I want a new challenge but nothing I can’t handle 🙂
Thank you!
Helen
Hi Helen,
Thank you for your interest in this pattern! I think you should give this sweater a shot. You will learn some new techniques, like hems and short rows, but the shaping along the raglan line and sleeves is like decreasing on a hat. You’ll definitely learn a lot and become a better knitter if you take on a sweater. Luckily, this one is a great entry level garment project.
Best,
Adam
I’m working on the first sleeve and am confused. It says to remove end of round marker, K5, place previous 11 stitch holder for underarm (60 stitches). First, does this mean K5 and then place the 11 stitches before those 5 on the holder? Second, do the other 60 stitches go on a separate stitch holder? Thanks so much!! Loving this pattern and the beautiful yarn I purchased at your store!!
Hello Laura,
Thanks for the nice compliment! This pattern ends up making a beautiful sweater. For the sleeve you will knit 5 stitches past the end of round marker and then place those 5 stitches plus the 6 stitches before it on a stitch holder or scrap yarn for the underarm. Essentially, you’ll place the last 11 stitches you’ve knit on hold. This is the underarm and it will eventually be grafted to the body underarm with kitchener stitch. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Love this sweater! Just finished in the Lavender Opal ( the yarn is divine!) and it is gorgeous. I especially love the short-row technique for the neckline, it looks really professionally finished.
Hi Dawn!
So glad you like the pattern!
Was in your store on Tuesday and saw sweater on the counter near the cash register. WhenI called today I was told that it was this sweater. However the one in the store had an entirely different finish o the bodies and sleeves. Am I looking at the wrong item?? Thank you.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! I do not think that this is the sweater that you saw. The sweater that has most recently been near the register is our newest sweater the Lightweight Raglan Pullover. I hope that this helps!
Best,
Cassy
I am having some difficulty understanding the set up round of beginning to shape the neckline. My current end of round is the beginning of the front stitches. Can you walk me through the directions? Do I knit to the next marker twice which puts me at the start of the back stitches so if I knit 33 stitches I am in the back stitches not the front neckline. Please help. I am obviously doing something wrong. I am anxious to finish the sweater.
Thank you.
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I’m sorry you’re having trouble with this part of the pattern! I’ll try to explain:
The end of round is actually at the wearer’s back right and when you knit to marker twice you should end up at the front left. This is where you will knit 33 stitches and then place 20 on hold for the front neck. After this you will knit to end of round. When you get to the end of round you’ll slip your right sleeve and right neck back on to the left needle and the right front neck edge will become your beginning of round. I hope this has made things a bit clearer! Please write me if you have any other questions!
Best,
Adam
Thank you. That was very helpful!
Lisa.
i’m confused here as well, but your answer above doesn’t seem to clarify things for me! i see the directions for the front right neck, (making short rows) but don’t see how to get to, or instructions to repeat process for front left neck. and since there’s a stitch holder separating them, i’m perplexed…
thanks!
MJ
Hi there,
Sorry for the late reply! I hope I can clarify this part of the pattern for you! After you slip the front neckline stitches on to a holder you will knit to the original end of round marker and then slip the right sleeve and front neckline stitches back on to the circular needle (the left-hand needle if the right side of the garment is facing you). This brings you to the right front neckline as the beginning of round. You will now be working the right front neck, right sleeve, back, left sleeve and left front necklines back and forth in short rows, wrapping and turning to create the curve of the neck. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Hi my favorite knitting site and store! Ok, I’m at where this comment left off. I am at the right front. The instruction says to join yarn. But the yarn I cut is on the opposite side of where my next knit begins. Is that right? How do I begin the next step? Do I just start knitting with the beginning of a “fresh” yarn? I hope my confusion is clear. I guess I need to know what to do with the yarn I cut before I slipped stitches. (I’m shaping the neckline) thank you!
Hi Emmi,
Thanks for writing again! Yes, you’ll start with a fresh end of yarn. Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
-Adam
I love love the toasted charcoal colour but it is not shown in the Flax down list. When will it be available?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for your kind words! Sadly, Toasted Charcoal has been discontinued in Flax Down. As an alternative, I would recommend either Stillwater Blue or Kettle Black. Both of these colors are on the darker side but still have the richness of Toasted Charcoal.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
The single ply of your Flax Down causes me to wonder about pilling. How does this yarn behave if the garment is worn frequently?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for your question! As a single ply yarn the garment will pill some but not a ton. In my experience with this yarn there is more fuzzing and halo than pilling. The pill that do arise and the fuzz that does get out of control is easily controllable with a sweater shaver like the Gleener. I hope you will choose the yarn because it is so incredibly soft and unique. Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
I have a question regarding what size of sweater to knit. Should I measure the chest circumference and then add 4-6 inches for ease and choose the size closest to those total inches. For example if chest circumference is 37 = 4-6 inches of ease = size 42?
Hi Nancy,
You are spot on! If you like the look of how the sweater is worn on our model with the 4-6 inches of positive ease, you would add 4-6 inches to your bust measurement and knit the corresponding size.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Hello,
When measuring from the hemmed edge – is that the absolute bottom of the work where the fold is or the edge where the work continues after the hem is complete?
Thanks!
Hi Sara,
Thanks for writing in! When measuring from the hemmed edge you are measuring from the absolute bottom edge of the sweater, NOT counting the part that is folded under. Whenever you measure for body length you will always measure what will be visible on the outside of the garment. I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!
-Adam
The yarn and the finished outcome are completely delicious. But gosh, arriving at the finish was jolly hard work and oftentimes I felt the instructions were unnecessarily complicated for such a simple design. Having so many stitches and pieces all on one needle allowed NO room for error and frankly the final part – the neck – was horrendous. My knitting skills may not be great but I have the luxury of a weekly knitting tutor who has the skills who also struggled at times. I remain a great admirer and hope my request for simplicity can be applied to future projects. With thanks. Diana
Hi Diana,
Thanks for writing in. I’m glad the outcome was great and I hope that the process was worth it. I also hope you learned a lot about sweater construction in knitting this project! Sweaters are tough and we try to explain everything in as much detail as we can. I hope that you’ll find that we have much simpler sweater patterns on our website. As for the neck, it might have been a pain, but it sure does make the garment fit a whole lot better!
Best,
Adam
Hello Purl Bee,
Thanks for this beautiful pattern.
I have a very lovely wool I would like to use, but I cannot get better any better gauge than 19 stitches for 4 inches. I cannot use a smaller needle size, the wool cannot stand it. And I would really like to use that one.
I know it is not so simple, but do you think going for one larger size of pattern could slightly compensate it?
Thanks for any suggestion you could give me.
Lucio
Hi Lucio,
Thanks for writing in! I think that you could use this yarn since the gauge is similar. It just depends on which size you are doing. With your current gauge you will get approximately a 41″ chest if you follow the directions for the smallest size. This doesn’t accommodate for row gauge however and you might end up with a slightly longer sweater. If you select a chest size that you want to do, just multiply 4.75 (your current stitches per inch) by the chest size you want and choose a cast on number in the pattern that is closest. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
-Adam
Does the flax yarn shed? I’m worried that if I buy a light color, it will shed all over my black pants. Thanks
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing in! The Flax Down doesn’t really shed a lot but it does fuzz quite a bit and has a high halo. This lends to its softness. I don’t think that it would come off too much on black pants, but it will a little bit. If you are looking for a smoother yarn, I suggest looking at Anzula Cricket. It is high quality and doesn’t shed pretty much!
All the best,
Adam
Thank you for letting me know. The fuzz up my nose would bother me quite a bit. I will consider your options on substitute yarns.
Have to return the flax down yarn as I cannot deal with the way it sheds fibers up my nose and in my eyes. Can you suggest another yarn for this sweater in some kind of wool in your inventory that does not shed?
Hi Tessa,
Sorry to hear about this! I suggest the Cashmere Merino Bloom, Anzula Cricket or the Cascade 220 Sport. These are great yarns that you work well with the pattern.
All the best,
Adam
I wonder if there’s an error in the pattern in raglan decrease round. It’s similar to body decrease round – or can’t I just figure it out? I think it’s missing the sleeve decreases.
Hi Ester,
Thanks for the question! The pattern is correct. For the beginning of the raglan decreases you don’t decrease from the sleeve section. You’ll eventually eliminate stitches at the sleeve, but this will happen later on. Best of luck!
-Adam
I wondered if your patterns include only US imperial measurements or do you include metric as well? Thanks!
Hi Emma,
Thanks for writing in! Our patterns are written in US measurements. We appreciate the requests for metric measurements and will certainly keep them in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
I’m at the very end! I think that I need to have some guiding yarn to pick up the purl side… I used black so it’s hard to tell if I’m picking up the right stitch. Do you have any suggestions or give me a link to help me? I hate to mess up the neckline! thanks!
Hi Emmi,
Thanks for the question. The neckline on this garment is very difficult to do, but you’ll find that if you spend more time prepping to get the neckline even, you’ll have far less trouble.
1. You can mark 2″ below by counting how many rows you’ve done from the start of the neckband. I suggest counting down from every 20th stitch on your needle and marking with a removable marker. This will clarify where you’ll join.
2. Measure 2″ down and sew in a line with a contrasting color yarn or thread. Be sure to take your time and pick up only the stitches that are in that round (not above or below).
Hope this helps!
-Adam
I just came across your site, and I’m impressed that you take comments and answer each one carefully. Lovely!
Hi Sybil,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! We love our community and appreciate our commenters!
Best,
Cassy
Hi, I noticed that the purl soho pull over is unisex. Is the classic hemmed crew neck also unisex, or am I dreaming? Also, if you could let me know if any of your other sweaters are unisex I would be very grateful.
Cheers!
Hi Todd,
Thanks for the question! This sweater is unisex if you lengthen the body and sleeves. In fact, a lot of our sweaters, including the Lightweight Raglan Pullover, Twisted Rib Pullover and the Top-Down Shawl Collar Cardigan are unisex if you lengthen them. Hope you like the suggestions!
-Adam
Thank you so much Adam, this gives me some options for the next project!
I hope I’m not asking something already asked, above. I love the look of this sweater, but what about the hemmed edge? In past projects, I did not like the static or un stretchy quality of a bottom hemmed edge. Does the pattern somehow give the hem some stretch? Or, how can you magically do that?
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for writing us. The hemmed edge is not as stretchy as the ribbed edge, but it does offer a clean line from armhole to hem edge. We have done nothing in the pattern to make the edge stretchier, but since the sweater is made for a boxy fit you won’t need much stretch. Hope this helps!
-Adam
Thanks Adam. I just watched the hem video. Maybe this technique will lend more “give” to the hem, instead of the stitched hem I assumed I would do. I think I’ll test it first.
Cheers,
I tried it and it remarkably stretchy. I’ll never bother with a stitched hem again. Thanks for the videos!
Hi, I was just wondering whether I need to order 32 or 40-inch circular needles for sweater size 42. Thank you!
Hi Olivia!
Thank you for writing in! I recommend ordering the 40-inch circular needle. Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
hello from Canada. I was in your lovely shop last week, and bought 4 balls of Linen Quill, Kiln Red to make the pullover sweater on display (in a greyish white if memory works) with the interesting doubled hem (no idea how to describe what you’d done to the cuffs and bottom of sweater, other than knit down to create a crease) I was told the sweater was a free pattern on your site, but cannot find it. This sweater seems closest, but not quite the same. Can you help? Thanks, Anne
Hi Anne,
Thanks for writing in and we are so glad that you were able to visit us at the shop! The sweater that you are referring to is the LIghtweight Raglan Pullover and can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2016/05/31/lightweight-raglan-pullover/
Happy knitting!
Cassy
May I use Cashmere Merino Bloom to knit this sweater?
Hi Teri,
Thanks for writing in! I think that Cashmere Merino Bloom is a great substitute for the Flax Down! Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
Love this sweater…could a total newbie knitter do this? Or would you direct me to other, easier projects first. This doesn’t look complicated?!
Thanks so much
Hi Susan,
Thanks for the question! Glad to see you are enthusiastic about knitting! While this sweater looks super easy, there are some more-advanced skills like knit hems, short rows, increases and decreases. If you have done any of these techniques before, I’d read through the pattern and see if you can grasp it. Otherwise, I would hold off and tag this as a pattern to aspire to. Nothing wrong with that!
All the best,
Adam
I love your patterns, but I knit with a needle under my arm and cannot knit on the round. I would love to knit this one. Please come up with patterns that are not on the round. I think there are many of us who prefer to knit with single pointed needles.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for the suggestion! I suggest looking at Goode. This is a Purl Soho pattern that is knit flat. We definitely will keep your recommendation in mind for the future!
All the best,
Adam
I wish you would, or at least adapt your patterns to sp needles. I would buy a lot of them!
Laura
Hi guys! I’m so close! I’m doing the first two raglan descrease rounds I dropped the end of round marker and forgot where it was! I’ve now got it on the back where right sleeve meets body…is that correct?
I’m also confused by the rounds that decrease by 8 stitches…it’s a k2tog then essentially k4 then ssk…the ssk being on the sleeve/shoulder and slanting in towards that 4 stitch raglan band…have I got that right? It feels like the ssk is sloping the wrong way but this is my first time doing raglan so I might just be not seeing it yet.
Thanks!
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the question! Glad you are powering through this! Your beginning of round is on your back right side. You should have four markers throughout your work: the beginning of round marker and three different color markers. All denote decrease points. In between each marker you decrease as follows: K2, ssk, knit to 4 stitches before next marker, k2tog, k2. This equals two decreases, which turns out to be eight total decreases over four sections. Hope this clears things up!
-Adam
Hello! I have this same question and it still isn’t making sense to me after reading this thread.
If there are four markers, and one decrease (ssk or k2tog) at each of those markers, then why would that be equal to 8 total decreases? Shouldn’t there be four per round? Should I go around twice?
Also, it denotes that the amount of sleeve stitches will decrease as well, but the decreases only happen in the body portion.
Hi Madeline,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct that, at first, you will only be decreasing four stitches per round, on the front and back of the body only. You will only be working this row a few times, depending on your size, as indicated in the pattern. If you look ahead to the section labeled “FOR ALL SIZES,” you will see that the new decrease row has eight decreases per round, one on either side of each marker, and includes decreases for all sections of the sweater – back, front, and both sleeves. You will continue using this row for the remainder of the raglan decreases until you reach the neck shaping.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I am knitting size 37.5. The portion of the pattern that describes decreasing before and after the market is only included for the larger sizes. All sizes lists this: “Round 1: [K2, ssk, knit to 4 stitches before next marker, k2tog, k2, sm] four times. [8 stitches decreased”
I copied and pasted that. Unlike the instructions for the larger sizes only, it does not mention a decrease before and after the markers.
Disregard. I was reading the parentheses and repeats incorrectly. Thank you for your help! For reference, the way the things within the parentheses are written is quite confusing
Hello Madeline,
Thank you for reaching out and I’m happy to hear you are back on track!
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Madeline, can you please clue me in? I have the EXACT same confusion, and I’m going to go look again, but my pattern is not forming that cool, four stitch raglan, and I don’t see how the sleeves are decreased?? I guess I’m reading it wrong, but how do you read it?? Is the direction quite different in the “For All Sizes” section?
do you knit around between each decrease row?
Hi Christy,
I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems! Can you let me know what size you are knitting so I can help you figure this out?
Best,
Julianna
I just finished knitting this beautiful sweater in Flax Down, Ballet Pink. First time using this yarn. I usually wet block my knitting to give the objects a finished look, but I’m concerned that the Alpaca in the fabric may grow too much. What do you think I should expect if I soak the sweater? Will it grow wider, longer, or both? Or will the wool help it bounce back to its knitted size? I love the yarn and the pattern.
Thanks,
Mary
Hello Mary,
Thanks for writing in! It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed working with our yarn. You are correct that the wool and linen will help your sweater keep its shape. You can wet block or stream block this sweater.
Let us know if you have anymore questions!
Warmly,
Marilla
1) I totally love Purl Soho! Thanks for building this great community. 2) I want to knit my first sweater. I have been knitting for years, but I have always stuck to baby blankets, hats, and scarves. Do you think this is a good first attempt sweater? Or is there another one you recommend? Thanks!!
Hello Carrie,
Thank you for these kind words! I think this sweater will be great for your first sweater. It sounds like you have a solid foundation to start knitting this sweater.
Good luck and let us know if you have any questions along the way!
-Marilla
I love this yarn, and this sweater! I’ve just about finished it (still need to graft the underams), and unfortunately it’s fitting me a lot looser than I anticipated in the upper body/shoulders/neckline.
It’s my fault for not measuring carefully, but is there anything I can do? Is there a way to block this so it shrinks a little? I tried it on as I went and really only noticed this at the very end – it’s like my shoulders are too slim and there’s a few inches too much fabric between the underarm and the collar (and the collar itself is too wide for me). I was thinking I could frog it back to the underarms and try to decrease sooner, but I’m very nervous about going backwards through the raglan and short rows, and I’m unsure how I’d modify the pattern to make it smaller if I redid the upper body anyway. Help!
Hello Carter,
Yikes! I think we’ve all been there at one point or another! I’m wondering if you checked your gauge before knitting the sweater? Depending on the yarn and the needles it is sometimes necessary to size down your needles in order to get gauge. This sweater is designed with a 4″-6″ positive ease so it fits a little bit loosely.
If you are familiar with kitchener stitch you might want to rip back the upper body and place the remaining part of your sweater on waste yarn. You could then re work the upper body separately and then kitchener the two pieces together at the end.
I have stumbled upon a few ravelry help forums where people share their personal tips when they run in to problems like this by searching key words like “knit help” under “groups”.
I hope this helps you!
Carly
Hi Purl Soho.
I am up to the part where I join the sleeves to the body and begin the yoke. The part I am having trouble imagining in my mind is the 11 stitches of each sleeve that are on a stitch holder, and the 11 stitches at each side of the body, that are on a stitch holder.
In the pattern, it says the k3 (presumably for the raglan part), join the 60 sleeve stitches, then k3. But this means that underneath that, there will be 11 stitches of the sleeve underarm and 11 stitches of the body underarm? What happens to these? How do they end up a closed part of the final piece?
Sorry if it is simple, I am probably just missing a part of the picture in my mind.
Todd
Hi Todd,
Thanks for writing in! You have hit the nail on the head! The underarm stitches that are on hold will be dealt with once you are finished knitting. They will be grafted together to close up the hole that is currently there!
Best,
Cassy
Hello,
I love this pattern,I am new to knitting in the round,I have done the sleeves and the body starting to join the sleeves for the yoke and I am stuck..I knitted 121s for back the placed 19s on a holder this is were I got confused how do i knit the rest of the round when the needles dont meet,hope this makes sense as I dont want to rip it all down..Thanks Liz.
Hello Liz,
Thanks for reaching out. This section of bottom up sweaters can be hard to visualize and therefore a bit confusing! What you are doing is preparing the body of the sweater to add the sleeves. After you knit your 121 stitches you will place the PREVIOUS 19 stitches onto a stitch holder so that your working yarn is positioned so that you can continue to knit across the front and again place your PREVIOUS 19 stitches on a stitch holder. What you are doing here is creating an underarm. I hope this makes sense and let me know if I can clarify anything for you!
Happy knitting,
-Marilla
Thanks for your help Marilla
Hello Marilla and Purl Team,
Thank you for your helpful support! I am sorry to say that I have this exact same confusion and am still not understanding how to move on. I knitted 121s. I placed the previous 19s on scrap yarn. But now there is about 3.5in (where the 19s are on the scrap yarn) between my right needle and my left needle. Additionally, my working yarn is coming out of the last stitch of the 19 on the scrap yarn (far away from my working needle). How do I keep knitting in the round? It seems that I will “scrunch” the 19s together… Hope this rambling question made sense.
Hello Kelsey,
Thank you for reaching out! When you place your previous stitches on a holder it is the stitches you most recently knit. This means that your working yarn will be ready for you to continue knitting your stitches.
I hope this makes sense and let us know if this answers your question!
-Marilla
It did! Thank you so much for your help, I love that y’all do this. Another question from a 1st time sweater knitter… I am shaping the raglan, working on decreasing 8 stitches each round. I am about half way through and stopped to count to make sure I am on the right track and realized I have one extra stitch on both the front and back. What would you suggest is the best, least visible way to fix this? Go back and frog it all? Decrease one extra stitch on a non-decreasing round? Do it in the middle or wait to the end?
Hi Kelsey,
Great question! I would suggest working a decrease on a non-decrease round – it should disappear into the other decreases nicely! You could frog it and re-knit the yoke if you prefer, but it’s a bit aggressive for only two extra stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I’ve just finished knitting this – my first ever sweater – and I’m very pleased with the result! If you follow the instructions carefully and check out the tutorials then you should be fine. I learnt so much! My only comment would be that I only needed 5 skeins of Flax Down for size 42 and not 6, as stated.
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for writing in! What a great accomplishment! If you have left over skeins from this project, we would be happy to exchange yarn in original condition for store credit within 6 months of purchase. Details on this policy and how to exchange your skein can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/return-policy
Alternately, a matching hat could be lovely! Check out our Reversible Pleat Hat which uses one skein plus a few yards of a contrast color in the same gauge!
Best,
Cassy
Hi Purl Soho,
I am just starting to shape the neckline in this pattern, but I don’t quite understand what to do with the extra stitches I am leaving at the end of each row before I wrap and turn (ie, the pattern says “knit to 2 stitches before Front Neckline, wrp-t.”) Am I supposed to put them on a stitch holder, or am I incorporating those into the wrap and turn? (This is my first sweater, so its not entirely obvious to me!)
Your help is much appreciated!
Hello Daphne,
Thank you for reaching out! You do not put these stitches on holders. The goal of short rows is to create extra fabric within your sweater so you will eventually go back to these stitches. For a more in-depth explanation, check out our Short-Row Tutorial.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi! I just finished my first classic hemmed crewneck sweater and I’m hooked.
I wanted to make another one using the Tosh Merino DK or the Silk Blend Semi Solid and Multi that were previously recommended in another comment on this page. I didn’t have any gauge issue with the Flax Down. But will I need to change anything (needle sizes or sweater size) with these other yarns? Thank you!
Hi Marie-Claude,
I am so glad that the sweater worked out for you! Sadly Tosh Merino DK has been discontinued by Madeline Tosh. If you can get your hands on a sweater quantity though, it should work well. I do think that the Manos Silk Blend would be beautiful for this sweater. The gauge should work well but as with any time that you substitute a yarn (and when you are knitting a garment), you should knit a gauge swatch!
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi! I just knitted a swatch with the Manos Silk Blend. I’m counting 23 stiches per 4”/ 5.75 stiches per inch. Here is how I’m calculating the approx. measurements of this new sweater with the Manos Silk Blend gauge and the cast on stiches for size 37 1/2 and size 42 : 198/5.75 = 34.43” versus 220/5.75 = 38.26”. I had previously knitted a size 37 1/2 with the Flax Down. If I want similar measurements, does it make sense for me to go up a size and knit the size 42 with the Manos Silk Blend? Also, please correct me if I’m doing this totally wrong.
Thank you so much!
Marie-Claude
Hi Marie-Claude,
Thanks for writing back! You are spot on! The gauge that you are getting is about 10% different so I would recommend going up a size. Be sure that you are knitting to the length for the size that you would like (the smaller size) and you will be all set!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Thank you for your quick response! This is super helpful!
Marie-Claude
I’m wondering about add a stitch at the beginning of the row to Purl one to create a false seam? To get the knitting in the round some structure.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly add a purl stitch at the sides of this sweater if you like the look of a faux seem. While it will not add any additional structure, it will certainly give a bit of detail to the sweater that could be quite nice!
Best,
Cassy
I love this pattern but sadly don’t love the bloom of the yarn. Any suggestions? Many thanks!
Hello Jackie,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this sweater would be beautiful in our Understory or our Cashmere Merino Bloom.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi. I am almost finished with this. I’m using the gray fig, which is gorgeous.
I am at the hemmed neckband portion, FINALLY!
When it says “change to smaller circular needles”, does this mean to change from US 7 to US 6 , after having knitted the 3/4 inch?
Then, when it says “change to larger, 16-inch circular needles”, do I switch to US 7 needles, after having knitted the 1/2 inch?
Thanks.
Hello Cynthia,
Thank you for reaching out and congratulations on being almost done! You are correct- when it says to switch to the smaller circular needle it refers to the US6 needle and then when it says change to larger 16″ needle it refers to your US7 16″ needle.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! I’m knitting this (my first sweater) for my wife. I’m a little confused by a part in the pattern.
I’ve just joined the sleeves, and now it says knit 2 rounds (0,0,0,0). Do I just knit 2 rounds? Do the 0s indicate that no stitches are increased or decreased?
I know it’s probably a super simple answer, and I appreciate your time to answer it.
Thanks!
Hi Carrey,
Thanks for writing in! I am not sure if you have an old version of this pattern, but in our current version this line should read, “Knit 2 (0, 0, 0, 0) rounds.” Each number refers to a different size – in other words, if you are knitting the smallest size, you will knit two plain rounds before moving on to the next set of instructions, but for every other size, you will skip this instruction and proceed directly to the “Begin Shaping Raglan” section of the pattern.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Could you please give me the Australian ply equivalent to the wool you have used. I would like to buy something similar here.
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reaching out! The closest equivalent yarn would be an 8-ply, but I would definitely recommend checking your gauge when making any yarn substitution!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
It looks like it should work great for men, but are there things I should change when making this sweater for a man’s build?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! I think this sweater is a wonderful unisex option with very few changes! You will most likely want to select a size with a bit more ease than we did and will have to knit the body and sleeves somewhat longer, but otherwise I think this sweater will look equally timeless on both men and women!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thanks so much! Would going to the 40-42 size for an actual circumference of 37 be about the right idea?
Hi Sarah,
I think that sounds about right! I would probably aim for four inches of positive ease (so, a final measurement four inches larger than the wearer’s actual chest measurement) for an average men’s sweater.
Best,
Julianna
Hi! I’m about to finish the Yoke of this sweater- and I’m wondering if the last sentence of the Yoke recipe means that I should knit one round for every one (or four?) of Round 1: [K2, ssk, knit to 4 stitches before next marker, k2tog, k2, sm]?
“Next Round: Knit.”
“Next Round: Repeat Round 1. [8 stitches decreased]”
“Repeat previous two rounds 16 (17, 18, 17, 17) more times. [148 (152, 160, 164, 172) stitches: 44 (46, 48, 50, 54) stitches for each Front and Back; 30 (30, 32, 32, 32) stitches for each Sleeve]”
Thanks!
Hello Rikke,
Thank you for reaching out! For this section you will be repeating the last two rows that you knit so “Next Round: Knit.” and
“Next Round: Repeat Round 1. [8 stitches decreased]” 16 (17, 18, 17, 17) more times.
I hope this answers your question and let us know if we need to clarify anything for you!
-Marilla
So Im knitting this grgeous sweater a second time for a Christmas present, got to the short tows and became stuck. The W&turns are fine but then you work a short row and knit back to within one stich where you last turned and turn again. Makes sense. But when do you pick up the wrap? Im at my first one and it appears if i turn and purl back leavin those two W&Ts, there will be a hole! Why doesnt the pattern say to onot everythin and pick that ip? Do I just leave it and not worry? Is a fix planned for later ? I wish I could remember what i did last year and I should probably trust your awesome pattern degsign, but Im frozen here! Help! I hope you get this!
Hello Christy,
Thanks you for reaching out! When you come to Row 7 the instructions will read “Working the wrapped stitches with their
wraps as you come to them”. This will eliminate any holes!
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I’m looking for a new project for 2019 and I think it might be a sweater. The pattern must be pretty simple as it will be my first attempt. It’s either this or the purl soho pullover. I’m looking for easy construction but also a great sweater and stylish in the end. Which of these two is your favorite … or is there another pattern I haven’t thought of.
Please advise so I can order up and get started,
Thanks in advance,
Brenda
Hello Brenda,
Thank you for reaching out! Both of these sweaters would be great choices. I would say that they are similar in difficulty. They both have short row shaping and hems. The advantage of this sweater would be that it will knit up quicker as the yarn is thicker. I’m so excited for you to be knitting your first sweater and let us know if you have any questions along the way!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello!
I made my first sweater using this pattern! Turned out pretty good but once blocked, the sweater hem and cuffs changed shaped and looks a little cone-shaped now. I’m not sure if it’s due to the way I made the knit hem. I would like to make this pattern again. Do you think I could alter the pattern to replace all the knit hems for a rib hem? Thank you!
Hello Marie-Claude,
Thank you for reaching out! This should be an easy alteration, I would experiment with going down a couple of needle sizes for the rib.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi!
Would you recommend to block the sleeves before knitting them to the body? Thank you!
Hello Marie,
Thank you for reaching out! I would wait to block until the end, and then block the sweater as a whole.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love this pattern but gave up on the hemmed sleeves. I just found it very difficult with such a small circumference to follow the instructions. I plan to sew it later. I am hoping the body hem is easier since I have more room.
Your hem tutorial is only for straight needles – do you have one for circular?
Hi Elly,
I’m so sorry to hear that this step was challenging! Although we don’t have a tutorial for working a hem on circular needles since it is essentially the same technique, it will certainly be easier when working the hem since you will have more room to maneuver your needles. If may also be a bit easier on the sleeves if you use a long circular needle and knit the hem in magic loop, since the flexible cable will make it easier to get to the cast on stitches.
Best of luck and I hope the rest of the sweater is smooth sailing!
Julianna
Hi, I’m wondering if I could substitute the suggested yarn with your Good Wool? I’ve never knit sweaters before and would like it to be a little more economical for a first try!
Hello Kimberly,
Thank you for reaching out. I’m so excited for you to knit your first sweater! I think Good Wool would be a great substitute for this sweater. I would, as always, knit up a gauge swatch before jumping in.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello! I love this pattern. Would it work in Good Wool|?
Hi Emily,
Thanks for reaching out! Although you should always knit a gauge swatch, especially when substituting a different yarn, Good Wool should be an excellent option for this sweater!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hey there,
In the shape neckline section in the second paragraph, I’ve become totally lost. Specifically between ‘Cut yarn. Working backwards over the stitches just worked, slip the following markers and stitches onto the left needle: slip the end-of round marker, slip 30 (30, 32, 32, 32) Right Sleeve stitches, slip marker, slip 13 (13, 13, 13, 14) Right Front stitches (you are now next to the on-hold Front Neckline stitches). Join yarn, ready to work Right Front stitches.’, How much yarn am i supposed to cut and where do I join the yarn onto? There weren’t previous instructions to leave anything to join it onto there.
Sorry if this isn’t the best question, but it’s my first time knitting a sweater and I’ve gotten myself lost.
Hi Amelia,
Thanks for reaching out! In this case, since it isn’t specified, you should cut your yarn leaving however much you normally would to weave in later, about 6 to 7 inches. Once you have slipped the stitches so that you are in the correct spot, you will rejoin the ball of yarn you were previously working from by using it to knit the first stitch of the next row, which is Short Row 1.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I love this sweater and I love the yarn that I just ordered from you – Posy! Now, I want to put the two together, but know that this sweater is knit in a slightly thicker yarn. Is there any way to make this work? If not, do you know of a similar pattern where my Posy yarn will work?
Thank you!!
Betty
Hello Betty,
Thanks for reaching out! Posy and Flax Down are pretty far apart in gauge so I wouldn’t reccomend knitting this sweater in Posy. The one option that comes to mind is that you could try doubling the Posy, which I think could get you close to the correct gauge. If this interests you, you would just knit up a little gauge swatch holding two strands of Posy and see what happens.
I also think that our Lightweight Raglan would be beautiful in Posy.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
I’m near the end of the pattern and had some issues working the wrapped stitches in. I’m not sure how to tell which ones were wrapped on the knit side and which ones were wrapped on the purl side now that I’m back in the round (the Purl soho video on wrap and turn has different methods for working those wraps) and in my confusion I think I dropped a stitch that was wrapped. I know how to pick up dropped stitches in normal situations, but I have no idea how to pick up a dropped wrap.
Hi Colleen,
Thanks for reaching out! Oh dear, it can be tricky to pick up a dropped wrap, but hopefully I can explain it for you! You should be able to see where the wrapped stitch should have been as there will be a gap between those two stitches on the needle. If you take a look from the right side, a stitch on one side of the gap has two rows below it next to the gap, while the other only has one row below it. To pick up the wrap, you will need to use a crochet hook to grab the vertical piece of yarn next to the gap on the side with two rows, pull that vertical piece of yarn out slightly to form a loop that stretches across the gap, and then slip that loop over the top of the stitch on the other side of the gap. You can then knit or purl that stitch together with the restored wrap as usual.
This is tricky, so you might find that it will be easier to go back and knit the short rows over again, but hopefully this helps! In the future, I find it really helpful when working short rows to place a removable stitch marker in each wrapped stitch so that I don’t miss picking up the wraps when working back across the stitches.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi! Can this pattern be worked in Cashmere Merino Bloom? Thanks!
Hi Carly,
Great question! Yes, Cashmere Merino Bloom would be an excellent alternate yarn for this sweater! It knits up to the same gauge as Flax Down, but as always, I would still recommend knitting a gauge swatch to make sure.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Still struggling with the decrease 8 stitch rows.
K2 , SSk , sm. Do you repeat K2, SSk then knit to next marker, k2T, is, sm, repeat k2T, k2, thus completing one half of pattern, then knit to next side.
Thank you
Hi Randye,
Thanks for reaching out! At this point in the pattern, you should have 4 stitch markers in your work, separating the two sleeves and front and back of the sweater, and the marker at the beginning of the Back stitches will also be the beginning of your round. When working this round, you will knit two stitches, ssk, then knit to four stitches before the next marker, k2tog, and knit two, decreasing two stitches. You will repeat this in each of the four sections of stitches, for a total of eight stitches decreased by the time you get back to the beginning of the round.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi there!
I am about to start my very first full size sweater. I am practicing knitting the sleeves so i don’t screw up too much with my real yarn. I’m stuck on the hemmed sleeves, I have my knitting on DPN, it says “fold the work in half”
How do I fold the cuff in half on DPN?? The video tutorials only show the hemmed cuff on a straight needle.
Thanks!
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for writing in! When folding up a hem in the round, the technique should be almost the same as doing it on straight needles. You will simply fold what you have knitted so far in half, wrong sides together, so that the cast on edge tucks up into the middle of triangle formed by the double pointed needles. You may find that you can only fold up a an inch or so at a time, but once you have worked the hem for those stitches, you can fold up the next section to continue. It might feel a little awkward since you don’t have as much room to work in when using DPNs, but the rest of the technique will be just like our video!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi! I’m knitting this inside out (!), so all my knits are purls. I’m at the top of the sweater where the pattern calls for decreases to get that lovely detail towards the neck. I’m struggling with figuring out what the purl versions are for ssk and k2tog. Is it just ssp and p2tog? It’s not looking quite right when I do this, but perhaps I’m not doing the stitches correctly. Can you help me, please?
Hi Elisabeth,
Thanks for reaching out! If you are working on the purl side of the fabric as your right side then it would be a p2tog or ssp in place of a k2tog or ssk! Our Purl 2 Together (p2tog) + Slip Slip Purl (ssp) tutorial is an excellent resource to use and will show you exactly how we work those decreases!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thank you so much, Gianna! It’s coming together beautifully! Can’t wait to finish and wear this!!
Bonsoir,
je suis arrivée à shape neckline et je ne comprends pas du tout ce qu’il faut faire [ knit to next marker, sm]two times. Je dois tricoter un tour complet ou m’arrêter au marqueur du début de la manche (1 fois) puis au marqueur de la fin de manche (2 fois). Cordialement
Hi Bénédicte,
Thanks for reaching out! For this section you will knit to next marker, slip marker 2 times, then knit 31 (33, 35, 37) (40, 41, 43, 44), place previous 18
(20, 22, 24) (26, 26, 28, 28) stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn for Front Neckline, and then knit to the end of the round. 130 (132, 138, 140) (146, 154, 156, 160) total stitches: 13 (13, 13, 13) (14, 15, 15, 16) stitches each for Right and Left Front; 44 (46, 48, 50) (54, 56, 58, 60) stitches for Back; 30 (30, 32, 32) (32, 34, 34, 34) stitches for each Sleeve.
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello! I’ve just finished this sweater, and it is quite beautiful. Unfortunately, however, the sleeves are too long for me, despite frequent measuring. Given how it’s constructed from the sleeves up, it seems it should be relatively simple to undo the sleeve “hems,” unravel a few rows, and hem again. Is that what you’d recommend? I realize this may undo a “decrease” row or two, so is there anything I should do to adjust for that? Thanks so much!
Hi Fran,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you could easily unravel the hems of the sleeves and shorten the length a bit! Even though it would take out a set of decreases or two it wont overly effect the size by too much!
Please let us know how this works out and if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello,
I just finished this sweater in Flax Down (color fresh pickle), and it is beautiful. The cut is very nice. I made several swatches (and blocked them) before starting and it looked like I had to use size 5 needles to get 21-stich/4-inch (5.25/inch). However, knitting in the round somehow made the gauge closer to 5.5-stich/inch, so the sweater is snugger than I had hoped (it is 38 inches in chest circumference while I had hoped for 40 for 2 inches of ease). Also, despite making it 2 inches longer than the pattern suggested, it is still a tiny bit short. Given the high percent alpaca in this yarn, how much ease can I hope to gain by wet-blocking it?
Thank you!
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out! Alpaca is notorious for stretching over time so you will actually be able to get quite a bit of ease from blocking and even just wearing the crewneck with time! Because of this I would be sure not to over stretch when wet blocking but to stretch it just a bit since it will continue to grow over time!
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
Help.
For reasons I won’t bore you with, I started with the body of this sweater and have just started my first sleeve. I’m really struggling with the sleeve hem – I understand the technique is the same, I had no trouble with the body hem but the circumference of the sleeve is so much smaller I’m having trouble finding space to line things up and work neatly. I tried picking up stitches without the second needle and it still looks terrible. Any suggestions on how to make it work or is there an alternative method? This is my 2nd project/1st sweater.
Hi Nalumon,
Thanks for reaching out! Are you using double pointed needles? Those will be necessary to make the sleeves since it is such a small circumference! You should loosely cast 43 (46, 47, 50) (53, 53, 54, 55) stitches onto your double pointed needles and make sure they are evenly distributed onto 3 needles. once you join in the round you should be able to knit easily! I recommend checking out our great Double Pointed Needles tutorial, it is an excellent resource to use!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
I’m wondering if it would be appropriate to substitute german short rows for the wrp-t? Just finished the hemmed v-neck and became a big fan of them!
Thank you
Hi Stella,
Thanks for reaching out! You can certainly use German Short Rows in place of. the wrp-t method! I would suggest checking out our German Short Rows tutorial, it will explain how to apply the method to your pattern in place of the wrp-t!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I am a bit confused with where the Front Neckline is. Under shape neckline on Short Row 1. Is it 2 stitches before the 18 stitches I put on waste yarn?
I have had such fun knitting this pattern and love the hemmed feature.
Thank you, Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so thrilled to hear that you have enjoyed working on this sweater! The stitches that you have put on your waste yarn are the front neck line, so the 2 stitches before the on-hold stitches are the side of the neckline.
I hope this clears things up, happy knitting!
Gianna
I made this sweater with Flax Down (fresh pickle color) and it is gorgeous. The hems give the sweater its elegant cut. I am wondering how Season Alpaca would work for this pattern? I get 6 st per inch with #5 needles in my swatch, so what size needle should I use the get the 5.25 st/inch required for this pattern? Would the knit be too loose then? Thank you for your feedback, and thank you for this great pattern!
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out! Fresh pickle is such a great color, I bet your sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I think Season Alpaca would be great for this sweater, but since it is a bit thinner (sport weight rather than light worsted) it will take a bit of adjusting. I would suggest trying a US 4 needle and see if that helps you achieve the right gauge!
I hope this helps and please keep me updated with how this works out!
Gianna
Hi Gianna,
The pattern calls for a 21 St/4 inch, and I am currently getting 24 St/4 inch, so shouldn’t I go with bigger needles? I was actually thinking 6 or 7, but was concerned the weave might get too loose.
Thank you!
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for your response! Ah yes, I suggest trying a swatch on the 6 or 7 needles, whichever helps you achieve the correct gauge. Then based on your swatch you can assess the density of the knit and decide if you like it or not before you continue! It certainly won’t be as dense as your previous sweater but I believe it still could work!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Thanks Gianna! I’ll try that. I also found the Hummingbird pattern that requires 6st/inch, and may be a nice alternative if the swatch on bigger needles is too loose. Do you think that modifying it with a hem at the bottom and edge of sleeves would look strange because it is a longer cut?
Apologies for all the questions…
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
No worries, I am happy to help! The hummingbird pattern is lovely, I think you could certainly use Season Alpaca for that pattern and may have a better gauge match, but I do recommend sticking to the original design. Based on the silhouette, I think it would be much easier to work the pattern as is rather than alter the sleeve edge!
I hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have!
Gianna
For the Classic Hemmed Crewneck, I noticed the reply to an inquiry (of Jan. 8, 2019) about replacing the hems with ribbing–something I’m interested in doing– recommends going down a couple of needle sizes for that ribbing. I wondered if going from US6 to US4 for neck ribbing and from US7 to US5 for the wrist and waist ribbing might create a rather sack-like result for the sleeves and especially for the body of the sweater, given the boxy construction. Do you think I’d preserve the intended lines of the sweater if I were to keep the bottom hemmed as directed and go down to US6 for ribbing on both the sleeves and neck? Thank you!
Hi Judith,
Thanks for reaching out! I think for consistency, it would be best to use the same needle size for the neck ribbing as for the sleeves and hem! If you would like, you can start out by working a swatch to see if you like how the transition between the stockinette and ribbing!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thank you, Gianna. I greatly appreciate your helpful response to my question. Just to clarify: Do you mean that all the possible ribbing parts–at the neck, sleeve, and bottom edge–should be worked in the same needle size as one another? Or do you mean that all three ribbing parts should worked in the same needle size not only as one another, but also as the rest of the sweater, that is: Knit the whole project in US7? Swatching to see how stockinette transitions to ribbing is certainly a good idea!
Hi Judith,
I believe that Gianna was recommending to use the same needle size for all three ribbing sections, but not necessarily the same size as the rest of the sweater. The original sweater uses US7 needles for virtually the entire pattern, except for half an inch right at the fold of the neckline, so that the knit hem lays flat. Since you want to modify the pattern and replace the knit hems with ribbing, you wouldn’t need to make this change at all.
I would recommend either knitting the entire sweater (including the ribbing) with size US7, or go just one size down to US6s for all three sections of ribbing. Since you wrote in your previous comment that you were worried about a “sack-like” result, I also want to suggest doing twisted ribbing, where you knit each stitch through the back loop! Twisted ribbing is great because it doesn’t pull in the fabric as much as normal ribbing does, so it will maintain the lines of the sweater. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you so much, Lili. I’m looking forward to starting this project armed with your and Gianna’s great advice. And I’m glad to learn about that subtle characteristic of twisted ribbing. I very much appreciate your expertise–and your patience!
Sincerely,
Judith
I just completed this in dark red Season Alpaca, and it is gorgeous. I am actually wondering if I should even block it because the texture is surprisingly smooth, and the stitches look quite regular. Do you recommend an alternative to wet blocking for baby alpaca wool? I typically wet-block all my garments, but I’m wondering if this is the exception that makes the rule… Is there a compelling reason to do it?
Thank you!
Hi Caroline,
Blocking is generally suggested because it helps gives your garment a smooth, finished look, but you certainly don’t need to if you like the look of your sweater already! In any case, I’d be glad to suggest some alternatives for blocking your sweater, if you didn’t want to wet-block! One option would be to use a spray bottle to lightly mist your sweater and then gently pin it out to the finished dimensions and allow it to dry. Or, you could steam-block it using either a steamer (if you have one available) or use the steam setting on an iron. For steam blocking, lay the piece on a prepared surface (like blocking mats or even some clean towels) and pin it in place. Hold a steam iron or steamer above the piece, allowing the steam to penetrate the fibers. Be very careful not to allow the iron to touch the fabric; doing so will flatten the stitches and may actually damage the fibers. Allow your garment to dry completely before removing pins, and you should be good to go!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Thank you very much! I appreciate your detailed explanation. All things considered wet blocking is probably the most predictable since that is what I am familiar with. All the patterns I have bought at Purl Soho have led to gorgeous garments (3 sweaters and one cardigan, all seamless!). The cuts of your garments are exceptional! Thank you for providing such quality in both patterns and yarns!
Hello,
I have just finished this sweater in Cashmere Merino Bloom (Blue Jeans) and love it! Can you give some advice on how to close the underarm holes that remain after Kitchener stitching the live stitches together? With the color and bloom of the yarn, it is difficult to see individual stitches.
Thank you!!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for reaching out. Whenever I encounter these holes, I always close them up when I weave in the ends! You may be able to use duplicate stitch on the wrong side to join the fabric together really smoothly and weave in the ends simultaneously, but this might be tricky considering the color and bloom of the yarn. So if that technique doesn’t work in this case, you can also just sew up the holes using the ends of the yarn and then weave them in afterwards. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I have finished both sleeves and have completed the body. Now I am ready to join them together. I have the body currently on a long set of circular needles. For the first round, the pattern says to first work across the back stitches, and then join the left sleeve.
I am stuck on starting with the back stitches. In between my two needles is one of the holes for the underarm. Do you need another set of circular needles to begin working this? It would make more sense to me to immediately knit into the sleeve stitches since they are already on a pair of needles.
How do I begin?
Hi Daphne,
Thank you for your question! At this point in your sweater, you will be joining your sleeve and body stitches to begin to shape the yoke. In order to do this you have to first begin at the back to begin the new round. You will then work the back stitches, join the first sleeve, knit across the front, and finally join the last sleeve. This will keep everything in proportional order to begin shaping. I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gavriella