Julie Hoover for Purl Soho: Addison
When I go to my closet to pick out a favorite sweater, the first thing I reach for is a boxy pullover. For me, that shape is perfect for any occasion and always feels comfortable. This Addison design falls right into that category.
I used a classic seed stitch pattern to give the fabric an interesting textural feel, but since it’s an all-over pattern, the Addison maintains a minimal look. You knit each piece separately so there is a little bit of seaming involved, but that’s necessary for an oversized fit to hold up over time. You’ll be glad you made the extra effort!
Flax Down and Cashmere Merino Bloom work equally well for this design. Each yarn has a soft halo and beautiful drape, making it hard to decide which one to use. You may need to knit one of each (I sure did!).
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!
Whether you wear your Addison alone or layered over a favorite shirt, it is sure to be what you reach for in your closet! -Julie
Designed for Purl Soho by Julie Hoover. Currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Julie Hoover designs knitwear and makes yarn, for both her own personal label and others. Her work reflects a lifelong passion for clothing and textiles, and her view that knitting is a beautiful way of creating timeless fashion, a thoughtful mix of quality and creativity, intention and care.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoAddison, #PurlSohoFlaxDown, and #PurlSohoCashmereMerinoBloom. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
NOTE: Choose from two different Purl Soho yarns. Each works perfectly for this pattern!
- 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) (9, 9, 10, 10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Flax Down, 43% baby alpaca, 42% extra fine merino, 15% linen. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1314 (1314, 1533, 1533, 1752, 1971) yards required. This is Heirloom White, shown above left.
Or
- 6 (7, 7, 8, 9) (10, 10, 11, 11) skeins of Purl Soho’s Cashmere Merino Bloom, 75% extra fine merino wool, 25% cashmere. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1308 (1526, 1526, 1744, 1962, 2180) yards required. This is Heirloom White, shown above left. This is Salt + Pepper, shown above right.
You’ll also need…
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- US 7, 24-inch circular needle
- US 6 (4 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- Stitch marker
- 2 locking markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- Blocking wires and T-Pins (optional, but recommended)
- Julie Hoover for Purl Soho’s Addison Pattern
Gauge
17 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in Seed Stitch on larger needles
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
42½ (46, 50, 53½, 57½) (61, 65, 68½, 72½)
- Finished Chest Circumference: 42½ (46, 50, 53½, 57½) (61, 65, 68½, 72½) inches
- To fit actual chest circumference of 32–34 (35–37, 39–41, 43–45, 47–49) (50–52, 54–56, 58–60, 62–64) inches with approximately 9–11 inches of ease
- Finished Length From Shoulder To Bottom Edge: 25¼ (25¾, 27¾, 28½, 30½) (31¼, 31½, 31¾, 32¼) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Bottom Edge: 15 (15, 16, 16, 17) (17, 17, 17, 17) inches
- Finished Length from Underarm to Cuff: 12½ inches
- Length from Center Neck to Cuff: 24¾ (25¾, 26¾, 27½, 28½, 29½) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Cuff: 12½ inches
SAMPLE: The sweaters pictured here are Size 46 inches with +12 inches of ease
Pattern
Addison is available as a PDF download.
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!
Hi can I use Plymouth baby alpaca grande for this? The gauge is 3 stitches to one inch but I like to use smaller needles with this yarn. Also the 110 yards per skein. I want to buy this pattern for this yarn as I have lots of it and this would be perfect.
Hi Abbe,
Thanks for writing in! The Plymouth baby alpaca grande is quite a bit thicker than either the Cashmere Merino Bloom or our Flax Down. Both of the yarns we recommend come in at between 5 and 5.5 stitches per inch. Changing the pattern to fit the yarn would be quite a bit of work. If you would like to use a yarn that you already have in stash, I would be on the look out for a yarn with a similar gauge!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
i am a bit taken back that you would like for us to buy materials to create but then charge for patterns.
Hi Sydney,
Thanks for writing in. We charge for this pattern because there is a lot involved, including the pattern grading, editing, collaboration with Julie Hoover and the photography involved. A lot of thought and time for pattern editing and sample knitting go into our for-purchase patterns and we hope that you enjoy them for their unique techniques and content. I hope you’ll enjoy all of our free patterns in the future for years to come!
-Adam
I can’t tell what size to choose so that I get the drape and flow as is in the photos. I am a size 14 and I like to wear clothes loosely. I plan to use the suggested yarn and gauge. Suggestions?
Hi Sandie,
Thanks for writing us! Let me know your chest size and I can help you figure out the ease you’ll need. Talk to you soon!
-Adam
Hello, yesterday I downloaded both Addison and Goode. Very nice to have Julie Hoover there!
I would like to make Addison with yarn from my stash: Manos Fino in black, but it needs more volume to get the right gauge.
I am browsing through your yarns, but think I need some advice, since it should not become too heavy and still have a nice stitch definition.
I also would like to make the sleeves longer, don’t think it will become ugly, do you?
Thank you
Hi Elsje,
Thanks for writing in! Manos Fino is quite a bit thinner than either Flax Down or Cashmere Merino Bloom. Fino comes in at 6 – 7 stitches per inch whereas Flax Down and Cashmere Merino Bloom both have 5 – 5.5 stitches per inch. You may be able to go up a size or two but you would also need to change you needle size to achieve a pleasing fabric. In either case, you may need to do quite a bit of pattern reworking.
I do think that lengthening the sleeves would be nice and you could simply add more length before changing to the ribbing!
If you like the look of Julie Hoover’s designs and would like to use the Fino that you have, you could easily substitute it for our Linen Quill in the Goode pattern that she also made for us.
I hope that this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Cassy
Hi Cassy, Thanks for your answer. Knitting Goode with the Fino sounds nice. But what I actually wanted to know is what yarn I could add to the Fino in order to have the right gauge for Addison and therefore I was browsing the website for thin soft yarns.
What about simply knitting a larger size without altering anything ?
Hi Elsje,
Thanks for clarifying! I think that adding Line Weight to the Fino could work well. You may need to strand one or two strands depending on the gauge that you are getting. I do believe that carrying 1 strand along could work but I think that a gauge swatch here would be a necessity! If you like the fabric on the recommended needles and are getting gauge, you should be good to go!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Little confused on sizing. You indicate that this has a 9-11″ ease around the bust. The example you gave was the sweaters shown were a size 46 with a +12 ease. So this would relate to a regular 34″ bust (46-12=34)???
Hi Alecia,
Thanks for writing us! Our sizing is based on the finished garment measurement, so you’ll want to take your chest size measurement and add the amount of ease you desire. For example, if you have a 40″ chest, your best bet would be to knit the size 50. Let me know if you have any other questions!
-Adam
love this sweater, especially the cream one! and I absolutely agree a boxy shape works the best with everything and for every occasion
Bonjour
J`aimerais avoir le patron en Français.
MERCi
Hi Denyse,
Thank you for writing in! At this time, our patterns are only available in English! We will certainly keep your request in mind!
Best,
Cassy
Love the Addison. But how hard is it? I’m kind of a beginner. . . .
HI Judy,
Thanks for writing in! Addison is an intermediate pattern. I like to base difficulty on whether I am comfortable with the techniques used. This sweater is worked flat in pieces, then shoulders are seamed. Sleeves are picked up from armhole edge and worked flat. Neckband is picked up from stitches around neckline and worked circularly. Additionally, a Sloped Bind Off Method is used over shoulder and neckline shaping. So long as you are comfortable with all of these techniques, you should able to knit this lovely sweater without issue!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
love this sweater perfect and comfy cannot wait to start making
will madeline tosh in DK work?
Hi Annette,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Dk should work great for this lovely sweater!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi! Love this design but the details here must be wrong. You give the sizes as 42½ (46, 50, 53½, 57½, 61) with 9-11 inches of ease. Then you give the finished bust sizes also as 42½ (46, 50, 53½, 57½, 61)! Surely the finished bust sizes are wrong? Or am I missing something?
Hi Jools,
Thanks for writing us! Our sizing is based on the finished garment measurement, so you’ll want to take your chest size measurement and add the amount of ease you desire. For example, if you have a 40″ chest, your best bet would be to knit the size 50. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Cassy
I like both jumper pattern how much are they how do I buy patterns and wool
Hi Moira,
Thanks for writing in! To purchase the pattern and the yarn, you can click on the yarn and the pattern in the Materials section and you will be taken to the product pages. For your convenience, I will include the links here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/patterns/julie-hoover-addison-pattern.html
https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/flax-down.html
https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/cashmere-merino-bloom.html
The pattern itself sells for $12.50. The Flax Down sells for $22.50 a skein and the Cashmere Merino Bloom sells for $32.00 a skein.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Please price out either yarn choice for a small size. Love the sweater
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for writing in! To purchase the yarn and see all of the particulars about each, you can click on the yarn in the Materials section and you will be taken to the product pages. For your convenience, I will include the links here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/flax-down.html
https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/cashmere-merino-bloom.html
The pattern itself sells for $12.50. The Flax Down sells for $22.50 a skein and the Cashmere Merino Bloom sells for $32.00 a skein.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I’m 5’5″ and wear a size 6 on average. Would you recommend I stick with the 42.5 size? I don’t want something that’s going to flow too far away from my frame.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for writing us! Our sizing is based on the finished garment measurement, so you’ll want to take your chest size measurement and add the amount of ease you desire (9-11″ for this pattern). For example, if you have a 40″ chest, your best bet would be to knit the size 50. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Cassy
Hello!!
What level of difficulty is this pattern considered?
Thank you!!
Hi Audrey,
Thanks for writing in! Addison is an intermediate pattern. I like to base difficulty on whether I am comfortable with the techniques used. This sweater is worked flat in pieces, then shoulders are seamed. Sleeves are picked up from armhole edge and worked flat. Neckband is picked up from stitches around neckline and worked circularly. Additionally, a Sloped Bind Off Method is used over shoulder and neckline shaping. So long as you are comfortable with all of these techniques, you should able to knit this lovely sweater without issue!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I purchased this pattern as a download yesterday (in UK so guessing a hard copy would cost a lot to post). However I can’t see it in my Ravelry library or any sign of the pattern anywhere? No email? Please can you check into this? Thank you
Hi Trudy,
Thanks for writing in! We do not currently have a link up with Ravelry for purchased patterns. We appreciate the request! To download your pattern, log into your account on our website. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “My Account”. On the left hand side of the resulting page, click on “My Downloadable Products” and the pattern should be there. If you continue to have difficulties, please send us an email at [email protected] and we can help you out!
Best,
Cassy
I’m trying to judge what the “hand” of this sweater is. It appears not to be overly ‘soft’ in that there is no draping. It looks from the photos to have a firmer, almost felted hand. Can you provide any help here?
Thanks!
Hi Diana,
Thank you for writing in! Our Cashmere Merino Bloom is quite soft as it is 25% Cashmere and 75% Extra Fine Merino Wool. However, you are correct about the overall hand of the sweater. It is very soft a squishy but due to the density of seed stitch, there is not much drape to the fabric. The beauty of this sweater is in the boxy surplus fit and the soft coziness of the yarn!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I have the yarn, flax down, in grey fig, which is yummy! And
I bought the pattern.
I have never successfully knit a garment, I have knit some intricate scarves and shawls.
Anyway, I feel stuck at the first part of the instructions.
It says cast on then Beginning and ending on a wrong side row, work in Seed Rib.
The Seed Rib pattern says row one is the right side not the wrong side.
I am confused. Is row 2 really row 1?
I feel like an idiot….
Hi Gwen,
Thank you for the question! After casting on you will start with row two of the seed rib. The cast on is the right side and the first knitted row is the wrong side. You’ll do the seed rib until you hit 2″, making sure to end on a wrong side row (row 2). I hope this clears things up!
-Adam
Hello! I know you are getting a lot of yarn/gauge questions, but I’m hoping you can help with mine. I have Queensland Rustic Tweed DK yarn, and when I made a swatch with the required stitches/rows it measured at 3.75″ x 3.75″ with the US 7 needles. I went up to US 8 and didn’t get much of a size difference. If I went a size up in the pattern (I’m a 36″ bust, and would normally make a 46 but would size up to the 50) do you think that the yarn would work? Thank you in advance for your help/advice!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for writing in! Though you are not quite at gauge, you are very, very close. I think you’ll be fine with the gauge you got in the yarn you are using. According to the math, with your current gauge you shouldn’t be too far off from the original specs. Best of luck!
-Adam
Just wanted to thank you for your wonderful site, amazing yarns, and beautiful patterns (free and for sale). When I read through the comments about each project I have in my “wish list”, I realize how much time you spend responding to customers – even when we ask the same thing over and over! Many thanks – most of my favourite projects turn out to be Purl Soho classics! I really want to make this Julie Hoover sweater – the yarn is just a little pricey given the (poor) state of our Canadian dollar so will look for some alternatives – it’s beautiful!
Thanks again for all you do.
I know it’s great looking, but just Don’t want to do the overall seed stitch; what do you recommend besides seed stitch!
Hi Bonnie,
I think that you could do garter stitch and get a similar result regarding texture and gauge. Best of luck!
-Adam
Wow! This is a great option for doing TWO sweaters. One in seed and one in garter.
I’m thinking about making this sweater using Flax Down in Pink Grapefruit. I have a 38″ bust so I guess I should be making chest circumference 50 which will give me a 12″ ease. That seems like an awfully big jump. But, since the sweater the model is wearing has 12″ ease I’ll go with it.
I am long waisted. Do I need to add any length?
Hi Petra,
Thanks for writing in! The size that you are selecting sounds correct for the intended ease. If you would like a little less ease, you can certainly select the next size down and still get a good fit! As for the length, I would suggest that you measure the length from your shoulder to where you would like the bottom edge to hit. If this measurement is greater than the measurement of Finished Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge for the size you selected, I would suggest lengthening it!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
There seems to be an error in the pattern, namely the number of stitches to pick up for the sleeve (page 6). The number should vary by size, but the second half of the sleeve stitch pickup states only “32 stitches down other armhole edge” instead.
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for catching this and sorry about the error! We have confirmed that this is indeed a typo and we added errata to our website. Click here for our knitting errata page. So sorry about this!
-Adam
What cast on method do you recommend? Long tail or cable?
Thank you so much for this lovey pattern.
Anne
Hi Anne,
Thanks for writing in! For this lovely sweater, we recommend the long tail cast on!
Best,
Cassy
Hi there, I love this sweater and am interested in knitting it in Debbie Bliss alpaca silk dk. The gauge on my yarn says 28 rows / 22 sts / 10cm. How would that convert to be able to knit up this sweater?
thanks
Heidi
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for the lovely compliment! You’ll want to do a gauge swatch to determine your own gauge. The gauge on yarn labels doesn’t always match a knitter’s gauge. If you still don’t get gauge but are close there are ways to adapt the pattern.
All the best,
Adam
I love this pattern!! Would I be able to knit this sweater using a cotton and/or linen yarn?
From South Florida.
Thanks.
Hi Monique,
Thanks for writing in! I think you could try Cotton Pure but the gauge wouldn’t be quite the same as the Cashmere Merino Bloom. I’d do a gauge swatch with a DK weight cotton and see if you can get close!
-Adam
I am 5’2″ tall and size exactly 36″ (without ease) wide and wish there were more knitting patterns sympathetic to my body type, petite and comfortable around the middle. I have not yet made a jumper and wonder could this be adapted for a practice piece? Will it work in st. st. with a few vertical lines to support the drape, in a much smaller size eg 32″ and also in a thicker yarn to reduce strain on the hands?
I would wear a single layer underneath this design and require less yarn. As this design is knitted flat vents could be made if too wide, if one has concerns over the overall look when finished..
Yours very sincerely
C NN
Hi Carol,
Thanks for the questions! It seems like you’d like to make a completely different pattern. Stockinette stitch will give you a different gauge than the seed stitch and a thicker yarn will mean a very different cast on number. Also, this sweater is made to be worn with a lot of ease. At a 36″ chest the smallest size would give you just 6.5″ of ease. The pattern calls for around 11″ of ease. Good luck on your search!
-Adam
I am interested in making this sweater – but I can’t wear wool – can you suggest a cotton or a linen yarn? Love your store. Thanks.
Hi Christina,
Thanks for writing in! We do not have a linen option that comes in at a similar gauge but you could certainly seek on out! I think you could try Cotton Pure but the gauge wouldn’t be quite the same as the Cashmere Merino Bloom. I’d do a gauge swatch with a DK weight cotton and see if you can get close.
Best,
Cassy
Hi,
I’d love to knit the sweater but the instructions above call for circular needles. I HAVE tried, but I really hate them. Can I use plain old straight needles or should I persevere with the circulars as every pattern these days seems to be for them.
Thanks
Hi Christine,
Thanks for writing in! Although we used circular needles for this project, we knit the majority of the sweater flat, meaning back in forth in rows, turning the work at the end of each row. The reason we sometimes use circular needles for flat knitting is to accommodate a lot of stitches. Cramming a blanket’s worth of stitches onto long straight needles can be pretty cumbersome and sometimes even, impossible. To use circular needles for knitting flat you simply finish a row, turn the work so the other side is facing you and put the needle that was in your right hand into your left hand and the needle that was in your left hand into your right hand, ready to go on the next row!
By the way, once you get the hang of it, you may find that you never use straight needles again, even for projects without so many stitches. Circular needles are just easier to keep track of (no losing one in the cushions of your couch!), and they never poke the person sitting next to you!
We do use circular needles for the sleeves and neckband and I am afraid that changing these would require quite a lot of reworking!
Best,
Cassy
Hi ~ I just ordered the Addison sweater pattern and I’d like to use the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino I have on hand. Will it work?
Hello Vicki,
Thank you for reaching out. As long as you are getting 17 stitches per 4 inches in Seed Stitch on your larger needles it will work. I would recommend knitting up a gauge swatch before getting started.
Hope this helps!
-Marilla
Hello!
Do you think Blue Sky Metalico would work for this pattern?
Thank you very much!!
Best,
Gertrude
Hi Gertrude,
Thank you for the question. While holding Metalico single won’t work, if you held it double, you might get gauge. Thanks again!
-Adam
Hello!
I love Julie Hoover’s Addison pattern, but I do not like the seed stitch. I originally bought the Flax Down, but it is a little too hairy. I was now thinking of using the Cashmere Merino Bloom in its place. What other stitch could I use that would look good other than the seed stitch, and could I also use some thing other than Cashmere Merino Bloom?
Thanks!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for writing in! I think that you could do garter stitch and get a similar result regarding texture and gauge. If you would like to use a yarn other than Flax Down or Cashmere Merino Bloom, you should be on the look out for a yarn with a similar gauge! Koigu Kersti could work as could Manos Silk Blend. As with any substitution, you will need to do a gauge swatch to ensure that you are getting the correct gauge for this lovely sweater.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I am a left handed knitter (knit off the right hand needle and onto the left). When the pattern calls for a right leaning increase at the beginning of the row and a left leaning at the end, should I reverse them (left leaning at the beginning and right leaning at the end)? I’m almost to the armhole and don’t want to get it wrong.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Betsy,
Yes, since you are knitting in the opposite direction, you will want to reverse them to get the same effect as in the pattern.
I hope this helps,
Melissa
I would like to make the Addison but particularly like the colors of Linen Quill- would doubling this yarn give me approximately the same thickness of the 2 yarns suggested ?
Thank you
Hello Nancy,
Thanks for writing in- this is a great question. I think you will get pretty close to gauge with two strands of Linen quill. I would, of course, knit a gauge swatch before jumping in, but I think this could work beautifully!
Let me know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
If my bust is 36″, which size would I want to knit? I have never understood what ease means in relation to choosing a size. Thanks!
Hi Allison,
Great question! Ease and size selection can be tricky and each pattern can be different in the way it handles this question! Ease, in general refers to how tightly of loosely a garment is designed to fit. Positive ease will create a looser fit and negative ease will create a tighter fit. For this pattern, you will measure your chest at the broadest point and then add 9-11″ and choose the nearest size. So for a 36 inch bust, you will get a measurement of 45-47. The closest number would be 46 and that would be the size that you would select to yield a garment that fits as this one in intended. If you would like your garment to have less than the intended ease, yu could select the 42 1/2 size and this will yield you 6 1/2 inches of positive ease and fit more tightly than stated here but still fairly loosely.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I am now working on the first sleeve. It bothers me that I can see a seam where I picked up the stitches – is this inevitable or am I doing something wrong? Working in a seed stitch pattern may be the reason, as I picked up and knitted the first stitches.
Hello Ilene,
Thank you for writing us! This pattern does end up with a seam, though it is subtle. Is yours particularly pronounced? It is always tricky to know if something is wrong without seeing the project. Feel free to send us a photo at [email protected] and we can take a look.
Warmly,
Marilla
Dear Purl Soho
Do you think it would it be possible/easy to make the neck into a wide funnel-type neck (narrow turtle) if I continue knitting having picked up the stitches around the neck? Also, I would like to add pockets. I’m imagining it would then look like an artist’s smock sweater – I would be grateful for your advice.
Many thanks
Louisa
Hi Louisa,
I’m glad to hear you’re personalizing your sweater! Adding a turtle neck collar to the neck is definitely something you could do. It might need a little decreasing if you want it closer to your neck. Adding a pocket is also a wonderful idea!
Best,
Carly
There appears to be an error on the sleeve pattern after picking up the initial sts. I’m knitting size 50 & the pattern states to work Seed Stitch for 13(?) rows or until Sleeve measures 1 3/4 inches from pick-up row. Sleeves look a lot longer than 1 3/4″. The decrease rows state to dec row every 18th row 3x….pattern doesn’t account for that many rows. Help, please! I’m ready to knit the sleeves! Thank you!
Hi Julie,
Thanks for reaching out! The sleeve for the size that you are knitting is indeed longer than 1 3/4″. The 1 3/4″ is the straight section and then you begin the decrease section of the sleeve. So after the 1 3/4″, you will knit 1 decrease row, then 17 rows even in seed stitch and then another decrease row. You will repeat the decrease row a total of 4 times with 17 rows of even seed stitch between ending with a decrease row. This will yield a sleeve that is quite a bit longer. Once the sleeve measures 10 inches, you will stop and begin the cuff.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hi,
Do you think I could knit Addison with Baby yak medium (Myak) ?
I would need 12 skeins, right ?
And what is the level of difficulty of the pattern (on 1 easy to 5 really tricky) ?
Thanks in advance for your comments !
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for writing in! I think that this sweater would be lovely in mYak Medium. You will need 11 (11, 12, 13, 14, 16) skeins approximately of the mYak to equal the correct yardage. If you are comfortable knitting in the round, increasing and decreasing, picking up stitches and seaming, you should be able to make this lovely sweater!
Best,
Cassy
Hello! I am loving this pattern and the buttery flax down. A quick question to confirm I understand the pattern correctly:
I’ve just completed my first side decrease row on a right side row of the back panel. When I flip to continue working in pattern on the wrong side, slipping 1 purlwise, p1 k1 as I have been doing on wrongside rows would result in ribbing of sorts, not the lovely seed stitch. How should I proceed?
Hoping this makes sense – thank you for your assistance!
Hi Alana,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I see where the confusion is! At this section of the pattern, it says to continue working in pattern. This does mean that you will need to adjust the stitch pattern as you decrease. For me, I like to put stitch markers a few stitches in that let me know that when I hit the stitch marker the next stitch will always be a knit or a purl (depending on the side) and then work back from there to make sure that my stitch pattern is in tact. I find that stitch markers are my best friends on textured patterns as they always give me a touch point to make sure that I am not making any mistakes!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi,
Is the model wearing the white sweater wearing the merino bloom? Can’t decide which yarn to get….I like the softer one.
Thanks!
Hi Vera,
Thanks for writing in! The white sweater pictured is knit out of the Flax Down and the marled sweater is knit out of Cashmere Merino Bloom. If you would like to use white Cashmere Merino Bloom, you are in luck, we have it in white as well!
Best,
Cassy
Hello Vera,
Thank you for reaching out! The white sweater pictured is made with our Flax Down yarn. Both the Cashmere Merino Bloom and The Flax Down are quite soft – both yarns would be beautiful and soft.
Warmly,
Marilla
I just finished this sweater in Flax Down , the grey fig color.
This is the first time I actually have wanted to wear a finished garment I have knitted. The shape and size worked great and the color and yarn is yummy. Thanks so much for collaborating with Julie Hoover.
Gwen
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for reaching out! We are so glad that the sweater was a success! We love Julie Hoover as well!
Best,
Cassy
Hi:
I bought the salt and pepper Cashmere Merino Bloom. I am in love with the yarn and the look of the pattern. I just knit the back with 86 stitches. I have the right gauge. It looks ridiculously big on me and I just ripped out the entire back. I am very petite so I am planning on reducing the cast on stitches to 78 stitches. How to I reduce the rest of the pattern. I was not planning on shaping the sides just knitting upwards for 15 inches. Across the chest it will be 18 inches. HELP.
Thank you, Leslie Faneuil
Hi Leslie,
We are so glad that you are loving the yarn! This sweater is indeed designed to be quite oversized. The intended positive ease is between 9 and 11 inches. That is to say that your sweater your should be 9-11 inches larger than the fullest part of your bust to get the look and fit that is shown here. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide custom sizing for sizes below or above the provided sizing in the pattern. You can certainly give resizing the pattern a go on your own, working off of the smallest size as a gauge but I do think that it will involve a fair amount of trial and error. If you are up for a challenge, I’d say give it a go!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Dear Purl-Bees 😉
Which size chall I choose if my bust circumference is 100 cm/39,37 Inch?
Would be great if you could give me a tip.
Best regards from Austria,
Iris.
Hi Iris,
Thanks for writing in! For this lovely sweater, you will want roughly 9- to 11-inch of positive ease. So for a 39 inch bust, you will add 9-10 inches for a total of 48-49 inches. You could then choose either the 46 or the 50!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello,
Do you think I could make this with your Mulberry Merino? I love the mix of wool and silk, and think the drape would be nice with the boxy shape. I’m just not sure about the gauge.
Thanks!
Tina
Hello Tina,
Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately Mulberry Merino has to small of a gauge to work for this pattern. If you are up for a little experimenting you could go up a size and knit the whole sweater with a smaller gauge.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
Could I use mulberry merino to knit this sweater? I have already knitted it in cashmerino bloom and LOVE it!
Hi!
Thank you so much for the kind words! You can definitely knit Addison using Mulberry Merino! I would make sure to do a gauge swatch before starting to make sure you like the finished fabric.
Happy knitting!
Carly
I’m having serious trouble getting gauge with this pattern, and I usually don’t have a gauge problem. These yarns have a 5-5.5 stitch per inch gauge (or 20-22 stitches per 4 inch swatch), but the pattern calls for 17 stitches per 4 inches. I can’t get down to 17 stitches for the life of me. Even changing needles only gets me from 22 to 20 stitches per 4 inches. Help!
Hi Tina!
I would recommend sizing up your needles even more! Sometimes changing the needle material helps too. I usually knit a little bit tighter on wooden or bamboo needles and a little bit loose on metal needles.
I hope this helps!
Carly
If I go up to 9s or 10s in order to bring my gauge from 22 stitches to 17 stitches per 4 inches, this will make the fabric pretty hole-y. Is that the intent of the pattern? Thanks for your help <3
Hi Tina,
Great question! The fabric here is not very loose. Both yarns will bloom upon blocking so you will also want to block your swatch as you would the final sweater. I like to treat my swatch exactly as I would the finished sweater as blocking can affect the gauge! I would also be sure that you are knitting your swatch in seed stitch! The gauge for this yarn in stockinette versus seed stitch can be quite different and here our gauge is given in seed stitch!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I’m using seed stitch for my swatch but didn’t block it yet. I’ll try that!
Hi I was wondering if you can substitute the recommended yarn with Understory?
Hello Jeleen,
Thank you for writing! Understory’s gauge is close enough to the recommended yarns to work! I think this sweater would be beautiful in Understory. I would of course, as always, knit up a gauge swatch before jumping in!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi there,
I’m up to the first side decrease row in the pattern and I notice it asks for k2tog at the beginning of the row and ssk at the end of the row (right side). I’ve watched your tutorials on both of these techniques – Shouldn’t it be the other way around? ssk at the beginning of the row and k2tog at the end of the row?
Thanks for your help!
Hello Corinne,
thank you for reaching out! K2tog is a right leaning decrease and ssk is a left leaning increase. Where they are placed within a pattern has to do with the design of the the sweater. This particular sweater patter calls for this particular orientation.
I hope this clears things up and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi there: Could I make this sweater using Understory, which is my current favorite PurlSoho yarn?
Thanks!
Diane Hill
Hello Diane,
Thank you for writing us- Understory should work beautifully for this sweater! I would, as always, knit up a gauge swatch before jumping in.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
I just bought this pattern at Purl Soho and am knitting in the merimo cashmere bloom. I’ve got a couple of questions on the pattern regarding the decrease rows for shaping the back and the ease. Can you help?
Hi Judy,
We are always happy to help! Is there something specific you would like explained or clarified?
Best,
Julianna
This beautiful sweater is right up my alley!! Its so pretty, yet simple and I love the drape. My bust measurement is 39” so what size would I select? Also, I love the yarn Understory…how do you think hat would work for this? Thank you!
Hi Donna,
Thank you for the kind words! We recommend choosing a size with 9 to 11 inches of positive ease, so I would suggest knitting the third size, which has a finished chest measurement of 50 inches. Understory would be a great substitute for this pattern! It has wonderful drape and should knit up at the correct gauge, but you should always knit a gauge swatch just to be sure.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Is this pattern suitable for beginners?
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for reaching out! We don’t rate the difficulty of our patterns because we want people to feel free to try things that are “too hard” for them; we want to encourage people to discover that learning new techniques enriches the process of making; and we don’t want to put people in a box that says, “You can make this but not this.” We do try to describe the skills involved with a pattern so that customers know what they’re getting into, but ultimately, we hope that you will take little leaps into the unknown and find that the satisfaction was worth the challenge! Remember, we’re always here to help!
This sweater is worked flat in pieces, and includes basic knit and purl stitches, seaming, working in the round, picking up stitches, and a Sloped Bind Off over the shoulder and neckline shaping. So long as you are comfortable with all of these techniques, you should able to knit this lovely sweater without issue!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello,
I’m considering using this pattern w/ Purl Soho Linen Quill yarn held double stranded. What do you think? I am just finishing the Mitered Corner blanket w/ Linen Quill, and I love the yarn. I purchased more of the yarn on sale at the CA Purl Soho store recently, and I’m looking to make a sweater using the same concept of holding 2 yarns together and gradually changing the colors to give a gradient effect. I purchased 3 different colors ranging from cream to warm honey to orange. Thoughts on this? I’d appreciate your feedback.
Thanks!
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out, and I think that sounds like a wonderful idea! You will have to knit a gauge swatch to make sure it will work correctly for the sweater, but we frequently use Linen Quill doubled on a US 7 at a very similar gauge, so I don’t think you will have any problems obtaining the correct gauge. Since this pullover is worked flat and seamed, I would suggest keeping track of how many rows you work in each color combination so you can make sure the color changes match on the back and front and on each sleeve.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Thank you, Julianna! I think this will be my next project!!! I will definitely let you know how it turns out!
One of my goals for this year is to knit myself a sweater! I love the boxiness of this design, and wanted to get your thoughts on sizing. My bust is 50″, so if I’m reading the description correctly, I’d knit the 61″ size? Thank you for your help!
Hi Mary,
This is a great and exciting goal! You are exactly correct. The size 61″ will give you the lovely boxy fit.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I want to check to make sure I choose the correct size. I measure 40 bust size. I do not want this sweater to fit tightly. Which size should I choose?
Thank you,
Chris
Hello Christina,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend knitting up the size 50″.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
I noticed my gauge has been slightly smaller than what the pattern specifies: is it ok for me to add extra rows when shaping the armholes (i.e. increasing every 12 rows 4 times instead of every 10) or will it mess up the picking up process (for sleeves) later?
Hi Bertha,
Thanks for reaching out! Are both your stitch and row gauges too small, or just your row gauge? If it is just your row gauge, you don’t need to alter the increases, but you will still knit the armhole to the correct length in inches for your size. If both your row and stitch gauge are off, I would suggest still following the pattern but knitting to the indicated number of rows instead of inches. Otherwise, your armhole may turn out somewhat gathered or puckered after picking up stitches for the sleeve.
Best,
Julianna
Hi All, Is this mostly a seed stitch?
Thank You!
Hi Gay,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, the majority of this sweater is in seed stitch!
Best,
Julianna
Hi there! I recently purchased this pattern and find that, whenever I’m doing the seeded rib at the beginning of the pattern, around row 8 it shifts so that the ribbing isn’t aligned anymore. Any idea why that might be? I’ve gone back and counted my stitches and I’m definitely following the pattern as written, so I’m a little perplexed!
Hi Molly,
Thanks for reaching out! I am a bit perplexed by this as well (I even worked up a swatch to see if I could figure it out.) Even though you are following the pattern as written my best guess is that you may be getting off pattern by 1 stitch, maybe knitting one instead of purling or vice versa causing the ribbing to shift. I would recommend using stitch markers between the stitch repeats to keep them in order on the right and wrong sides. If you continue to have problems with it please send us a photo to our [email protected] email and we can help you trouble shoot further from there!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
Hello! Have you tried this with a fingering weight yarn? Would you happen to know how much yardage is needed? Thank you
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for reaching out! The pattern is written for a light worsted/dk weight and we haven’t made adjustments to the pattern for a fingering weight at this time so I unfortunately can’t advise you on what that would be. You could work a gauge swatch in the yarn you would like to use and re-gauge the pattern from there based on what gauge you are getting! Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi there!
I am currently making the back of the sweater at this moment and had a quick question. I tend to overthink when patterns say to repeat something every (x) amount of rows because I am not sure if they are including the Row that has already been knit.
For example, in the Addison, it states to…
“Armhole Increase Row (right side):
Continue working in pattern, repeating the Armhole Increase Row every (10th) 1 more time
then every (8th) 5 times. (112) sts”
Do I count the Increase Row as one of my (10)…meaning my next increase would be on the 11th Row of the armhole shaping which would be a WRONG SIDE row? Or will each increase be on a RIGHT SIDE row? Then, will every (8th) row start from the 11th Row making the next increase on the 19th row? I just want to make sure I am reading this correctly.
Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out! The increase row should be done on the right side and when it says to repeat the increase row every 10th row means that you work the increase on the 10th row on the right side, not the 11th row.
I hope this clarifies things!
All the best,
Gianna
Hey! How do I do the gauges correctly at 17 stitches when you need even stitches to do the seed stitch? What obvious thing am I missing here? lol.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for reaching out! 17 stitch = 4″ so when you divide that to get the stitch per inch it is 4.25 stitches = 1″. Even though the seed stitch pattern works over an even number of stitches, this particular gauge is a bit larger than an even 4 stitches but not quite 5 when measuring an inch so that is why we say 17 stitches = 4″!
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thanks Gianna! So I shouldn’t worry about the seed stitch being off when I knit the gauge? Or should I adjust it in some way?
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for writing in again! Yes that is correct, for your swatch it is totally fine if the seed stitch is off as long as the gauge you are calculating is accurate with the written gauge!
All the best,
Gianna
Got, thank you!
Please help!!
I don’t know why I’m having so much trouble 🙁
I’ve worked up to the back ‘shape shoulders and neckline section.’
For the left shoulder it says:
“at the beginning of the wrong side rows, bind off at the shoulder edge 3 sts 4x’s, and AT THE SAME TIME, at the beginning of right side rows, bind off at the neck edge 5+4+2 sts.”
Then: “bind off remaining 3 sts from the wrong side.”
Does this mean on the wrong side I need to bind off 12 sts and then work in pattern to the end of the row before turning to work the directions for the right side? The ‘AT THE SAME TIME’ confuses me.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Molly,
Thanks for reaching out, I am happy to help! This section can be a bit confusion, but basically at the same time you will be binding off on the wrong side rows and the right side rows! So you will start at the beginning of wrong side rows, binding off at the shoulder edge 3 stitches 4 times. Then at the beginning of right side rows, bind off at the neck edge 5 (6, 6, 6, 6, 7) stitches once, then 4 (4, 5, 5, 5, 5) stitches once, then 1 stitch 2 times.
I hope this helps clear things up and let me know if you have any other questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
I have just purchased this pattern…and am about to start knitting. Can I skip the ribbed sections on the body and sleeves of the sweater and simply do the entire pattern in seed stitch?
Hi Helen,
Thanks for reaching out! You can certainly skip the ribbed seed stitch pattern and move straight into the Main Fabric section. Just make sure to adjust the length to account for the 2″ that would have been the ribbing, and you should be fine!
Happy Knitting!
Kelsey
I’ve finished the back and am starting on the front…I’m doing size 46, and the directions show cast on 102, which worked just fine for the ribbing, etc. Directions for the front show “work for back” and appear to show cast on 112 stitches for my size. No matter how many times I’ve started, I cannot get the ribbing to work correctly…I have an extra stitch at the end of each row for the seed rib pattern. I even worked this out on an excel sheet and there it is, the extra stitch. What could I be doing wrong? Thanks!
I think I’ve figured out the problem…just could not wait for guidance…the rib pattern should be multiples of four, plus two (allowing for the slipped stitch). So, I added two to the 112 listed on the pattern and I have my ribbing. Knitting away…..
Hi Helen,
Thanks for reaching out! I saw your previous post and wanted to clarify a few things for you! You begin with the BACK casting on 102 stitches, then when you move to the FRONT you will be working as instructed for Back until **. [104 (112, 120, 128, 136) (144, 152, 160, 168) stitches] meaning you are not casting on 112 stitches, but you should be casting on 102 just as you did for the back and then working the back instruction as directed for the front until you have reached the ** and 112 stitch total! Then you will continue on with the rest of the FRONT instructions.
I hope this clears things up!
Warmly,
Gianna
OH! Thanks so much! Missed the intent entirely! Well. I did learn about how seed ribs are done. 🙂 At least I’ve not gotten very far with my 112 cast on. The one inch rib is pretty…but it must now ribbit. Love me some Purl Soho! Can’t wait for a trip to NYC and a visit when life returns to “normal.”
Ive ended up with 5 skeins of cashmere merino bloom in lavender moon. I’d love to make this sweater and have been trying to figure out how to incorporate another neutral color to make up the skeins I need….2 more for size 3. Maybe a color block concept? Maybe 5 skeins is just not enough for a sweater. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Lida,
Thanks for writing in! For the 3rd size, you will definitely need 7 skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom! For the 2 other skeins, I think you could certainly pick another color (since we no longer carry Lavender Moon) and do a cool dual color situation! Possibly the collar and part of the sleeves or the hem around the bottom in the second color? I would just be sure when doing that (specifically if you do sleeves) to weigh out your skeins so you can make sure you use the same amount of contrasting color on both sides. If you would like, I would be more than happy to recommend a few color options!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
I am currently working on the armhole increase rows – back … first increase after slipping first stitch knitwise is a purl stitch which you knit (seed stitch) My question is this … do I follow the Purl Soho video for Lifted Increases (RLI + LLI) Tutorial?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0V359rMUTs
Thank You!
Hi Cullen,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, that is correct, you will follow our Lifted Increases (RLI + LLI) tutorial for the increases!
Warmly,
Gianna
If I want to make the sleeves longer using Cricket yarn (add another two inches or so) will I need more than 6 skeins?
Hi Tracy!
Thank you for your question! Depending on the size you are making and the gauge you are getting, you may or may not need more than 6 skeins of Cricket to add a few extra inches to the sleeve. I think having just one additional skein would be the safest bet, so that you have some extra yarn to work with if you need it, but you likely won’t need more than 100 yards total for adding on to both sleeves. If the size you are making requires less yardage than the total yardage you have for your 6 skeins (1500 yards), then you should be just fine using the yarn you have!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
Thanks. So going on the requirement for size 46 on the Flax Down, it looks like I will need 1314 yards – this is true for Cricket as well?
You are very welcome, Tracy! And yes, as long as your gauge is the same as the gauge listed in the pattern, you will need about 1314 yards of Cricket for size 46 of this sweater.
Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Margaret
Hello, I am just purchasing this sweater and was going to order Flax Down, which it looks like you no longer carry. Are there any of your yarns, in addition to Cashmere Bloom, that would work for this sweater?
Thanks, Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for reaching out! Flax Down was a DK weight yarn, so you’ll want to use another yarn of the same weight, in order to achieve the correct gauge for Addison.
The best match would be Cashmere Merino Bloom, which is a very soft and fluffy yarn. Another great option would be Morning. Morning is a blend of cotton and yak, so it has a very different feel to it compared to Flax Down, but it’s a wonderful yarn too, and it’s machine washable! Finally, Knitting Yarn would also be a great substitute. This is one of our newest yarn additions, and it’s the perfect “all-around” yarn: simple, durable, and extremely versatile!
I hope that my recommendation are helpful, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili