Julie Hoover for Purl Soho: Hawley
Julie Hoover is back with another how-did-I ever-live-without-it sweater! This time it’s her beautiful Hawley pullover, designed just for Purl Soho.
Everything about the Hawley is thoughtfully designed for ease, from its simple stitch pattern and intuitive construction to its flattering fit. Knit in pieces and then seamed, this is a wonderfully uncomplicated pattern that will challenge beginners and keep experienced knitters interested… The perfect balance!
Knit up in our Good Wool, we love that this yarn is super affordable but also that its undyed natural beauty is reminiscent of a classic fisherman’s knit… without the traditional itch. Good Wool also has amazing loft and stitch definition, making each detail of the Hawley distinct and truly lovely!
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. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
MATERIALS
- 4 (4, 5, 6) (6, 7, 7, 7) skeins of Purl Soho’s Good Wool, 100% Andean Highland Wool yarn. Each skein of this sport weight yarn is 383 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1340 (1500, 1745, 1930, 2195, 2390) yards required. This is the color Winter Grass.
You’ll also need…
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- Cable stitch holder
- T-pins and blocking wires (optional)
- Julie Hoover for Purl Soho’s Hawley Pattern
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 30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles, after blocking
28 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in Cable Pattern on larger needles, after blocking
SIZES
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
37 (41½, 46½, 51) (55½, 60, 64½, 69)
To fit actual chest circumference of 30–33 (34–38, 39–43, 44–47) (48–52, 53–56, 57–60, 62–65) inches, with approximately 4–7 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 37 (41½, 46½, 51) (55½, 60, 64½, 69) inches
- Finished Length From Shoulder To Bottom Edge: 23 (24, 25½, 26½) (27¾, 28¾, 29, 29) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length From Cuff To Underarm: 16 (16, 16¼, 16¼) (16½, 16½, 16¾, 16¾) inches
SAMPLE: The sweater pictured here is size 41½ inches modeled with 7½ inches of ease.
PATTERN
Hawley is available exclusively as a PDF download.
LEARN ABOUT GOOD WOOL + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Good Wool adds loads of character, beauty, and integrity to this knit! A sport-weight yarn whose lofty 2-ply spin can also bloom into a light worsted/DK-weight yarn, Good Wool is made from 100% Andean highland wool, a toothy fiber with a deeply natural appeal. This yarn has a spectacular palette of complex and subtly varied colors, including 5 undyed shades. Very close to the hearts of our customers, Good Wool is a true knitter’s yarn!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Good Wool knitting patterns and cast on!
More Sport-Weight Yarns + Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of sport-weight yarn
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns (What does DK-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to DK yarn will answer your questions and demystify.)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop wool yarn
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 45 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 1000’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
When will this be added to Ravelry?
Hi Mere,
Thanks for reaching out! This lovely sweater is already up on Ravelry! It can be found here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hawley-pullover
Best,
Cassy
Will Purl soho have kits for the pattern+ yarn in the future?
Hi Amanda,
Great question! While we do not have kits for this project, we sell all of the materials that you will need to make it!
Best,
Cassy
I bought the Good Wool yarn and am knitting the Hawley pullover. I’m knitting the size that required me to cast on 178 stitches. I’m working the back and the pattern says to knit the cable pattern until piece measures approximately 16 1/4 inches ending with row 6 of the pattern. I’m at 16 1/4 inches at row 12 of the cable pattern. Should I stop here and begin the armhole shaping? Or should I continue on which would mean that I would start the cable pattern again and knit to row 8 and have a piece that measures more than 16 1/4 inches? Thanks for your help!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for writing in! This entirely up to you – if you don’t mind your sweater being a little longer or shorter, the easiest thing to do would probably be to either continue for 8 more rows or go back to row 6.
Looking ahead at the pattern, I suspect you need to end on a specific row of the cable pattern so that you can then also end on the correct row of the cable pattern before working the neckline ribbing, but if the reason you didn’t end on the correct row is that your row gauge is off, you will also probably not end on the correct row at that time. If that is the case, the best (and scariest!) approach is probably to just begin your armhole shaping now, and be aware that you will have to wing it a bit at the neckline.
If your blocked row gauge is correct in the cable pattern, then you should definitely make sure you begin your armhole shaping on the correct row and then block your piece to the correct measurement when you are done.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi,
Cute pattern! Any chance a person could use linen quill instead of good wool for this pattern? I’m loving the new yarn colours in linen quill, as I already have numerous grey and brown sweaters. Thanks!
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanks for writing in! Great idea – although you would have to do a gauge swatch to be sure, I do think that Linen Quill held double would be a fairly close match to Good Wool! Hawley would also be lovely in Cashmere Merino Bloom or Flax Down for some additional colorful options!
Best of luck and please let us know how your sweater turns out!
Julianna
Hi,
Is there a washable wool you could recommend for this project?
Hoping to make this for my daughter.
Sheila
Hello Sheila,
Thank you for reaching out! Anzula’s Cricket is a machine washable yarn that has the same gauge as our Goodwool.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I am in the process of knitting the Hawley sweater. Please tell me that once blocked it will fit to size? Because right now, it looks quite narrow in the body, but I am hoping that it looked like for you as well and that the cables will flatten out a bit.
Thanks
Hi Kara,
Thanks for writing in! Although cables do usually block out somewhat wider, it is hard to say if your sweater will fit unless you knitted and blocked your gauge swatch! On the last page of the pattern you will see two separate gauges, one for stockinette and one for the cable pattern, both given as blocked measurements. If you are in doubt, you could always put what you have done on a piece of scrap yarn and block it to measure your gauge and the overall size to make sure it matches the dimensions in our diagram!
Best,
Julianna
Hi, I’m a bit unclear on one of the directives in the Hawley pattern. I’m currently finishing up the first sleeve and I’m up to the part where I need to bind a specific number of stitches in the beginning of the next two rows. Does the phrase “the next two rows” refer to the Cap Decrease row on the right side and then the stockinette stitch row on the wrong side? Or am I missing something? Also, is there a preferred bind off method for these stitches ?
Thank you for your help!
Hello Christina,
Thank you for reaching out! This is a great question. You will be knitting these two rows in established patten and then begin your Armhole Double Decrease Row. I would reccomend a standard basic bind off for these stitches.
I hope this clears things up and let us know if you have any further questions.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Love this sweater. The ravalry post says it is for a female, but your info indicates “adult”. I am looking for a sweater for my lean 19 year old son. Do you think if I leave out any body shaping it would suit a Male body?
Hi Martha,
Great question! Like many of our designs, this sweater is a unisex design that can be worn by anyone! Since the pattern doesn’t have any waist shaping, the only modification you may need to make would be to add some length to the sleeves and/or body of the sweater if necessary.
Happy knitting, and I hope your son loves his new sweater!
Julianna
Help! I am new to following patterns so I’m sure this is a silly question. I’m working on the Hawley sweater and don’t understand what “ Work 1 wrong-side row even” and “work 3 rows even in pattern” means. Clarification would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for reaching out! Working a row even just means that you will work all of the stitches in the row in the established pattern! So for example where it says “work 3 rows even in pattern” you will simply work 3 rows in the stitch pattern!
I hope this clears things up, happy knitting!
Gianna
Can I use a cashmere yarn to knit this sweater, or will it stretch out too much?
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for writing in! I think cashmere would be a great option for this sweater! I would just recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning to ensure you are consistent with the pattern!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Can this be knit in the round from the armholes down? Will the stitch count work with the cables?
Hi Jodi,
Thanks for writing in. I think that you can absolutely knit this in the round from the armholes down! The stitch count will work out either way. Let us know how it goes if you try this out!
All the best,
Lili
Just bought this yarn in Apple Cider. Is that color “too much” for this lovely pattern?
Hi Donna!
I think that Good Wool in Apple Cider would be a fantastic color for this pattern!
All the best,
Lili
Hello. Am I missing the instructions for the front? Are they the same as the back? Thank you!
Hi Katherine,
Thanks for reaching out. The instructions for the Front say “Work as for Back,” so yes, they are the same! I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hi…I am wondering why you have us decrease so much in the one row following the three-inch cuff for the sleeve. It goes from 70 stitches to 56 (for size Medium), but the photos show no such decrease immediately following the cuff to main body of sleeve. As written, this would like extremely cinched. Can you please explain? I’m inclined to just go with 70 stitches for the first row after the cuff but that will throw off the increase rows and the sleeve will be huge.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in! That’s a great question! The cuff decrease row accounts for the change in needle size as well as the transition from ribbing to stockinette stitch in which the rest of the sleeve is worked. Ribbing tends to pull in due to the nature of the stitch but when blocked, your sleeve cuff will look more even with the rest of the fabric instead of flaring out. I hope this helps but if you have any questions please let me know!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thanks very much.
Hi, there –
I’ve just picked this pattern back up sfter being distracted by other projects. In rereading it I see the finishing starts with letting the pieces soak for “ant least 45 minutes” (!) for blocking.
I tend to steam block because I don’t like when yarn loft deflates when wet blocking. Can you tell me if steaming will work, and also, why such a long soak? (some day I need blocking lessons – haha)
Thank you!
Hi Donna,
Hmmm, I’m afraid I don’t see the spot in the pattern that recommends soaking the pieces for 45 minutes. You should be totally fine using your preferred blocking method though!
All the best,
Lili
I’m working this pattern for the sixth finished size (60) and I have a question about the number of sleeve increases for this size. According to the pattern I should do the Sleeve Increase row every “4th row” “21 times.” I just need to confirm that’s actually true because it’s such a huge number of increases compared to the other patterns.
I am using the same yarn that the pattern used and I got gauge but this seems like a typo and just need to check.
Hi Nina,
Thanks for writing in, and I can confirm that the pattern is correct here! Sometimes a pattern will have sections that grow at different rates depending on the size the maker is knitting. You might notice the next section of this row says: “then every 12 (0, 6, 4) (4, 0, 4, 4)th row 2 (0, 7, 7) (9, 0, 17, 20) times.” Here, most of the other sizes continue the increases at a slightly different rate, but you would have finished all the increases earlier so there aren’t any more for size 60!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks so much. This is only my second sweater so I am nervous about getting it right. Appreciate the speedy reply! 😊🫡