Twisted Rib Pullover In New Colors + Sizes
We cast our line into the archives and came up with a classic. The tale of our Twisted Rib Pullover is all about timeless details, from a stand-up mock collar and a beautiful raglan yoke to shaped split hems. We definitely caught a good one!
The rich textural beauty of this knit is due to its twisted rib, which creates pronounced plait-like ridges. Their tidy elegance brings clarity to all the Twisted Rib Pullover’s shaping and details.
Even classics need to be brought up to date, and here, we are happy to report that the Twisted Rib Pullover is now sized for everyone with a 26½- to a 65½-inch chest circumference. More sizes, more people knitting, more joy!
The Twisted Rib Pullover was always in our soft and beautiful Worsted Twist merino wool, but we took this opportunity to knit up a new version in this captivating Red Plum color. Whatever color you pick, it’ll be a beauty!
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!
Originally designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTwistedRibPullover and #PurlSohoWorstedTwist. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino wool. Each skein is approximately 164 yards/ 100 grams.
- Cap Sleeve Sweater: 5 (5, 6, 6) (7, 7, 8) (9, 9, 10) skeins; approximately 725 (815, 900, 975) (1055, 1140, 1235) (1350, 1420, 1510) total yards required.
- Short Sleeve Sweater: 6 (6, 7, 7) (8, 9, 9) (10, 11, 11) skeins; approximately 845 (945, 1055, 1145) (1245, 1355, 1460) (1595, 1670, 1765) total yards required.
- Long Sleeve Sweater: 6 (7, 8, 9) (9, 10, 11) (12, 12, 13) skeins; approximately 980 (1100, 1240, 1335) (1465, 1570, 1710) (1830, 1920, 2020) total yards required. We used Red Plum.
You will also need…
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 32- or 40-inch circular needles, depending on sweater size
- US 7, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- A Twisted Rib Pullover Pattern
Gauge
20 stitches and 26 rounds = 4 inches in twisted rib
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
34½ (38½, 42½, 46½) (50½, 54½, 58½) (62½, 66½, 70½)
To fit actual chest circumference of approximately 26½-29½ (30½-33½, 34½-37½, 38½-41½) (42½-45½, 46½-49½, 50½-53½) (54½-57½, 58½-61½, 62½-65½) inches, with approximately 5–8 inches of ease.
- Finished Chest Circumference: 34½ (38½, 42½, 46½) (50½, 54½, 58½) (62½, 66½, 70½) inches
- Finished Length from Back Shoulder To Back Bottom Edge: 24¼ (24¾, 25, 25¼) (25½, 25¾, 26¼) (26¾, 27¼, 27¾) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Cuff:
- Long Sleeve Option: 16½ (16½, 17, 17½) (18, 18, 18½) (18½, 19, 19) inches
- Short Sleeve Option: 7¼ (7¼, 7¼, 7¾) (7¾, 7¾, 8¼) (8¼, 8¼, 8¼) inches
- Cap Sleeve Option: ½ inch
Sample: The sweater shown here is long sleeve, size 42½, shown with 8 inches of ease.
Pattern
The Twisted Rib Pullover is available as a PDF only.
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!
Würde den Pullover gerne nachstricken. Er gefällt mir sehr, so wie fast jede Arbeit die sie vorstellen. Leider ist mein Englisch nicht so gut und ich würde mich über eine deutsche Übersetzung freuen.
Liebe Grüsse
Hester Koeb
Hi Hester,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we do not offer instructions in German, but thank you so much for expressing your interest! I will be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team!
Warm Regards,
Gianna
Is this a top down knit???
Hi Paula,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, this pullover is knit from the top down!
Warmly,
Gianna
I really like the look of this sweater but all wool would be too hot for me, especially in the office bc they really crank up the heat. Is there a wool blend that might be a cooler weight that I could use?
Hi TofuAnnie,
Thanks for reaching out! I would suggest using our lovely yarn, Campo! It is a blend of 50% wool and 50% organically grown cotton so it is quite a bit lighter than Worsted Twist, but still wonderfully soft, making it perfect for a pullover! Even though it is also a worsted weight yarn, I do recommend starting off by working a gauge swatch prior to beginning to ensure you are consistent with the pattern.
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
I love the look of this sweater!
Does the pattern call for purling through the back loop?
I find that stitch impossible!
Thank you.
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for reaching out! The Twisted Rib Pullover does require you to purl through the back loop in order to achieve the twist in the stitch when the ribbing is worked flat. It can be a bit of a tricky one, but we do have a helpful tutorial that you can check out here for some helpful pointers!
Warmly,
Kelsey
I’m curious if anyone has knit this in Understory? I’ll swatch of course but I think gauge should be pretty similar and I’m wondering what you all think about yak/alpaca/silk properties vs merino? Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
I think this sweater would work beautifully in Understory! Understory is one of my personal favorites, and for projects like the Twisted Rib Pullover, I think its stitch definition and weight would be a wonderful fit. Worsted Twist is going to give you a squishier, softer feel overall than the Understory, which has a more earthy look and feel and is a touch lighter weight than Worsted Twist. Understory is also wonderful because (in my own experience of it) it’s less likely to pill and really hold up well to wear and washing. Either yarn will be a great choice for this sweater, depending on what you’re looking for!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Is there any sewing involved in this pattern and is it an easy pattern?
Hi Betsy,
Thanks for reaching out. There is absolutely no sewing involved in this pattern (unless you count weaving in the ends)! I wouldn’t call the pattern difficult, but I would make sure to be prepared for any special techniques. I want to let you know that this pattern includes wrap + turn short rows, long-tail tubular cast-on, and cable cast-on. (If you click on the links in the previous sentence, they’ll take you directly to our tutorials on those techniques!) I would advise you, if you’re interested in knitting this sweater, to go for it! One of the best things about knitting, in my opinion, is learning new techniques.
All the best,
Lili
As with this pullover, I often wish the designer’s name was in the details of the description. I recognize that sometimes the design is a group effort, but often I find later that a specific name is associated with the pattern. It’s frustrating, because I’d like to follow a specific designer’s ideas. If I like one of their projects, then I’d like to look for more of their projects. I can’t do that right now, because no name is given for many patterns.
Hi NJ,
Thanks for reaching out, and I completely understand! We release patterns either in collaboration with outside designers, or that are by our in-house designers (in which case we don’t always highlight the name in the pattern PDF). The Twisted Rib Pullover was designed by our own Laura Ferguson! I’ll include a link to Laura’s Loop, so that you can easily browse other designs by Laura. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Would this be a fairly easy knit? I’m probably an intermediate knitter.
Thanks
Roxanne
Hi Roxanne,
Thanks for writing in. I wouldn’t call the pattern difficult, but I would make sure to be prepared for any special techniques. I want to let you know that this pattern includes wrap + turn short rows, long-tail tubular cast-on, and cable cast-on. (If you click on the links in the previous sentence, they’ll take you directly to our tutorials on those techniques!) I would advise you, if you’re interested in knitting this sweater, to go for it! One of the best things about knitting, in my opinion, is learning new techniques.
All the best,
Lili
Hi I am having an issue of 2 rows of twisted knit stitches together on back of right shoulder and front of left… is this supposed to be? Or did I miss something? I jus started the raglan increases and I’m size 44 chest working on a size 50
Hi Karlo,
Thanks for reaching out! Please send all of the information you provided above, plus a few clear photos of your work to our customer service team directly at [email protected], they can help troubleshoot further what may be going on!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi, in the short row section, Row 3 — the short rows are not all the way around the sweater? Is that correct? Thanks, Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, that is correct, this is because you are only working over a portion of the sweater adding shaping to a specific area, not the entier sweater!
I hope this clears things up, happy knitting!
Gianna
I guess my question is when you wrap & turn to go back, do you count the first marker on the way back as #1 and the next marker as #2, do the stitches, wrap & turn and go back? Does not seem right to me. I am thinking you actually slip 3 markers if you include the first one by the wrap & turn. Thanks for any help.
Hi Cynthia,
You’re on the right track with your first idea! You only be working back and forth between marker 1 (your unique beginning of round marker behind your right shoulder) and marker 4 (which should be behind your left shoulder).
In short row 1 for example, you’ll work a couple of stitches past marker 1 and then turn. In short row 2, you’ll go back past marker 1, then a little past marker 4 and work a few stitches beyond that. This will set up the mirror image of your first wrap on the opposite side. In short row 3, you’re turning again to work past marker 4, towards marker 1, and then even more stitches beyond your first wrap, further into your sleeve. You’ll continue this process, moving further into each sleeve on either side each time.
I hope that helps clear things up! Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you’d like us to break that down even further.
All the best,
Zha Zha
Quick question – I recently knitted the previous pattern and in that one the short rows were between the neck and yoke, while in this one it is between the yoke and sleeves. Was this update deliberate?
Hi Noelle,
Thanks for reaching out. I can confirm that the changes to the short row placement were intentional! Our most recent version of this sweater was an update to make this pattern size-inclusive, and a few things got shifted around as part of the re-sizing process. Hope this makes sense!
All the best,
Lili
It does. Thank you!
Hi Lili,
I am beginning my third twisted knit pullover and besides getting more experience on all the new techniques it presents I am reading through these comments and see that there might be an update on the pattern that i have missed. I made my first ones last year.
How can i check on the updates?
Thank you !
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out. If you’d like to access the most recent version of the pattern, you can download it again by clicking on the download link from the original email, or by accessing it through your Purl Soho account. This will automatically give you the most recent version!
You can also check to see any specific changes we’ve made by visiting our Knitting Errata page. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi
I am knitting the twisted rib pullover. I did the long tail tubular bind off on the front and back at the bottom as suggested – new to me. It is looking good.
I am now up to the long sleeve and I am working on 4 double pointed needles. The pattern suggests the long tail tubular bind off again, but this sounds tricky when working on 4 double pointed needles in the round. Do you have any suggestions?
Please ignore my previous request. I have managed to use the long tail tubular bind off on the first sleeve of my twisted rib pullover. I used the shorter circular needle as the purl stitches and the double pointed needles for the knit stitches.
It was a bit tricky to manage all the needles but it was successful.
I like the twisted rib sweater and I’m looking for a suitable yarn in black that won’t be to hot. Any recommendations?
Thank you
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your question! I’d be happy to help you find a suitable yarn substitute for this project.
I would recommend checking out our Tulip Cotton. This yarn is worsted weight and spun form 100% organically grown cotton. It’s machine washable as well, so it’s perfect for making warm-weather garments! Another possible option is using Blue Sky Worsted Cotton!
I hope these recommendations help! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Carly
This is my first sweater in the round! Should I do my swatch in the round or can I do it using the flat twisted rib instructions? Thanks!
Hi Melissa!
Thank you for your question, and congratulations on starting your first sweater in the round! I would suggest knitting your gauge swatch in the round as well (using the Twisted Rib in the round stitch pattern), since gauge tends to differ between being worked flat and worked in the round. If you would like some more info for knitting gauge swatches in the round, we have a tutorial that you can find right here!
I hope this helps, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
I have a guy friend who totally loves this sweater. Are there any adjustments to the pattern (remove the short rows?) if I were to make it for a man?
Hi Noelle,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m so glad that your friend loves this design! Any adjustments you make would entirely depend on the body type and measurements of your friend though, so I’m afraid I can’t give specific advice on this without knowing more details. But in general, I’d recommend taking your friends measurements and comparing them all to the measurements given in the SIZES section! That way, you can determine exactly which size would be best to make, and what, if any other modifications you may need to do. For instance, I have naturally long arms, so I often need to knit a few more inches when I make sleeves!
All the best,
Lili
I purchased this pattern on Ravelry in 2019, and the 3rd size seems to have gone up from 41-1/2 to 42-1/2. Was there a correction, or is that just totally new, different size?
Hi Lulu,
Thanks for checking in about this. In 2021, we redid this pattern to include many more sizes! This was mainly to add more sizes on the larger end, but it also meant that we need to adjust some of the smaller sizes as well. So the 42 1/2 size isn’t a correction, but it does reflect some small changes we made to the pattern itself during this update. If you’ve already began the size 41 1/2 from the 2019 version of the pattern, I’d recommend sticking with it, since the stitch counts won’t match up in the new version.
All the best,
Lili
hi- I love the look of this sweater but I’d like to figure out how to make it a v-neck because I’m too sensitive around my neck and get so hot….do you have any tips or ideas on how to do this? I’m an intermediate knitter at best and have never modified a pattern before!
thanks!
Hi Danielle,
I’m afraid that this pattern would be pretty difficult to modify into a v-neck! Essentially, you would start knitting flat at the neckline, and increase 1 stitch on each side every few rows (depending on how deep you want the v-neck to be), and then join back in the round once the depth of the neckline is complete. You would also probably want to add some sort of border to the neckline, since the edges might be a bit uneven!
But overall, I think it would be much easier and more satisfying of a project to try a pattern that’s originally designed with a v-neck! I’m linking below to some of our v-neck patterns:
Forest Henley
Cross Current Dolman
Daily Pullover
Low-V Cardigan
Shoulder Forward Pullover
I hope one of these patterns might catch your eye!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I just finished my sweater and I am so happy with how it came out! I did it in worsted twist in the same plum color as pictured, though I made the body shorter for a more cropped look. It is gorgeous and snuggly. It will be perfect for the cooler months ahead. Just wanted to put in some encouragement for first-time sweater knitters: I definitely learned some new techniques, like short rows, tubular cast on, and kitchener stitch (which was tricky) but I found the pattern easy to follow and the tutorials very helpful. Thanks Purl Soho!