Lap Shoulder Pullover
Stuffed bunnies, soft blankies, fuzzy booties, why should babies have all the fun? Our Lap Shoulder Pullover borrows the styling of a baby onesie and gives it a very adult charm!
The big moment here is the lap shoulder. A simple detail where the front shoulders tuck under the back ones, it gives this sweater a wonderfully clever (and very flattering!) shape.
To knit the Lap Shoulder Pullover, you work in the round from the bottom up to the underarms, join the sleeves, then work the yoke with raglan decreases. You shape the neckline with short rows, then tack the front shoulders under the back ones, and done!
And because it all started with babies, we chose a yarn that even they would appreciate. Our Season Alpaca is 100% super baby alpaca, a sportweight beauty with an incredibly soft feel and a lovely drape. We used the glorious color, Wild Lupine, a playful purple made for grownups!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Adam Aronowitz.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoLapShoulderPullover and #PurlSohoSeasonAlpaca. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) (8, 8, 9, 9) skeins of Purl Soho’s Season Alpaca, 100% super baby alpaca. Each skein is approximately 218 yards/100 grams; approximately 925 (1025, 1175, 1280, 1445)(1555, 1705, 1800, 1920) yards required. We used the color Wild Lupine.
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 32-inch circular needles
- US 4, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 4 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- A Lap Shoulder Pullover 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
22 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
NOTE: Need help deciding on a size? Check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
34¼ (37¾, 41½, 45, 48¾) (52¼, 56, 59¾, 63¼)
To fit actual chest circumference 30–33 (34–36, 37–40, 41–43, 44–47) (48–51, 52–55, 56–59, 60–62) inches, with approximately 1–4 inch(es) of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 34¼ (37¾, 41½, 45, 48¾) (52¼, 56, 59¾, 63¼) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Cuff: 17½ (17½, 18, 18, 18½) (18½, 19, 19, 19½) inches
- Finished Length: 21¾ (22½, 24, 24½, 26) (26½, 27¼, 27½, 27¾)
Sample: The sweater shown here is size 37¾, worn with 3¾ inches of ease.
Pattern
The Lap Shoulder Pullover is available for purchase as a PDF download only.
Won’t this stretch out with just alpaca?
Hi M,
Thank you for your question! Alpaca-based yarns like Season Alpaca, which is a lovely 100% super baby alpaca, do tend to stretch and expand a bit when washed. However, since they provide such a beautiful drape, they’re a wonderful choice for garments and shawls!
We find that doing a gauge swatch and definitely wet blocking that swatch are extremely helpful when working with alpaca yarns. By doing so, it’s possible to get a sense of how much the yarn might expand after washing and then to plan accordingly for your project. We have a guide on swatching called All About Gauge; I’ve linked it here in case you might be interested! I hope this was helpful and have a great day!
All the best,
Cat
I wish you would indicate the level of expertise needed to complete your patterns. Granted, it’s a slippery slope, but I’d love a little guidance before I purchase a pattern and yarn. It ends up being a substantial purchase and commitment.
“Beginner, some experience knitting, advanced or challenging”.
Hi Emily,
Thanks for reaching out! I would consider this pattern an advanced beginner to intermediate pattern! It is pretty basic and straightforward but has a few more advanced techniques like Short Rows: Wrap-Turn! If you decide to try this pattern out and you find yourself with any questions, you can reach out here or contact our customer service team directly at customerservice@purlsoho.com
We are happy to help at any point!
Gianna
I have some fingering weight yarn that would be perfect for this project. What adjustments would I have to make
Thanks
Hi Nannette,
Thanks for writing in! While we do not currently have the resources to rewrite patterns, I can certainly give you some suggestions on how to make the modifications yourself.
One thing you could do easily is just knit a few sizes larger than you would usually! To figure out which size to make, first, make a gauge swatch with the yarn you intend to use. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by your chest circumference measurement, plus 1-4 inches of ease. Then, compare that number to the stitch counts for the body of each size, and choose the one that comes closest to it!
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks so much!
Would Wigeon be a good substitute for Season Alpaca?
Hi Liz,
Thanks for writing in. I think Wigeon would be a wonderful substitute for Season Alpaca!
As always, we recommend making a gauge swatch before starting a project to be sure you’re working with the right needles, especially when substituting yarns. If this is daunting, I’d recommend checking out a tutorial called All About Gauge, which covers some incredibly helpful information.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you!
Hi there, would Flax Down be a reasonable substitute for this pattern. Thanks Lorraine
Hi Lorraine,
Thanks for writing in. Flax Down is actually a DK weight yarn, while this pattern was designed for a sportweight yarn, which is thinner. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend it, since it will take some significant adjustments to make the pattern work. If you’re feeling up to making the modifications though, then I say go for it!
All the best,
Lili
Can you explain this part of the pattern? I am at the end of working the first sleeve: Next Round: Remove marker k6, place previous 12 stitches onto scrap yarn or stitch holder for Underarm” Does this mean the 6 stitches I just knitted off my left needle plus the 6 unknitted stitches on my left needle are placed on the stitch holder? Thanks for any help
Hi Joan,
Thanks for reaching out. I can absolutely explain those instructions! Once you’ve knit to the first side marker, removed the marker, and knit 6 stitches, you’ll place the last 12 stitches currently on your right-hand needle onto the stitch holder. These are the 12 stitches that you just finished knitting, so they must all be to the right of your working yarn at the point you slip them onto the holder. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hi,
I have a question about one of the instructions in the “shape back neck” section. Under ‘short row 5’, it says ‘knit to 1 stitch before end of round marker, s2kp’, how is this supposed to happen? Is it knit to 2 stitches before? If so, the left sleeve stitches will keep decreasing in the subsequent rounds as well.
Thanks,
Diana
Hi Diana,
Thanks for reaching out. In this row, you’ll actually be removing the stitch marker in-between the two stitches as you work the s2kp and then replacing it on the needle afterwards! The instructions are definitely a bit unclear though, so we will be updating the pattern file. As a heads up, this is what the Special Instructions will now say for the s2kp, so it’s understood you are removing the marker no matter where it’s happening:
Slip 2 stitches together knitwise, removing marker, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch and off right needle, replace marker on right needle. [2 stitches decreased]
I hope this helps clarify things, and thank you again for bringing this to our attention!
All the best,
Lili
i’m starting to shape back neck: row 1 knit to 2 stitches before next marker, s2kp, knit to 1 stitch before next marker, wrp-t. if i’m understanding the directions, the wrap will be around one of the raised decrease stitches from the s2pk. it didn’t seem right to wrap that stitch, but it’s the first time i’ve done wrap and turn.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out! The stitch that you will be wrapping is actually the “k” of the s2kp, which is a normal knit stitch. The 2 slipped stitches have already been passed over this stitch, so they won’t interfere at all. Furthermore, the wrap will become invisible when you eventually knit this stitch with its wrap later on in the pattern. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
The shaping of the neckline is incorrect in the pattern. I had to re-do this section several times. Shape front left neckline should read: With right side facing you, rejoin yarn to Front Left ARMHOLE. The WRP-T are are on the inside (neck edge). For the shaping of the front right neckline, the two short rows are reversed (ie what is printed as Short Row 2 (wrong side) HAS to be Short Row1. What is printed as Short Row 1 (right side) HAS to be Short Row 2. When does this way, the shapings come out correctly and the pieces lay flat.
I found this part of the pattern EXTREMELY confusing, and had to rip it out several times before figuring out the shaping for myself. I suggest that you include a photo of the two front shapings laid out flat so people can see the increases on the outside and the wraps on the inside. There was nothing even on Ravelry for this….
Hi Jan,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We are so sorry for the frustration this pattern caused, and we are taking another look at it with our team with your insight in mind. The last thing we want is for our patterns to be unclear!
We appreciate you sharing what worked for your sweater when shaping the neckline, and though it was a labor of love, we hope you enjoy wearing your sweater and showing off all your hard work!
All the best,
Margaret
Hi,
What about Line Weight for this pattern?
Diane
Hi Diane,
hanks for reaching out. Line Weight isn’t the best substitute for Season Alpaca, but you could probably make it work! Line Weight is a fingering weight yarn, so it’s a bit thinner than Season Alpaca, which is sportweight. If you decide to use Line Weight instead, I’d highly recommend making a gauge swatch to determine what needles you should use for the project. You’ll most likely need to size up to offset the thinness of Line Weight, and your knit fabric will be a lot airier.
If this is daunting, I’d recommend checking out a tutorial called All About Gauge, which covers some incredibly helpful information. I even learned some interesting, new tidbits myself while looking over it, and you may, too! You can find it right here. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks Lili,
I am an “extra-small” in sizes. Most of the time, I recalculate your patterns to fit me, so the thinner yarn might just do it. I will let you know.
Diane
Oh that works out perfectly then! Definitely let us know how it goes!
All the best,
Lili
I am really having problems shaping the Back Neck.
Shape Back Neck Questions:
Does the end-of-round marker count as a marker when the instruction say purl to the next marker 2 times? Or is it only considered when it is specifically mentioned, like in Short Row 5.
In Short Rows 9, it says knit to the end of live stitches. Is a wrapped stitch a live stitch. Should I knit to the very end of the row or stop when I get to the grouping of 10+ wrapped stitches in a row? Do non-live stitches reference the stitches on the stitch holder?
Hi Janice,
Thanks for writing in, and I’d be happy to answer your questions about this section of the pattern!
1. Yes! The end-of-round marker does count as one of the markers here.
2. The wrapped stitches do indeed count as live stitches. As you knit to the end of the live stitches, you will knit all the wrapped stitches with their wraps. The non-live stitches are only the stitches that are on hold.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili