Julie Hoover For Purl Soho: Olson in Hedgerow
Have you ever made your own favorite cardigan, the one you slip on when you wake up in the morning and also when you are heading out to dinner at night? Julie Hoover’s Olson in Hedgerow is exactly that sweater. Julie’s careful focus on all the details, plus Hedgerow’s complex beauty, make this cardigan your new favorite!
You knit the Olson in three pieces, starting with the back and its 2×2 ribbed hem. Switching to stockinette stitch, you speedily increase for deep dolman sleeves, then shape the neckline and shoulders, creating the roomy silhouette that makes this sweater so easy to wear over anything. Added bonus: You don’t have to go back and knit sleeves later!
You knit the front pieces in much the same way, and then it’s time to put it all together!
After blocking, you use a Modified 3-Needle Bind Off (yes, we have a tutorial!) to create an inside-out seam along the shoulder and top of the sleeve, a lovely detail that also adds structure where you need it. Sew the bottom of the sleeves and side seams together, and it’s time to pick up and knit the neckband and cuffs.
So much thoughtful design requires the right yarn choice, and our Hedgerow is just the one to infuse this cardigan with a wealth of character and vitality. Made in County Donegal, Ireland, Hedgerow comes from one of the county’s last producers of Donegal yarns. Sprinkled with the colorful bits (“burrs” or “nebs”) that are spun into the fiber, every stitch of this yarn is a joy!
For a softer feel than traditional Irish wool, Hedgerow is 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk. Its two loosely spun plies knit into a fabric full of rugged beauty that celebrates the aesthetic and integrity of time-honored Irish wool tweeds.
Featuring a stunning array of neutrals and vibrant pops of color (such as this captivating Persimmon Red), Hedgerow‘s palette of 18 colors is sure to have the one that, in the end, will make this cardigan your favorite!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
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, #PurlSohoOlson, and #PurlSohoHedgerow. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) (9, 9, 10, 10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Hedgerow, 93% merino, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk. Each skein is 243 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1460 (1550, 1680, 1770, 1920) (2010, 2170, 2275, 2415) yards required. We used the color Persimmon Red.
- US 6 (4 mm), 32- or 40-inch circular needles
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular needles
- A set of US 6 double pointed needles
- A stitch marker
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- An Olson Pattern PDF
GAUGE
18 stitches and 27 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles, after blocking
SIZES
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
40¾ (44½, 47¾, 51½, 55) (58¾, 62½, 65¾, 69½)
To fit actual chest circumference of 30–32 (34–36, 38–40, 42–44, 46–48) (50–52, 54–56, 58–60, 62–64) inches with 7–10 inches of ease
- Finished Midriff Circumference: 40¾ (44½, 47¾, 51½, 55) (58¾, 62½, 65¾, 69½) inches, with front bands overlapping
- Finished Length from Shoulder to Center Back: 28 (28¼, 29¼, 29½, 30¾) (31, 32, 32¼, 33¼) inches
- Finished Length from Shoulder to Center Front: 25¼ (25½, 26¼, 26½, 28) (28¼, 29¼, 29½, 30¼) inches
- Finished Length from Cuff to Underarm: 14 inches
Sample: The cardigan shown here is size 40¾ inches, worn with 8 inches of ease.
PATTERN
The Olson Pattern is available as a PDF download only.
Learn About Hedgerow + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Our Hedgerow yarn makes this project extra special! Created in County Donegal with 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk, Hedgerow has a softer hand feel than strictly traditional Irish wool, while still celebrating the aesthetic and integrity of Donegal tweeds. A classic worsted/aran-weight yarn, Hedgerow brings joy to every stitch!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Hedgerow knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/ Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn
- 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 cashmere yarn
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop silk 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 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!
Is there a cotton yard you could suggest for this pattern? I’m allergic to wool
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out, and you can absolutely use a cotton yarn for this project! I’d recommend using Serif, which is 100% cotton and has a delightful nubbly texture. As always though, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project, especially when you are substituting yarns. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge!
All the best,
Lili
I love this cardigan pattern!! Can you suggest another Purl Soho yarn that would work well for this? Although the Hedgerow colors are really lovely (those bright colors!!!), unfortunately I don’t like tweed. Thank you!
Hi Kathy,
This cardigan would also be fantastic in Yonder! Yonder is a mix of highland wool and alpaca, so it’ll be warm and cozy for a cardigan and have a nice drape as well. I’d just recommend knitting up a gauge swatch before beginning to ensure you choose the best needle size!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you!
I would love to knit this in a wool, but I’m very sensitive to scratchiness. Can you recommend a softer wool or wool blend (but not superwash/treated) that could be a good substitute for Hedgerow on this cardigan?
Thank you so much,
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you’d love knitting this cardigan in Knitting Yarn. This yarn is 100% merino wool, and it has a smoother spin than Hedgerow, making it softer to the touch. And it’s a similar weight, so you’ll be able to achieve the gauge of the pattern (though you may need to size up or down your needles). Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I have the original Olson pattern, which was written for a different yarn. Can I use that same pattern with the Hedgerow or has the gauge/measurement changed enough that I’d need to buy the pattern again? Thanks!
Hi Janie,
The gauge is the same between the two versions, but the new version has an extra size! If you’d like to knit from the version of the pattern with this size, all you’ll need to do is redownload it from your Purl Soho account. That’ll provide you with the newest version!
All the best,
Lili
Hello
Question:
I love this pattern and have downloaded it already.
Instead of the longer curved back section, can I knit it straight across and skip the stitch wrap section. I am quite short and I think it will just look very long as written. I would like the entire length to be the same as indicated for the sides.
Will it look OK and should I be aware of any downside to this alteration in the pattern ?
Thank you for your advise.
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
We are so excited you will be starting on the Olson cardigan! You can skip the short rows in the SHAPE HEM section of the pattern for the main fabric to bring up the back of your cardigan. I hope this helps and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi just purchased the Olson pattern. I note the previous version was a dk yarn. Would I be able to use a dk yarn for the current version? Would I need to change anything?
Hi Debbie,
You can indeed use a DK weight yarn for this pattern! We always recommend doing a gauge swatch when using an alternative yarn to ensure you will get the correct sizing. Since this pattern is written very closely to the original, you shouldn’t have a problem meeting gauge when swatching and you should be able to follow the instruction without an issue.
I hope this answers your questions but please feel free to let me know!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hello,
I plan to make this sweater in either hedgerow or Yonder. Which yarn is the softest? I worry hedgerow is a bit scratchy.
Thanks!
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for your question! Yonder is definitely the softer option of the two when compared. One thing to keep in mind is that Yonder is a heavier weight than what is written into the pattern and leans closer to an aran weight. We always recommend knitting a gauge swatch before you begin to make sure you are able to get the same gauge as the pattern. I would recommend checking out Cashmere Merino Bloom, Season Alpaca or Partridge as great alternatives for this pattern’s suggested yarn.
I hope this helps but please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Regarding pattern instructions: RLI and LLI.
I’m confused on how to do the right and left lifted increases. Pattern says to lift, knit then slip. However when I look at utube, it says to lift, knit then knit stitch, not just slip it. Please explain. Is pattern correct or is utube
I’ve never done either way. Years ago I lifted the bar between stitches not from side of stitch (leg)
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for writing in! The way you work these stitches can vary depending on the pattern you are making. This might be why you are getting different ideas of how this is done. We recommend checking out our handy video of RLI and LLI here for a better visual on how to work these stitches. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you. Your link did not work but found it by using search.
The demo explained it better than the directions in pattern.
Hi Melissa,
I apologize about the link not working properly but we are very happy to hear you found the demo helpful!
hi,
I’m in the middle of this project (back is done, left front is in process) and suddenly I’m having a major doubts about how I’m counting rows. When, for instance, the directions say ‘continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat the Left Cuff Increase Row every 8th row 3 more times’ (for my size) do I count the purl row as a row, or only the right side rows? So far I’m only counting the 8th RIGHT SIDE row (and NOT counting the purl rows) thanks for your fast response,
Diane
Hi Diane,
Thank you for writing in! You should indeed be counting every row you are working. So if your instructions have you knit one row, and purling the next, you should count these as two rows total. If you have counted every right side row as one row, then you actually can double that number to get back on track. For example, if you have worked 8 right side rows, you will count this as having worked 16 rows instead of 8. I hope this helps but please let me know if there is anything else we can do to help you get back on track!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi there,
I am loving this pattern and yarn – using golden meadow hedgerow – and just finished the “shape dolman sleeves portion” of the back. For the size I’m making, it should measure 15″ from hem, but mine measures about 14.25.” I’m worried the sleeves will end up in the wrong place more than I’m worried about overall length.
Is there anyway I can remedy this (if indeed an issue of sleeve placement) without unraveling? Can I add extra rows while increasing stitch count to maintain the curved shape? Can I work extra rows into the next “shape cuffs” section?
Appreciate any advice! I’m still a novice and learning how to troubleshoot…
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for writing in, and I want to first assure you that you’re on the right track! It sounds as though your row gauge is slightly small, which caused the length to come out on the short side. But 3/4s of an inch is a very small distance, and this yarn is very stretchy, so you’ll be able to easily stretch it into shape when you block all the panels before seaming them together. No need to add any extra rows or unravel anything!
All the best,
Lili