Your basket is empty.
Continue Shopping
Ainur Berkimbay For Purl Soho: Aperture Pullover
The Aperture Pullover by Ainur Berkimbay offers a fresh perspective on the circular yoke sweater, turning the construction on its side and replacing traditional colorwork with stunning openwork that lets in the light and draws the eye. True to Ainur’s inventive spirit, it’s a sweater pattern that rewards curious knitters, with our merino-alpaca Note yarn lending nuance and tactility.
Of course, all the focus is on that striking yoke. Ainur’s pattern ingeniously creates latticed openings without complicated maneuvers. You simply make each one using an easy one-row buttonhole technique—and yes, we have a tutorial!
The overall approach to knitting the Aperture Pullover is a flat, sideways construction, starting at the center back, working your way around to the front, and returning to your starting place—all in garter stitch and all in one piece, with short rows to shape the yoke. One more intriguing twist: You’ll use separate balls of yarn for the yoke and body, interlocking them as you pass from one to the other. Much easier than it may sound and fully explained in the pattern!
A mix of the softest extra fine merino in the world and sumptuous baby alpaca, you’ll be continually thrilled by how Note’s characteristic multi-ply spin gives every garter ridge exceptional clarity and depth. This DK-weight yarn is toasty warm and next-to-skin soft with a lush drape… You simply have to feel it to believe it!
With 20 artfully heathered colors of Note to choose from, you can frame the Aperture Pullover exactly as you imagine it. There’s plenty here to keep you intrigued, as you’d expect from the wildly creative Ainur, but it remains an attainable knitting challenge—an invitation to stay open to the unexpected.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 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!
Pattern designed and written by Ainur Berkimbay for Purl Soho. Ainur sees the unique constraints of knitting as opportunities rather than limitations. Using her remarkable ingenuity and love of geometry, she designs beautiful and adventurous pieces for knitters who share her enthusiasm for shape, texture, and adventure. See more from Ainur on her website!
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Materials
- 6 (6, 7, 8) (9, 9, 10) (11, 12, 13) skeins of Purl Soho’s Note, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca. Each skein of this light worsted/DK-weight yarn is 200 yards / 100 grams; approximately 1100 (1175, 1345, 1475) (1700, 1765, 1975) (2060, 2325, 2425) yards required. We used Chestnut Red.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 32-inch circular knitting needles
- Spare US 5, 32-inch circular knitting needles
- A stitch marker
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- Scrap yarn and crochet hook for Provisional Cast On
- An Aperture Pullover Pattern PDF
GAUGE
19 stitches and 38 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
NOTE: For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size Tutorial!
36¼ (39¾, 43¼, 47) (51¾, 55¾, 59) (62, 64¾, 68½)
To fit actual chest circumference of 30–33 (33–36, 37–40, 41–44) (45–48, 49–52, 53–56) (56–59, 59–62, 62–65) inches, with approximately 3–6 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 36¼ (39¾, 43¼, 47) (51¾, 55¾, 59) (62, 64¾, 68½) inches
- Finished Length from Neck to Bottom Edge: 19¾ (19¾, 21¾, 22½) (24½, 24½, 26) (26, 27¼, 27¼) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length from Underarm: 12½
Samples: The Chestnut Red sweater is size 36¼, worn with 3¼ inches of ease, and the Stillwater Blue sweater is size 39¾, worn with 6¾ inches of ease.
PATTERN
The Aperture Pullover Pattern is available as a PDF download.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Note + All Our Beautiful Yarns
The incredible softness, bounce, and dimension of Note makes this project sing! The same beloved yarn as our gradient Nine-Note Bundle, Note is double the size per skein, with its own unique palette of painterly heathered colors. This light worsted/DK-weight yarn is made with 80% the softest extra fine merino wool in the world and 20% baby alpaca, spun into a round multi-ply yarn with a characteristic high twist that adds body and wards off pilling. Absolutely amazing in every way… You simply have to feel it to believe it!
More Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of (mostly free!) Note + Nine-Note Bundle knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- 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, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop alpaca yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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!
I’d like to try this in cotton rather than wool. Do you think it would work in Cotton Chirp DK or Sketchbook Cotton?
Hi Katy!
Thank you for writing in! Cotton Chirp DK could work as a cotton substitute, and Sketchbook Cotton would also be a nice option, depending on the look you’re going for. That said, cotton behaves quite differently from wool—it has less elasticity and memory, so the finished fabric can feel a bit heavier and less “springy,” especially in garments like sweaters. Because of that, something with a bit of animal fiber (like Morning or Plein Air) will hold its shape a bit better and feel lighter on the body.
If you’d prefer to stick with cotton, we’d recommend knitting a swatch to make sure you’re happy with the drape and fabric, and adjusting needle size as needed to match gauge.
Please let us know if you have any other questions, we’re always happy to help!
Warmly,
Megan
Hi !
How wonderful and original!
Do you think Knitting Yarn would be a good alternative? Perhaps the result wouldn’t be as beautiful as with Note? In your opinion, what would be the best alternative yarn?
Congratulations on this splendid and unusual design!
Hi Christelle!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, Knitting Yarn DK would be a lovely alternative to Note. It will give you a slightly different texture and drape, but the result will still be beautiful.
Happy knitting!
Megan
Beautiful. Do you think this pattern would work with Plein Air?
Hi Donna,
This sweater would be beautiful in Plein Air! Plein Air can be knit up at a similar gauge to Note, and it will make a great warmer weather version!
We hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions.
Kindly,
Allison
Hello Purl Soho,
When you put patterns & yarn on the Internet, will you please include in the yarn description laundering instructions: “machine wash & lay flat to dry” or “hand wash” or “dry clean only”? This is something I ALWAYS look for when shopping for yarns.
Thanks, M. Friel
Hi Margaret!
Thank you so much for writing in and for sharing this feedback. We really appreciate it! We completely understand how important care instructions are when choosing a yarn. You can find the recommended laundering and care details for all of our yarns on their individual product pages, listed in the Product Details section. We always aim to include that information so you can feel confident selecting the right yarn for your project. If you ever have trouble locating those details or have questions about a specific yarn, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always happy to help!
Warmly,
Megan
You are a knitting genius! Congratulations!
I would love to understand how you knit the neck line?
Hi Brenda!
Thank you so much for writing in! That’s very kind of you! The neckline is created using a simple one-row buttonhole technique that forms those lovely open details in the yoke. It looks intricate, but it’s actually quite straightforward and is fully explained step by step in the pattern.
Warmly,
Megan