8-Spoke Yoke Pullover for Adults

Our 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover for Adults pattern was born from a desire to explore what happens when you add more spokes to a raglan… Turns out you get all the graphic appeal of a raglan and all the easy fit of a circular yoke! For a truly special sweater, cast on with Vinter Wool, our small-batch hand-dyed yarn made in Norway with all Norwegian wool, including fiber from one of the world’s oldest sheep breeds.

You knit the 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover in the round from the top down, starting with a stockinette rolled neckband. Paired increases in eight spokes shape the sweater’s yoke, creating sculptural lines that radiate outward from the neckline… Simply beautiful!

Once you divide the body and sleeves, you continue increasing at the front and center back to maintain the spokes, while decreasing at the sides of the body to keep the stitch count even. Similarly, when you knit the sleeves, you’ll keep increasing along the spokes at the tops of the sleeves while decreasing at the underarms. This clever shaping creates an organic contour at the rolled hem and lovely details all around!

Warm enough for frozen Oslo winters and full of rich natural beauty, Vinter Wool is made entirely by one very small artisanal mill in Norway from a mix of 70% Norwegian white sheep wool and 30% Norwegian wildsheep wool, a thoughtful balance of softness and wild, woolly character.

Norwegian wildsheep, who grow the fiber for our Vinter Wool yarn | Photo credit: Hilde Buer

These wildsheep are Old Norwegian sheep who are reared the same way they have been for thousands of years, living outside year-round on the heathered moorlands of the Norwegian coast. Our partner mill sources the wool from local farmers to transform into yarn, with every step honed to bring out the wool’s natural luster and preserve its toothy feel, distinctive elasticity, and rich lanolin content. This same mill hand-dyes the yarn with rich colors shaded by the varying blacks, browns, and grays of the wildsheep… A truly rare and remarkable yarn!

Vinter Wool’s lofty spin makes it super versatile, knitting up beautifully anywhere from a DK to worsted weight. We knit the 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover right in the middle of that range, for a surprisingly airy fabric with enough structure to stand away from the body, a key part of that relaxed fit.

We chose Vinter Wool’s enchanting undyed color, River Birch, for our delightfully sheepy 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover… Do the same to experience the stunning variation of the Norwegian wildsheep wool as you knit your own pullover, or pick from a hand-dyed palette full of colors straight from a Norwegian wood.

P.S. Want to knit this sweater for a little one? We also offer the 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover for Babies + Toddlers pattern, knit in our super soft, machine-washable Morning yarn!

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Materials

• 8 (9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19) skeins of Purl Soho’s Vinter Wool, 70% Norwegian white sheep wool and 30% Norwegian wildsheep wool. Each skein of this DK- to worsted-weight yarn is 120 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 910 (1045, 1190, 1345, 1480, 1650, 1785, 1905, 2080, 2195) yards required. We used the undyed color, River Birch.
• US 4 (3.5mm), 16-inch circular knitting needles
• US 4, 32- or 40-inch circular needles
• US 5 (3.75mm), 16-inch circular needles
• US 5, 32- or 40-inch circular needles
• A set of US 4 double pointed needles
• A set of US 5 double pointed needles
• Stitch markers, including one unique
• Stitch holders or scrap yarn
• An 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover for Adults Pattern PDF

GAUGE

21 stitches and 29 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles

SIZES

NOTE: For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size Tutorial!

33¾ (37¼, 41, 44½, 48¼, 51¾) (55, 58, 61½, 65)

To fit actual chest circumference of 28–31 (32–34, 35–37, 38–41, 42–44, 45–48) (49–51, 52–54, 55–57, 58–61) inches, with approximately 3–7 inches of ease

• Finished Chest Circumference: 33¾ (37¼, 41, 44½, 48¼, 51¾) (55, 58, 61½, 65) inches
• Finished Length from Front Neck to Bottom Edge: 20 (20¾, 21¼, 22¾, 23½, 24¼) (24½, 25, 26, 26) inches
• Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 9¾ (9¾, 9¾, 10½, 10½, 11¼) (11¼, 11¼, 12, 12) inches
• Finished Length from Underarm to Cuff: 15 inches

Sample: The sweater shown here is size 37¼, worn with 5 inches of ease.

PATTERN

The 8-Spoke Yoke Pullover for Adults Pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.

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