Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook (45 page)

S
IZES

Small (Medium, Large, Extra-Large)

Finished chest: 40 (42, 47, 50)"

Finished length: 23¼ (24½, 26, 27½)"

M
ATERIALS

Brown Sheep Company
Lamb’s Pride Bulky
(85% wool/15% mohair; 4 oz/125 yds)

MC:
6 (6, 7, 7) skeins #M06 Deep Charcoal

CC:
1 skein #M10 Creme

US 10½ (6.5mm) knitting needles, or size needed to obtain gauge

G
AUGE

13 sts and 20 rows = 4" in St st

D
IRECTIONS

FRONT

With MC, CO 65 (69, 77, 81) sts.

Work 7 rows in garter st.

Then work in St st until front measures 17 (18, 19, 20)" from beg.

SHAPE ARMHOLE

BO 1 st at beg of next 6 (8, 10, 12) rows, then work 3" more in St st, ending with a WS row.

NECK SHAPING

K 26 (27, 29, 30) sts. Join 2nd skein of yarn; BO center 7 (7, 9, 9) sts; k to end of row. Both shoulder sections are worked at the same time with separate skeins.

BO 2 sts at neck edge at beg of every other row until 18 (19, 21, 22) sts rem on each shoulder.

Work 1" more in St st. Leave sts on needles or holder.

BACK

Work same as front,
except
when you have decreased to 18 (19, 21, 21) sts at shoulders, just stop there—don’t knit the extra inch. Leave sts on needle or holder.

JOIN SHOULDERS AND MAKE NECKBAND

When front and back are finished, put RS together and join 1 shoulder using 3-needle BO over 18 sts for a strong, compact seam.

With RS facing, and beg at edge of neck, pu and k 54 (54, 58, 58) sts evenly around the neckline. Work 1" in k1, p1 rib. Loosely BO in rib.

Join second shoulder seam using 3-needle BO and sew neckband seam.

The print edition of this book includes a chart for
Skully
.
Please download a PDF of this chart here:
workman.com/ebookdownloads

SLEEVE

Lay front and back flat.

With RS facing and MC, pu and k 43 (45, 49, 51) sts at armhole.

Work 1" in St st.

Mark center st with a contrasting loop of yarn for center of skull pattern.

Cont in St st, work 6 (7, 9, 10) sts MC, work 31 sts of chart; work 6 (7, 9, 10) sts MC.

When chart has been completed, cont with MC in St st to 1" shy of desired sleeve length (approx 20").

Then work 7 rows garter st.

BO fairly loosely.

Rep sleeve on other side.

FINISHING

With RS facing, sew side and sleeve seams.

The Manly Sweater
(left)
& Skully
(right)

ABOUT SAMANTHA

I’m thirty years old and have been knitting for about five years. I’d wanted to learn to knit for a while, and my mom had tried to show me a couple of times, but I just never got it. A few years later when I wanted to learn again, my mom told me about a lady at the local yarn shop who was a “whiz.” It took this woman about five minutes to show me all I needed to know—it turns out that my mom and I knit completely differently, and I just needed someone with more general knowledge to push me along. I ended up knitting my first swatch on the plane home, poking the man sitting next to me with my knobby needles, and I’ve been knitting ever since. I made a lot of scarves at first but quickly branched into more free-form knitting, an ever-shifting cycle of hats, socks, various part-warmers (leg, wrist, knee), handbags, and a custom sweater for a goose(!). Even when I’m not knitting, I work with needles: I’m a tattoo artist working in Purdys, New York.

KRISTIN SPURKLAND

This sweater combines several of my favorite design elements: hoods, stripes, and a mix of deep red, pink, and orange. I love making sporty styles in soft, luxurious mohair—the yarn gives the design more versatility. I wear this hoodie as a cover-up in my yoga and dance classes, and then pair it with a low-slung, funky skirt and my favorite red boots for nights out.

I suggest knitting this sweater on a circular needle (even though it is knit flat), because you can join new colors at either end of the circulars—especially important when you work on stripes. Also, it is easier to knit the hood on circulars than on straight needles. You’ll see what I mean when you get there!

S
IZES

Small (Medium, Large, Extra-Large)

Finished bust: 36 (40, 43½, 47½)"

Finished length: 20 (21, 22, 23)"

M
ATERIALS

Rowan
Kid Classic
(70% wool/26% mohair/4% nylon; 50g/151 yds)

A:
5 (5, 6, 7) skeins #825 Crushed Velvet

B:
3 (4, 4, 4) skeins #819 Pinched

C:
1 (1, 1, 1) skein #827 Juicy

US 8 (5mm) 24" circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge

US 7 (4.5mm) knitting needles

Stitch holders

G
AUGE

19 sts and 26 rows = 4" in St st on larger needles

S
TITCH
P
ATTERNS

RIB

Rows 1, 3, 5 (WS): P2 *k1, p2; rep from * across.

Rows 2 and 4 (RS): K.

BORDER FOR POCKET AND HOOD (WORKED OVER 5 STS)

WS rows: (K1, p1) 2 times, k1.

RS rows: K.

D
IRECTIONS

BACK

With smaller needles and A, CO 86 (95, 104, 113) sts. Work 5 rows of rib patt as indicated, ending with a WS row. Change to larger needles and work in St st until back meas 9½ (10, 10½, 11)" from beg. Change to C and work 3 rows. Change to B and work for 4". Change back to C and work 3 rows. Change to A and work even until back meas 20 (21, 22, 23)" from beg. BO 27 (31, 35, 38) sts; work across center 32 (33, 34, 37) sts and place on holder; then BO rem 27 (31, 35, 38) sts.