Update2 November 3, 2012

TWEEDY--STRIPEY by Leslie Weber

Please note that these are one-size directions which will necessarily be worked in a different
yarn from that used for the original sweater. Rowan Scottish Tweed has been discontinued.
What follows is not so much a pattern as an “accounting” of what was done in the making of my
sweater, with suggestions for customizing the size.
A very generous fit is the desired effect. In my photos, I am wearing the sweater with 10 inches /
25 cm of positive ease at the chest and only slightly less at the hips. There is no body shaping.
The front and back pieces are almost square.

I would suggest substituting a “rustic”, toothy, tweedy-or-heathery heavy DK or light worsted

which will produce a relatively dense and substantial (almost stiff) fabric. This is not an airy or
lightweight sweater! Possibilities which come to mind are Cascade 220, New Lanark Pure Wool
DK, Jamiesonʼs Double Knitting, Quince and Co. Lark, or a Shetland-type fingering held double.
A yarn which produces a softer drape could also be suitable, but the overall effect would be
somewhat different.

Experience level:
For the instructions as written -- some familiarity with following garment patterns.
For a re-sized version -- experience in making major modifications to a pattern.

Yarn quantities:
(For size as written)
Colour A (light grey in photos) -- 370 yds / 340 m; Colour B (dark grey) -- 250 yds / 230 m;
Colour C (brown) -- 530 yds / 480 m

Copyright 2012 Leslie Weber

Update2 November 3, 2012

Needles:
32- or 40-inch circular, 4mm / US 6
Smaller-gauge circular for holding back stitches
16-inch circular, 3.75mm / US 5, for neck band

Original gauge (blocked): 20 sts and 30 rows = 4” / 10 cm on needles 4mm / US 6

Garment measurements at original gauge (blocked): Body 46” / 117 cm circumference. Front /
back 23” / 58.5 cm width. Length 24” / 60.5 cm. Sleeve 12” / 30.5 cm circumference at hem.
Sleeve length approximately 7” / 18 cm. Neck opening with neckband 11” / 28 cm.
Section measurements: Lower striped section and sleeves approximately 7” / 18 cm (54 rows,
52 for sleeves) length. Upper striped section approximately 17ʼ / 42.5 cm (126 rows).
Schematic on last page.

Customizing the size:

Altering the width is a simple matter of casting on more or fewer stitches. The gauge information
above, paired with the original measurements, should allow you to determine how many stitches
to add or subtract.
Lengthening or shortening the garment may require some adjustment to the stripe pattern, as
the design depends upon the visual balance achieved by the total length of each of the three
striped elements. The grey-on-grey band on the lower body and the sleeves are virtually the
same length.
Making it longer by about 2 inches would be easy. You would just add a stripe-pair (one wide,
one narrow) to each body section, and a few stripes to the sleeves.
For a shorter sweater, adding or subtracting rows worked in Colour A (light grey in the photos)
could help to maintain the balance. For example, the lower band and the sleeves could be
worked in 2-row by 2-row stripes, which would allow more flexibility in adjusting the total number
of rows.
To make the neck opening narrower, subtract stitches as needed from the centre held stitches.
Another approach to adjusting the size would be to change the gauge by using an appropriate
yarn and needle size.

WHAT I DID:

Back:
Using cable cast-on and Colour A, CO 120 stitches. Work 12 rows stocking stitch.
Change to Colour B. Work 2 rows stocking stitch.
Change to Colour A. Work 8 rows stocking stitch. Carry Colour B at right-hand side of work,
catching it over the working strand at the beginning of each row to avoid loose “floats”.
Continue to work 2 rows B, 8 rows A for a total of 52 rows, counting from CO. Work 2 rows B.

Change to Colour C. Work 6 rows stocking stitch.

Change to Colour B. Work 2 rows stocking stitch.
Continue to work 6 rows C, 2 rows B for a total of 120 rows, counting from 1st row in C. Work
another 6 rows C.
Slip all stitches on to a smaller-gauge 32- or 40-inch circular, to hold them.

Copyright 2012 Leslie Weber

Update2 November 3, 2012

Front:
Work as for Back to end of second row C of 15th stripe. (There are now 12 rows remaining until
top of front piece.)
On next row (RS), knit 48. Thread scrap yarn through centre 24 sts. These sts will form the
centre neck.
Note: In the following instructions, “right-hand side” and “left-hand side” refer to the sides of the
work as seen in the knitting, and not the right and left sides of the garment as worn.
Turn piece. Begin neck shaping: Working on the 48 sts just knitted which are the right-hand
side of the work, work 1st decrease (WS) -- Purl 2tog, bind off 4, p42. (43 sts remaining).
Leaving the 48 sts for the left side on the same needle, continue to work decs on the right-hand
side as follows, working in stripe pattern.
2nd dec (WS) -- P2tog, BO3, p38.
3rd and 4th decs (WS) -- P2tog, BO2, p35 / p32.
5th dec (WS) -- P2tog, BO1, p30.
6th dec (WS) -- P2tog, p29. (30 sts remaining on needle).

Left side of neck -- join in a new strand of colour C on WS at outer edge of work. Purl 48.
1st dec (RS) -- Ssk, BO4, k42. (43 sts remaining).
2nd dec (RS) -- Ssk, BO3, k38.
3rd and 4th decs (RS) -- Ssk, BO2, k35 / k32.
5th dec (RS) -- Ssk, BO1, k30.
6th dec (RS) -- Ssk, k29. (30 sts remaining).

Shoulder seams:
Thread scrap yarn through 60 centre sts on back.
Working with the 30 live stitches at each side on back and front, join shoulders using a 3-needle
bind-off OR Kitchener stitch. (I worked a 3-needle bind-off because my yarn was too “sticky” for
the tightening-up stage with Kitchener stitch. I did the BO with right sides facing outwards, for a
raised seam.)

Sleeves:
The stripes on the sleeves are made with 4 rows A, 2 rows B.
Beginning and ending with the end stitch of the upper row of the 7th B stripe counting from the
top (or 55 rows from the shoulder join), and using colour A, pick up and knit 84 stitches (3
stitches for every 4 rows).
Work 3 rows stocking stitch.
Work 1st stripe in Colour B.
On next RS row, change to A and work 1st dec -- k2, ssk, knit to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2.
Maintaining stripe pattern, continue decs on every 4th row 9 more times. (64 sts remaining.)
Work straight until sleeve has 52 rows. Bind off on next row. The sleeve will show 8 stripes in
Colour B, plus a final 6-row band in A.

Neck band:
Using Colour C, and 16-inch circular one size smaller than needles used for body, starting at
centre back, pick up and knit 30 sts from the held stitches, then pick up and knit 1 st for each
bound-off st along one side of neck, then 24 held sts at centre front, then one st for each bound-
off stitch at second side of neck, then remaining 30 held sts on back. Join in round. Purl 1
round, knit next, purl next round, knit one more round. Bind off all sts purl-wise on next round. (3
garter ridges).

Copyright 2012 Leslie Weber

Update2 November 3, 2012

Finishing:
Weave in yarn ends.
Block work. (Itʼs easier to do this while itʼs still a flat piece of knitting....)
Seam sleeves and sides using mattress stitch, leaving side seams open at lower body for side
vents, approximately 6” / 15 cm deep.

A NOTE ON NECK WIDTH : Two knitters to date have noted that they found the neck too wide. I also
have issues with this as my sweater stretches with wear. Knitters may wish to adjust the numbers (if
working at the original gauge), for example by holding 20 or 18 stitches at the centre front (instead of 24)
and working with 50 or 51 sts at each side, for a total of 32 or 33 sts remaining after the 6th decrease.
The 3-needle bind-off for the shoulders would then be worked on 32 or 33 sts at each side, and the
number of held stitches picked up for the neck band would be adjusted accordingly.

Copyright 2012 Leslie Weber