Beatrix Sweater
Pattern copyright @ 2008 Barbara Kopacek and Pink Argyle (all rights reserved) See Terms of Use at end of pattern
Named for the Helen Beatrix Potter (link: http://www.peterrabbit.com/beatrixpotter/), English sheep breeder, conservationist, botanical illustrator, and creator of children's characters like Peter Rabbit, Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca. As an adult, she rarely wore anything but black. This pattern is knitted in one piece from the neck down, and uses only stockinette stitch and garter stitch. Size S-M Finished chest measurement Chest size: 36" Length: 25" Yarn Any chunky weight yarn (approx. 9 wpi), approximately 550 yards, more if you're doing stripes. Note: The sweater illustrated was knitted using my handspun yarn. For you spinners, the yarn was handspun from two different 12-16 oz. colorways, which I combined so I'd have enough yarn for a sweater. Fiber from the separate rovings were spun in different combinations to produce yarn that would yield a subtle striping.
Needles
$24^{\circ}$ circular needles, sizes 11 and 10 $16^{\circ}$ circular needle size 11 Double point needles sizes 11 and 10 (or sizes required to get gauge). Gauge Using the larger size needles, in stockinette stitch, 11 stitches and $15\;\mathsf{r o w s}=4^{\mathsf{s}}{}^{}$ Additional materials Scrap yarn, stitch markers, 22" zipper
Abbreviations:
p-purl st-stitch inc-k into the front and back of the next st ssk - slip one st as if to knit, slip one st as if to purl, slip the tip of the left needle into the fronts of these sts and knit them k2tog - knit 2 sts together as if one rep-repeat the directions between the \* \*
Cast on and work sweater from top down
Usingthe $24^{\circ}$ size 11 circular needle, cast on 30 stitches as follows: Cast on 1 st, place a marker (marker 1), cast on 7 sts, place marker 2, cast on 14 sts, place marker 3, cast on 7 sts, place marker 4, cast on 1 st.
Work back and forth as follows in stockinette st, slipping markers as you go
Row 1: k into the front and back of the first stitch to inc, slip marker, inc., $^{\star}\mathsf{k}$ to within 1 st of next marker, inc, slip marker, inc\*, rep at each marker to last marker, inc in the last st. Row2: p Row 3: inc in first st, $^{\star}{\sf k}$ to within 1 st of next marker, inc, slip marker, inc\* rep this increasing before and after each marker x 3, k to last st, inc in iast st. Row4:p Next knit row: k, increasing before and after each marker only, and continue to work as established, increasing before and after each marker on knit rows only, until there are 42 sts between markers 2 and 3. (You should now have the following: 21 stitches, marker 1, 35 stitches, marker 2, 42 stitches, marker 3, 35 stitches, marker 4, 21 stitches.) End with aProw.
Divide for body and sleeves
K to first marker, remove tne marker. Using a darning needle and scrap yarn, slip all the sts between here and the next marker (35 stitches) onto the scrap yarn. These stitches will become the left sleeve. Cast 8 sts onto the right needle, join to back sts and k across the back sts to the next marker. Slip all the sts between here and the next marker onto a second piece of scrap yard. These stitches will become the right sleeve. Cast on 8 sts as before, join to front and k to the end of the row.
Work Body
You should now have 100 stitches on your circular needle for the body. Work back and forth in stockinette st until work measures about 24" from shoulder. Change to 24" size 10 needle and knit 6 rows in garter stitch, making 3 ridges of garter st. Bind off loosely.
Neckband
With the size 10 circular needle, begin with right side of work facing you. Beginning at right front edge of neck, join in yarn and pick up 12 sts on the right front, 6 across top of right sleeve, 14. across back of neck, 6 across left sleeve and 12 across left front (total sts picked up $=50$ Sts). Knit 6 rows (3 ridges) of garter st and bind off.
Sleeves
Slip the sleeve sts onto the $16^{\circ}$ size 11 needle. Join yarn at the right edge of the armhole and pick up 5 sts along armhole, put a marker in place and pick up another 5 stitches. The marker indicates the beginning of round. Total stitches on needle $=45$ K 5 rounds. Begin decreasing: Dec round: K1, k2tog, k to within 3 sts of marker, ssk, k1. Repeat this dec round every $7^{\mathrm{th}}$ round $\times\,6$ (31 st remaining), changing to size 11 dp needles when work is tight on the $16^{\circ}$ circular needles. Continue working on 31 stitches until arm measures 16" or desired length from armhole (to wrist bone). Dec an additional 3 st evenly in the next row (28 st remaining). Change to size 10 dp needles and work 6 rows of garter stitch (3 ridges). Bind off loosely.
Finishing:
Block sweater carefully, making sure front edges are even and (if sweater is striped as in photo) stripes line up. Secure zipper in place, pinning frequently or basting. With garment side down, carefully stitch zipper in place. (http://www.pinkargyle.com/2008/01/installing-a-zipper.html Tip: Tissue paper pinned or laid between the knit side of the garment and the bed of the sewing machine will keep fibers from being pulled down into lower chambers and causing jam-ups. Tissue paper tears away easily and cleanly along stitch line.) Add a cute zipper bauble if you wish.
Terms of Use
This pattern is free for unlimited personal, noncommercial use. You may print it for your own use, but you may not reproduce or sell the pattern, or sell items knitted from the pattern. If you are interested in any other use of the pattern or have questions about these terms, please contact barb at pinkargyle dot com. Your use of this pattern constitutes your agreement to these terms.
