The Alchemist is a simple but elegant sweater with endless potential for color combinations; go with a one-color motif for statement contrast, or combine as many colors as you like! With a boxy fit and drop shoulders, it is knit top down and seamlessly with a recipe that can be customized to whatever size and measurements you like.

The top back of the sweater is cast on, and stitches are picked up for the front; the neckline and top portion of the sweater are knit flat, then joined at the underarms to work the body of the sweater in the round. Sleeve stitches are picked up, and the sleeves are worked in the round. Neckline ribbing stitches are picked up to finish the garment.

Sizes
This pattern is not a typical knitting pattern with pre-built sizes; instead, it uses your preferred sweater measurements and your gauge swatches to create a custom guide for making this sweater exactly as you want it. Want a cropped sweater? Easy. Prefer short sleeves? Simple. Like a baggy sweater and just the right length? Done and done. This means that swatching is extra important, but it allows you to create a sweater unique to you.

Yarn
I used my Angela Sport base in Whispers (light gray) and The Alchemist’s Rainbow mini skein set. You can substitute any other sport weight yarn in any color combination you like. The amount of yarn needed will be calculated in the pattern, based on your swatches and measurements. For reference, I generally wear a size medium, and my sweater used 1225 yards (495 grams) of yarn.

The pattern is written for one main color and a contrast color, but you can get as creative as you like for the contrast color; I used eight different colors for mine, changing colors each row during the colorwork.

Needles

• US size 3 (3.25mm) or size needed to obtain gauge: circular needles
• US size 3 (3.25mm) or size needed to obtain gauge: double pointed needles or desired type to work small circumferences in the round
• US size 2 (2.75mm) or 1 US size smaller than the needles chosen above: double pointed needles or your favorite type for working small circumferences in the round

Notions

• 3 visibly different types of stitch markers
• waste yarn or spare needles to hold live stitches
• tapestry needle

Gauge
You will swatch three different stitch patterns to measure your gauge. My own gauge is given in the pattern as a guide, but it’s okay if yours doesn’t match exactly; the important thing is to get a nice, close fabric that you like for a sweater.

Techniques

• Knit and purl
• Two-color stranded colorwork, both flat and in the round
• Picking up stitches
• Single increases
• Knitting charts