When a wave encounters an obstacle or an aperture, it bends a bit. This phenomenon is called diffraction, which comes from the Latin for “to break into pieces.” If you’ve ever played with a laser pointer on a rough surface and seen a speckle pattern, or spotted a bit of iridescence on deli meat, or heard someone even though they were behind an object, you’ve experienced diffraction.

In the 1800s, Jacques Babinet formulated a theory that the diffraction pattern from any opaque body is identical to that from a hole of the same size and shape, except for its intensity. That is, a baseball will cause the same diffraction pattern as a hole the size of the baseball, although the pattern will be less intense.

Our Babinet Sweater takes lines of color and cheerfully breaks them into pieces. The garment is worked from the top down, in the round, in one piece. It features a circular yoke with five curves of color on one side, and a body with five bars of color on the opposite side. Babinet can be worn with either side facing the front, and either way, a tiny pop of the color pattern curves around to the opposite side.

Construction: Babinet is knit seamlessly in the round from the neck to the hems.

Sizing: 6 mo(12 mo, 2 yrs, 3 yrs, 4 yrs, 6 yrs, 8 yrs)
Chest – 18(19.5, 20.5, 22, 24, 26, 28) inches

Yarn and Yardage: Why Knot Fibers Spunky, 1(2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3) skeins Plum, plus 1 skein each of Cochineal, Dyer’s Coreopsis, Madder, Goldenrod, and Alkanet (or, approximately 20 yards each of five sport-weight colors).

Needles: A size 3 U.S. (3.25 mm) 16” long circular needle, plus, size 3 U.S. (3.25 mm) double pointed needles, plus a size 5 U.S. (3.75 mm) 16” long circular needle, plus size 5 U.S. (3.75 mm) double pointed needles; or the sizes needed to obtain gauge.

Notions: 2 stitch markers, preferably one of which is distinct; waste yarn or stitch holders; and, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

Instructions: The pattern includes fully written-out instructions.

Techniques Used: Knit, purl, basic decreases, basic increases, working in the round, and intarsia colorwork.

As Modeled: Shown here is the 12-month size.

Special Thanks: To Rosie the Destroyer, premier knitwear model and destroyer extraordinaire.