Beads of Joy is modular knit wearable piece of art. Simple techniques such as picking up stitches, increasing, and decreasing are all that’s needed to create this gorgeous and colorful sweater. Modular join as you go technique avoids the need for much seaming. This is the sort of knit that you will have a hard time putting down. The oversized drop shoulder silhouette is relaxed looking and easy to wear. Tag me @JamesNWatts on Instagram and TikTok, and use #BeadsOfJoySweater.

YARN
Noro Yukata- sport weight, 200g, 787 yards, 50% Silk/ 25% Wool/ 25% Polyamide.

I used two colors for my sample:

Color 1- (05) Tokyo
Color 2- (08) Kyoto

Feel free to use only one colorway instead of two, or more than two if you want. You can use any yarn you get gauge in, including the many other offerings from Noro. Feel free to dip into your stash to use scraps, mini skeins, color-changing yarns, solids, there is a lot of room for personal creativity in this pattern.

SIZING
1(2, 3, 4, 5)

Sweater has a finished chest circumference of:
42.5(50, 57, 64, 71)“ / 108 (127, 145, 162.5, 180.5cm

This garment is designed to be worn with 6-14” / 15-35.5cm of positive ease. Choose a size 6-14” / 15-35.5cm larger than your own chest circumference.

GAUGE
18sts x 28 rows = 4” x 4” in stockinette stitch knit flat, blocked.

Be aware that your gauge may change from your plain stockinette swatch to knitting this modular pattern. The tendency for most knitters will be to knit tighter in the actual pattern, so do check gauge after beginning the garment and adjust needle size as necessary.

YARDAGE
This project requires a total of:
556(741, 1112, 1335, 1557) yards
508(678, 1017, 1221, 1424) meters

If you use two colors, you will need
278(371, 556, 668, 779) yards
254(339, 509, 611, 712) meters
In each color.

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
• US 6 (4mm) circular knitting needles or any size needed to get gauge. Larger circumference (24” minimum) is best for knitting the body of the sweater, 16” circulars are best for knitting the sleeves and collar.
• US 4 (3.5mm) circular knitting needles or a needle two sizes smaller than the needle you use to knit the body. The ribbed cuffs and hem will be knit on this smaller needle so it’s helpful to have both a 16” circular for the cuffs and a longer circular for the hem. Of course, DPNs or magic loop are also options.
• Ring stitch marker
• Tapestry or darning needle for mattress stitch and weaving in ends.

CONSTRUCTION
This sweater is worked in pieces that are joined as you go through modular technique. Each segment is a “strand” of beads that is knit bottom up. New segments are worked and attached to the left side of previous segments. In all sizes, each body panel is comprised of 9 segments, the two body panels are identical, knit separately, and seamed together. That means that there is not a distinct front and back, and you can wear your sweater whichever way you like. After seaming, the hem, sleeves, and collar are picked up and knit in the round.