Dip-dyed raglan pullover
Truly a customized sweater, this piece is first knit in stockinette, then you turn the purl side out and close the seams on the outside as a decorative detail. I dip-dyed the ends of the sleeves and the bottom in black dye, which comes out grey and reminds me of birch trees in wintertime. You could try other colours with a neutral-coloured yarn. The boatneck and long body are very attractive.

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Click to view pattern piece measurements

Sizes
Small (Medium, Large)

Finished measurements
Chest: 34” (36”, 38”)/86.5 (91.5, 96.5) cm
Length: 26” (27”, 28”)/66 (68.5, 71) cm

Yarn
8 (9, 9) skeins Suss Nubby (100% cotton; 1.5 ounces/43 grams; 135 yards/123 metres), colour Natural

Notions
• 1 pair size 6 (4 mm) needles
• Sewing pins
• 1 tapestry needle
• 1 package Rit fabric dye, black
• 1 large stainless steel bowl (or stainless steel sink)
• 1 pair rubber gloves

Gauge
20 stitches and 24 rows = 4”/10 cm in stockinette stitch

Back
Cast on 84 (88, 94) stitches. Work even in stockinette stitch (knit all right-side rows and purl all wrong-side rows) until the piece measures 19-1/2” (20”, 20-1/2”)/49.5 (51, 52) cm, ending with a wrong-side row.

Shoulder shaping
Bind off 4 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows – 76 (80, 86) stitches. Work 1 row even. Decrease 1 stitch at the beginning and end of every wrong-side row 18 (19, 21) times – 40 (42, 44) stitches remain. Work 2 rows even.

Bind off loosely.

Front
Work the Front as for the Back.

Sleeves (make two)
Cast on 38 (40, 44) stitches. Work in stockinette stitch. Increase 1 stitch at the beginning and end of every 13 (14, 14) rows 9 times – 56 (58, 62) stitches total. Work even until the sleeve measures 19-1/2” (21”, 21-1/2”)/49.5 (53.5, 54.5) cm.

To shape sleeve cap, bind off 4 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows – 48 (50, 54) stitches. Work 1 row even. Decrease 1 stitch at the beginning and end of every wrong-side row 18 (19, 21) times – 12 stitches remain. Work 2 rows even.

Bind off loosely.

Finishing
Weave in any loose ends with the tapestry needle.

Assembly
To achieve its “deconstructed” look, this pullover is worn with the purl side facing outward. Work all seams with a 1/4”/6 mm seam allowance showing on the outside of the piece.

Place the Front and Back pieces together with the knit sides facing each other. With the tapestry needle and yarn, backstitch the side seams together. You may find it helpful to pin the two pieces together first.

Fold the Sleeves with the knit sides facing each other. With the tapestry needle and yarn, sew together the sleeve seams using backstitch. With the purl sides facing out, pin the Sleeves into the shoulder seams. Make sure you pin the Sleeves evenly to avoid any bunching or stretching.

With the tapestry needle and yarn, backstitch the Sleeves to the shoulder seams.

Dyeing
In a large stainless steel bowl or sink, dissolve all the powdered dye in the package in cold water with 1/4 cup (59 mL) salt. Make sure to use stainless steel. If you spill the dye on any porcelain or tile, use a bleach cleanser to remove stains.

To achieve a faded effect with the dyeing process, dip the garment in the dye 1”/2.5 cm at a time.

Dip approximately 1”/2.5 cm of each Sleeve in the dye. After you dip the Sleeves in the dye, rinse them under water for approximately 2 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water.

Dip approximately 2”/5 cm of each Sleeve into the dye. Rinse in cold water again for approximately 2 minutes and squeeze out the excess water.

Repeat the process, dipping the Sleeves approximately 3”/7.5 cm into the dye this time.

Repeat this gradual dyeing process for the bottom hem of the pullover. Make sure you rinse all the edges thoroughly so that no excess dye remains and bleeds into the rest of the sweater. As you wear and wash the sweater over time, the dye will fade gradually – I love that worn look. Hang the garment on a hanger to dry overnight before wearing.