Introduction

This lightweight cropped sweater is knit flat at first, in stockinette stitch to form the body. Once the desired width for the body is reached, you’ll sew up the cast on and cast off ends together to “do the twist”! Then the shoulders are sewn and the sleeves picked up in the round, working in stockinette and 1x1 ribbing to finish.

Due to the simple construction, this pattern is suitable for an adventurous beginner with access to DPNs or circular needles to complete the sleeves, whichever is more comfortable. As only a small part of the sweater is knit in the round, it’s also a good first project to practise knitting in the round on! For more experienced knitters, the back and forth of stockinette stitch worked flat makes the perfect “mindless” project that knits up in no time.

Materials

5 / 6 / 8 / 9 50g balls of Wool and the Gang’s “Feeling Good” yarn, or another fluffy Aran-weight yarn.

6.5mm straight needles, for the body (or size required to reach gauge).
6.5mm DPNs or short circular needles, for the sleeves (or size required to reach gauge).
5mm DPNs or short circular needles, for the sleeve ribbing.

Gauge

15 stitches and 22 rows = 10cm x 10cm in stockinette

Sizing

This sweater is available in 4 sizes, from S to XL (to fit bust of 32-44 inches). The finished garment is designed to have several inches of positive ease, meaning the fit is loose and airy, perfect for layering. If you prefer a less relaxed fit, I recommend shortening the length of the stockinette section for the body

As the body of the sweater is knitted sideways rather than top-down or bottom-up, it’s very easy to change the finished width of the garment as you go. The number of cast-on stitches reflects the length of the finished sweater, so bear this in mind if you’d prefer a less cropped version.