patterns > The Blue Mouse
> Flo
Flo
Flo is designed for you to use up your fingering weight scraps of yarn in a wearable garment instead of a blanket. It’s a drop shoulder sweater with ¾ length sleeves and a rolled hem neckline. It is worked mostly flat, and the sleeves and sides of the body are seamed together at the end. A gauge swatch is very important for this pattern.
SIZING
Size 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
See photos for full schematic and sizing info
I recommend choosing a finished bust measurement that is around 4 - 10″ {10 - 25.5 cm} larger than your actual bust measurement. Sample is size 4 with 10.5″ {26.5 cm} of positive ease.
FINISHED BUST MEASUREMENTS
Measurements after seaming the sweater together.
33.75 (37.75, 41.75, 45.75, 49.75, 53.75)57.75, 61.75, 65.75, 69.75, 73.75 inches, {85.5 (96, 106, 116, 126.5, 136.5)146.5, 157, 167, 177, 187.5 cm}
UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCE
Measurements after seaming the sweater together.
11.5 (12, 13, 14.25, 15, 16.75)18, 19, 20.75, 22.25, 24 inches,
{29 (30.5, 33, 36, 38, 42.5)45.5, 48.5, 52.5, 56.5, 61 cm}
Notes on Sizing
- For larger sizes I recommend choosing less ease as sweaters with more fabric are likely to grow more with blocking.
- Some tester versions grew a lot more than they expected when blocking. If you have a range of positive ease that you’re comfortable with (say 2-8 inches {5-20.5 cm}, when in doubt I suggest choosing a size with less ease and be prepared for some possibly growth when you wet block your sweater. That way if it’s larger than the size you picked it still fits within the ease range you like.
- I put a lot of information in the pattern to hopefully prevent any unwanted sweater growth at the end of knitting.
- You can knit this sweater at a tighter gauge (there is info on the last page of the pattern for sizing measurements with a tighter gauge). OR you could knit this pattern using the same gauge, but with DK or Worsted weight yarn.
GAUGE
Blocked garter stitch worked flat using gauge needles.
20 sts/30 rows = 4″ {10 cm}
I highly recommend knitting a large swatch and if you wet block it, hang it up to dry with some light weight on it (like clothespins/heavy earings on the bottom). Because your final sweater will have more weight to it than your swatch and will stretch more, especially because of the garter stitch. Let it dry completely and rest a little before measuring.
Please don’t skip the gauge swatch.
READ BEFORE SWATCHING
Because of the loose knit nature of this pattern, your final sweater has the potential to grow more than you expect. To help prevent this:
Make a large swatch, at least 6″ by 6″ {15 cm by 15 cm}.
Hang your swatch with a little weight when blocking. After its dry, let it rest laying flat before measuring (especially important when working with superwash yarn).
YARN
scraps/minis of fingering weight yarn, approx:
975 (1040, 1115, 1200, 1230, 1315)1385, 1500, 1525, 1640, 1730 yards, {892 (951, 1020, 1097, 1125, 1202)1266, 1372, 1394, 1500, 1582 meters}
- The yardage will vary depending on the yarns you use and how often you change colors. This estimate is assuming you will change colors often and leave tails to weave in each time you change colors. The tails from changing colors and for seaming your sweater together are included in the estimate.
- You could likely match gauge with DK or Worsted weight yarn, but it will change the overall drape & heaviness of the sweater.
- The pattern doesn’t tell you when to change colors, you just do it when you feel like it or I link to a website that makes planning colors really easy
NEEDLES
- Gauge: US 8 (5.0 mm) circulars any cord length that fits the stitches. You could also use straight needles that fit the amount of stitches.
- Smaller: 16″ {40 cm} circulars 2 sizes smaller than what you meet gauge with. Or size needed to match gauge.
TECHNIQUES USED
- Knitting flat
- Drop stitches (video tutorial)
- Binding off stitches
- Picking up stitches
- German Short Rows (video tutorial)
- Seaming (video tutorials)
- 3 Needle Bind Off
FINAL NOTES
- This pattern has been professional tech edited for every size and was test knit for sizes 1-9 (I was unable to find testers for sizes 10 & 11, but they were tech edited)
- Please read through all the sizing and gauge info in the pattern before beginning.
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- First published: October 2019
- Page created: October 23, 2019
- Last updated: February 9, 2020 …
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