Size: A (B) C (D) E (F) G (H)
Finished garment circumference (measured under the sleeves): 92 (98) 103 (109) 115 (127) 139 (153) cm
Length (incl. folded neckband):
Mid front: 51 (52) 53 (55) 58 (60) 63 (64) cm
Mid back: 56 (57) 59 (61) 64 (67) 70 (73) cm
Gauge (colorwork and stockinette stitch in the round, after wash/blocking):
23 sts x 24.5 rows of stranded colorwork on 5.5 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
23 sts x 30 rows of stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
Suggested needles:
5.5 mm (US9; 60, 80 and 100/120 cm) circular needles,
4.5 mm (US7; 40 and 100/120 cm) circular needles,
4 mm (US6; 40 and 80/100 cm) circular needles,
3.5 mm (US4; 40/60 cm) circular needles

Note. I knit very tightly (poor hands), so if you’re more of a “loose” knitter, you’ll most likely have to adjust needle sizes quite a bit, e.g. using 4.5 and 3.5 mm needles or the like, to meet the gauges.

You’ll also need:
1 stitch marker
3 stitch holders (or some scrap yarn to hold the resting sleeve sts)
A long strand of scrap yarn or a (thin and flexible) stitch wire for the provisional cast-on
1 darning needle

Suggested materials:
Önling No. 1 from Önling (50 g = 180 m):
Color A: 300 (300) 300 (350) 400 (400) 450 (500) g
Color B, C and D: 50 g of each color (i.e., 150 g in total)

OR: More specific meterage estimates for the non-base colors (in case anyone wants to go the scrap yarn route, which I btw think is a splendid idea):
Color B: 94 (94) 101 (101) 108 (108) 116 (123) m
Color C: 62 (62) 69 (69) 76 (76) 83 (90) m
Color D: 80 (80) 94 (94) 108 (108) 116 (123) m

About the design
The Kindhearted Sweater is a slightly oversized sweater with a circular yoke in stranded colorwork knitting. The sweater is cast on using the provisional cast-on technique, after which the sweater’s yoke is worked from the bottom up, so the stitches of the colorwork hearts face the right way. Once the yoke is finished and the stitches have been bound off, new stitches are picked up along the neckline for the folded neckband. When the neckband is done, the stitches from the cast-on are transferred onto a circular needle, and the rest of the sweater is then worked top down. Short rows are worked at the bottom of the yoke in order to add extra length to the back and ensure a good fit. Lastly, the body and sleeves are worked in the round in stockinette stitch and finished with a rib edge.

Something about colors
I have designed the colorwork so the colors come in two “sets” which work well in contrast with each other, namely color A + D and color B + C. This means that you (…if you approach the pattern conservatively and don’t go bananas and just use a plethora of different colors, which you’re of course also more than free to do ♥) can knit it in either four colors, where A + D e.g. are two dark colors, while B + C are two light colors (or vice versa); you can knit it in three colors, where A + D e.g. are two different light colors while B + C is the same dark color (or vice versa), or you can combine the colors in each set and knit a two-color version.

A note about sizes
The sweater is designed to have a positive ease of approx. 10-20 cm, meaning that the circumference of the finished garment (after wash and blocking) should be 10-20 cm wider than your widest upper body measurement, depending on your personal preference. Note that the measurements specified above are only achieved if the correct gauge is kept.

Level and techniques
The level of the Kindhearted Sweater is advanced intermediate (4 out of 5-ish; but only because the provisional cast-on requires some concentration, and there are a couple of rounds where you have to knit with three strands on the round if you’re making a three- or four- (or more-) colored version). The pattern contains colorwork charts as well as written instructions.

The pattern includes the following techniques:

• Provisional cast-on
• Stitches worked through the back loop (k1tbl / p1tbl)
• Stranded colorwork (with two and three colors) in the round
• Stockinette stitch in the round
• Left-leaning increases (m1L)
• Right- and left-leaning decreases (k2tog / ssk)
• Short rows of your choice (I used German Short Rows for this project)
• Basic bind-off
• Italian bind-off
• Picking up stitches

About the depicted versions:

• My first prototype is a size A. It’s a four-color version, and it’s knitted in: A strand of Merino (Ice Blue) held together with a strand of Soft Silk Mohair (Ice Blue), both from Knitting for Olive (color A), Pernilla (Navy Blue) from Filcolana (color B), a strand of Arwetta (Red Squirrel) held together with a strand of Tilia (Red Squirrel), both from Filcolana (color C), and a strand of Merino (Soft Rose) held together with a strand of Soft Silk Mohair (Soft Rose), both from Knitting for Olive.

Note. If I were to do the first prototype over again, I’d use Pernilla for my color C too, so both color B + C were Pernilla (and only color A + D used mohair).

• My second prototype is a size C, and it’s also a four-color version. It’s knitted in Pura Lana from Gepard Garn in the colors 780 Midnatsblå (color A), 101 Råhvid (color C), and 617 Støvet lilla (color D), as well as two strands of Merino from Knitting for Olive held together in the color Ballerina (color B). This resulted in a heavier garment than the initial prototype, but I love how it turned out. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend choosing a thicker yarn than Pura Lana (50 g = 115 m). Pura Lana is at the edge of what the gauge can handle (in my opinion :)).

• My third version (yup, I just kept going) is a size B, and it’s a scrap yarn version using six colors. It’s knitted in Önling No. 1 from Önling in the colors Light pink (color A), Ocean blue, Red, Navy and Olive yellow (color B + C), and Off-white (and a bit of Light pink) (color D).