Small Stars is my Christmas Day cast-on for 2022. It was named by one of the amazing knitters from the test team, sweet Sanne, who found that the textured stitches you work for the lice on the body looked like small stars.

It is a simple colorwork sweater with a round yoke, worked top-down in fingering wool, creating a garment that can be used both inside and outdoors. The colorwork is very easy to knit. It consists of small repeats, using only two colors at a time, and with no long floats.

Sizes
1-2-3 (4-5-6) 7-8

Measurements on finished garment
Bust circumference: 91-100-105 (117-128-141) 149-160 cm /35.9-39.4-41.3 (46-50.4-55.5) 58.7-63 inches
Length: 52-52-52 (55-55-55) 58-58 cm / 20.5-20.5-20.5 (21.7-21.7-21.7) 22.8-22.8 inches

Fit
Small Stars is designed to be worn with 2-3 cm / 1 inch positive ease. You can easily knit it with more or less ease, just remember that colorwork typically will not work well with negative ease!

Yardage
Main color: 700-800-900 (1000-1100-1200) 1400-1500 meters fingering weight
Contrast color 1: 200-220-250 (300-350-400) 450-500 meters fingering weight
Contrast color 2: 160-180-200 (240-300-340) 390-430 meters fingering weight
Contrast color 3: 40-50-70 (90-110-130) 160-180 meters fingering weight

Please note that yardage is estimated and may vary between knitters!

The sample is knit in Højlandsuld from By Kiilerich: https://bykiilerich.com/collections/hojland
Main color – undyed
Contrast color 1 – Tordensky
Contrast color 2 – Sort
Contrast color 3 – nr. 39

Suggested needles
3.00 mm circulars, 60 cm for neckline ribbing (using magic loop when needed)
3.75 mm circulars, 60 cm for body (using magic loop when needed)
Please note that needle size is only a suggestion!!

Gauge
23 stitches x 30 rounds in stockinette stitch on the larger needle = 10 x 10 cm /4 x 4 inches after blocking.

Note: Needle size is just a suggestion. Adjust needle size if needed to obtain gauge!
Pay extra attention to your gauge when working the colorwork section and the sleeves. Many knitters tend to have a tighter gauge when working in small circumferences or when doing colorwork. If this happens to you, you will have to go up a needle size or even two for these sections.