The best way to love? Truly, Plaidly, Deeply! Three colors and a non-stranded afterthought plaid technique make a fun and distinctive graphic plaid sweater.

Construction: the sweater body begins with the shoulder saddles, then stitches for the back and fronts are picked up and worked back and forth to the bottom of the armhole, where they are joined and worked in the round to the hem. Contrasting seamless sleeves are picked up from the armhole, with the caps shaped using short rows then knit in the round to the cuffs. The contrast ribbed collar is picked up and knit to match the sleeves and hem. The plaid is simple to make, as it involves only knitting stripes, in a rib pattern - the vertical plaid lines are added later with a crochet hook in the purl ditches of the rib.

Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, backwards loop CO, knit/purl, increasing/decreasing, picking up stitches, short rows. Instructions are written, with additional charts for the plaid repeat and setup; a video tutorial is provided for the non-stranded plaid technique.

Size: 33 (36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60)” bust; shown in fourth size worn with 7” positive ease for a relaxed fit. Choose a size closer to actual bust measurement for a more fitted sweater.

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted (100% merino wool; 210 yards/ 192m/100g); 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5) skeins MC, 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins CC1, and 1 skein CC2, or approximately 490 (540, 560, 620, 670, 750, 770, 820, 980, 950) yards MC, 220 (240, 260, 320, 340, 400, 430, 460, 490, 520) yards CC1, and 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180) yards CC2 of worsted weight yarn. Sample shown in Purple Mystery (MC), Periwinkle (CC1), and Polygala (CC2).

Other Materials: US 8 (5mm) 32” circular needle or size to match gauge; US 7 (4.5mm) 16” circular needle for picking up st, shoulders saddles and collar; Stitch marker; Stitch holders (2); Size H/8 5mm crochet hook; Yarn needle.

Gauge: 16 st and 24 rows/4” in Plaid stitch pattern, after adding vertical plaid and blocking. One plaid repeat of 12 st and 16 rows is 3” wide and 2.66” high.

Thank you to my lovely test knitters and my wonderful tech editor Kate Vanover.