Like this pattern? Check out the other patterns in this series and consider purchasing the ebook pattern bundle, “Big Book of Basic Drop Sleeve Sweaters,” which still has another one or two sweaters that will be added.

Worsted Basic Drop Sleeve Sweater is a very simple pattern. It is knit top down with options to knit the body flat or in the round. At a gauge of 4 stitches per inch, it’s at the perfect middle ground of not too heavy not too light and knits up quickly. Show off your makes and tag me @jamesnwatts on Instagram and Tiktok and use #WorstedBasicDropSleeveSweater. Also sign up for my newsletter at JamesNWatts.com :)

YARN
Noro Silk Garden- 45% silk, 45% mohair, 10% wool. 110 yards per 50 gram skein.
Use any yarn that gets gauge (prioritize stitch gauge over row gauge). Most worsted or aran weight yarns will work. Since the body of this sweater can be knit flat or in the round, this is a great pattern for self-striping yarns.

GAUGE
16 sts x 26 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette stitch.
Sweater has portions both knit flat and in the round. To be sure you get gauge, swatch both flat and in the round. Stitch gauge is more important than row gauge in this pattern. All vertical lengths are provided in row counts as well as inch/cm measurements, so you can easily measure and knit more or less rows to accommodate any difference in row gauge.

SIZING
XS(S, M, L, XL) (XXL, 3X, 4X, 5X)

To fit a chest size of:
30(34, 38, 42, 46) (50, 54, 58, 62)”
76 (86.5, 96.5, 106.5, 117)(127, 137, 147.5, 157.5) cm

Sweater is meant to be worn with 2-6” / (5-15 cm) of positive ease at the chest. The finished sweater has a chest circumference of:
34(38, 42, 46, 50) (54, 58, 62, 66)“
86.5 (96.5, 106.5, 117, 127)(137, 147.5, 157.5, 167.5) cm

YARDAGE
825(923, 1020, 1117, 1214) (1311, 1408, 1505, 1602) yards
754(844, 933, 1021, 1110) (1199, 1287, 1376, 1465) meters

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
• US 7 (4.5 mm) circular knitting needles 24-inches or longer for the stockinette portions of the sweater.
• US 5 (3.75 mm) circular knitting needles short enough to knit the collar and cuffs in the round or long enough to use magic loop.
• Stitch markers
• Darning or tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

CONSTRUCTION
Sweater is knit top down, beginning with the back, knit flat to the underarm. Front right and front left are worked flat, separately with neckline shaping. When you reach the bottom of the front neckline, stitches are cast on using cable cast on and front right and left are joined together and knit to the underarm. If knitting the body in the round, front and back are joined at the underarm and the remainder of the body is worked in the round. If knitting the body flat, then front and back are worked to full length separately. Body is finished with 1x1 ribbing.
If you chose to knit the body flat, you will use mattress stitch to seam the side seams and shoulders.
Sleeves are knit in the round regardless of whether body was knit flat or in the round. Stitches are picked up and knit around the armhole and steady decreases are worked through the length of the sleeves. Sleeves are finished with 1x1 ribbing.