Brendan Woods Sweater
It has been a busy holiday season for me. I spent a lot of time leading up to Christmas trying to finish all the gifts I was working on. I'm happy to say that I got all of them finished - although one of my mom's gifts had to wait until her birthday, which is fortunately in early January. Now that they are finished and gifted, I have several patterns to share that I couldn't share before the holidays! This is the first pattern I complete - the Brendan Woods Sweater.I designed this sweater for my son. He is a body builder, so he always struggles to find clothes that fit well. He is very broad through the shoulders and chest, but has a trim waist, so I designed this sweater to taper up from the waist to show off his physique and fit him better.
I am very excited about this sweater. My son loved it, and a few days after our photo shoot, he texted me that one of his friends liked the sweater and wondered where he could get one! That was so encouraging! I guess I'm a little blessed that I have family that really wants to wear what I make. They even ask me for things! Do any of you get requests like this? This really is a sweater that is stylish enough that the man in your life will wear it. And it is unique - you won't find a sweater like this on the rack at your local department store!
I also wrote the pattern to include sizes small through 5XL. I wanted to create a sweater that anyone could wear. It is a simple design, with dropped shoulders to eliminate having to shape the tops of the arms. It uses a square set-in sleeve to reduce some of the bulk under the arms. It also doesn't require a whole bunch of yarn. I was able to make this sweater with only 5 skeins of Lion Brand Scarfie yarn. I used the color Eggplant/Taupe.
The sweater should be simple enough for a confident beginner. There is very little shaping required. The most challenging part is the v-neck. It requires following the decreases in the pattern. The pattern is written so both sides of the neckline are worked at the same time using two separate balls of yarn. This is a great way to make sure the front looks consistent. The sweater is knitted mostly using the woven stitch. This is a stitch I have really fallen in love with. I used it to make my Knit Drink Napkins. Instructions are included in the pattern for this stitch. If you would like to see a video tutorial, head over to this blog post.
If you prefer a printable, ad-free pdf version that you can save for later, it is available in my Etsy shop. You can also add it to your Ravelry cue here.
Time to get some yarn and get started!
Brendan Woods Sweater
Knitting Pattern
Difficulty
⚫ ⚫ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪
Finished Sizes
This pattern is written for sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL. It is designed to be worn with a positive ease of 2”-4”. Sizes are listed as S (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
Chest: 38 (42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66)”/96 (106, 116, 128, 138, 148, 159, 168) cm
Back shoulder width: 17 (19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29)”/43 (48, 53, 58, 64, 66, 69, 74) cm
Sleeve length: 24 (24, 24, 24, 24, 24.5, 25, 25)”/61, (61, 61, 61, 61, 62.5, 64, 64) cm
Materials
- Lion Brand Scarfie yarn (5.3 oz./150 g; 312 yd/285 m): 4 (5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins in Eggplant/Taupe (#222)
- Size 8 (5.00 mm), 24” circular knitting needles (I love my Knit Picks needles!)
- Straight or circular knitting needles in size 8 (5.0 mm) through 10.5 (6.5 mm), for tapered version, or size 8 (5.0 mm) & 10.5 (6.5 mm), for straight version. Circular needles are recommended to accommodate the large number of stitches, unless you are working one of the smaller sizes.
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle (for seams and weaving in ends)
Gauge
In woven stitch pattern on size 10.5 needles:
21 stitches = 4”
17.5 rows = 4”
Instructions are written using standard US abbreviations.
CO - cast on
K - knit
P - purl
Sl st - slip stitch (all stitches should be slipped purlwise unless otherwise instructed)
Wyib - with yarn in back (as if to knit)
Wyif - with yarn in front (as if to purl)
P2tog - purl 2 stitches together
K2tog - knit 2 stitches together
M1k - make 1 knit stitch
M1p - make 1 purl stitch
BO - bind off
Special Stitch
This sweater is knit primarily using the Woven Stitch. This stitch is worked in pairs with a twist stitch. The second stitch on the needle is knit first, then the first stitch is knit before dropping both stitches off the left-hand needle.
Woven stitch - knit side: Sl 1st stitch purlwise wyib. *Insert needle through the back of the second stitch on the left needle knitwise. Knit this stitch but do NOT drop stitch off the left needle. Knit the first stitch on the left needle as normal. Drop both stitches off the left needle. Repeat from * for each pair of stitches across.
Woven stitch - purl side: Sl 1st stitch purlwise wyif. *Purl second stitch on left needle. Do NOT drop stitch off needle. Purl first stitch on left needle and drop both stitches off left needle. Repeat from * for each pair of stitches across.
Notes
I designed this sweater to fit my son, who is a body builder, but wrote the pattern in two versions. The tapered version uses a range of needle sizes to gradually taper the body of the sweater. By changing directly to the largest needle size after the ribbing, you will get a straight version that would fit most average men.
Pattern is written for an overall length about an inch longer than the sweater pictured. You can easily increase the length by working more rows in pattern before the armhole shaping.
The body of the sweater is knitted from the bottom up, with a square indent for the sleeves, and then stitched together at the shoulders before adding the ribbed neckline. The sleeves are knitted starting at the cuff with simple increases at the edge of the work. The sleeves are sewn to the body and then the side and sleeve seams are sewn.
Instructions
Back
With size 8 (5.0 mm) needles, CO 90 (102, 108, 120, 130, 138, 150, 162) stitches.
Row 1 (RS): K1 p1 across. Turn.
Row 2 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise wyib. P1 k1 across. Purl last stitch. Turn.
Rows 3-11: Repeat Row 2. Row 11 will be a RS row.
Continue back by following ONLY the instructions for the version being made.
Tapered Version Only
Change to size 9 (5.5 mm)needles.
Row 12 (WS - set up row): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 9 (9, 11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) new stitches spaced evenly across. Turn. [99 (111, 119, 131, 143, 151, 163, 175) stitches]
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch - knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch - purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Repeat Rows 13-14 until piece measures 7” or desired length for smallest part of taper. Change to size 10 (6.0 mm) needles and continue in woven stitch.
Work with size 10 needles for 3” more or until piece measures 10” total. Change to size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needles for remainder of back. Work in woven stitch until piece measures 15”. Continue with Armhole Shaping.
The taper can be adjusted to suit the person who will wear the sweater. Just be sure to keep track of the length of the piece when you changed needles so the front will match the back!
Straight Version Only
Change to size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needles.
Row 12 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 9 (9, 11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) new stitches spaced evenly across. Turn. [99 (111, 119, 131, 143, 151, 163, 175) stitches]
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch for knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch for purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Repeat Rows 13-14 until piece measures 15”. Continue with Armhole Shaping.
Armhole Shaping (both versions)
Work in woven stitch until piece measures 15”, ending on a WS row. To add length to sweater, work the extra inches before shaping the armhole.
Row 1 (RS): BO 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10) stitches in pattern. Work in pattern to end of row. Turn. [93 (105, 113, 125, 137, 143, 153, 165) stitches]
Row 2 (WS): BO 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10) stitches in pattern. Work in pattern to end of row. Turn. [87 (99, 107, 119, 131, 135, 153, 165) stitches]
Work in pattern on remaining stitches until piece measures 24.5 (25, 25.5, 26, 26.5, 27, 27.5, 28)”. Bind off in pattern.
Front
Work as for back through armhole shaping.
Armhole Shaping (both versions)
Work in woven stitch until piece measures 15”, ending on a ws row.
Row 1 (RS): BO 6 stitches in pattern. Work in pattern to end of row. Turn. [93 (105, 113, 125, 137, 143, 153, 165) stitches]
Row 2 (WS): BO 6 stitches in pattern. Work in pattern to end of row. Turn. [87 (99, 107, 119, 131, 135, 153, 165) stitches]
Work in pattern on remaining stitches until piece measures 17.5 (17.5, 18, 18, 18, 18.5, 19, 19)”, ending with a WS row. (Be sure to work to increased length if you added length before armhole shaping.)
V-neck Shaping
Pattern is written so that both sides of the v-neck are worked at the same time using two separate balls of yarn. Each side of the front can be worked individually by placing half of the stitches on a stitch holder.
Row 1: Work in pattern for first 43 (49, 53, 59, 65, 67, 71, 77) stitches. Place marker. Ssk, work in pattern to end of row. [43 (49, 53, 59, 65, 67, 71, 77) stitches on either side of marker]
Row 2: Work in pattern to last 2 stitches before marker. P2tog. Sl marker. Attach 2nd ball of yarn (matching color gradient as well as possible). Sl 1st stitch wyif; p2tog. Continue in woven stitch pattern to end of row. Turn. [42 (48, 52, 58, 64, 66, 70, 76) stitches on each side of marker]
Row 3: Work in pattern until last 3 stitches before marker. Ssk, k last stitch. Sl marker and pick up working yarn for other half. Ssk; continue in pattern to end of row. Turn. [41 (47, 51, 57, 63, 65, 69, 75) stitches on each side of marker]
Row 4: Work in pattern to marker. Sl marker. Work in pattern with 2nd working yarn to end of row. Turn.
Row 5: Work in pattern until last 2 stitches before marker. Ssk. Sl marker and pick up working yarn for other half. Sl 2st st wyib, ssk; continue in pattern to end of row. Turn. [40 (46, 50, 56, 62, 64, 68, 74) stitches on each side of marker]
Row 6: Work in pattern to last 3 stitches before marker. P2tog, p last stitch. Sl marker. P2tog. Continue in woven stitch pattern to end of row. Turn. [39 (45, 49, 55, 61, 63, 67, 73) stitches on each side of marker]
Row 7: Repeat Row 4.
[Repeat Rows 2-7] 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) more times. [27 (33, 37, 39, 45, 47, 51, 57) stitches on each half]
Size M, L, and 5XL ONLY
Repeat Rows 2-4 one more time. [27 (31, 35, 39, 45, 47, 51, 55) stitches on each half]
Continue to work each side straight in pattern until front measures 25”. BO each side in pattern.
Neck Ribbing
Sew shoulder seams together using mattress stitch.
Beginning at bottom of V with size 8 (5.0 mm) circular needle, pick up 35 (41, 41, 45, 45, 45, 49, 49)stitches, evenly spaced, along right front neckline. Number of stitches can be adjusted to fit, but keep it close to the desired number, and always pick up an odd number of total stitches. Pick up 43 (43, 49, 49, 49, 49, 55, 55) stitches across back neck. Pick up 35 (41, 41, 45, 45, 45, 49, 49) stitches along left front neckline. Place marker to indicate beginning of round. [113, 125, 131, 139, 139, 139, 153, 153) stitches]
Round 1: K1 p1 around. K last stitch before marker. Sl marker.
Round 2: Ssk. Continue in k1 p1 ribbing to last 2 stitches. K2tog. Sl marker.
Repeat Rounds 1-2 three more times. Bind off in pattern. Weave in ends.
Sleeves (make 2)
Using size 8 (5.0 mm) needles, CO 48 (48, 52, 52, 52, 56, 56, 56) stitches.
Row 1 (RS): K1 p1 across. Turn.
Row 2 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise wyib. P1 k1 across. Purl last stitch. Turn.
Rows 3-11: Repeat Row 2. Row 11 will be a RS row.
Change to size 10.5 (6.5 mm) needles.
Follow directions below for ONLY the size you are making.
Size S ONLY
4 increase rows over 8 rows
Row 12 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 5 new stitches spaced evenly across . Turn. (53 stitches)
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch - knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch - purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Increase over next 4 rows.
Row 15 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Make 1 knit stitch. Work in woven stitch to end of row. Turn. (54 stitches)
Row 16 (WS): Sl 1st st wyif. Make 1 purl stitch. Work in woven stitch to last stitch. Make 1 purl stitch. Purl last stitch. Turn. (56 stitches)
Row 17 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Work in pattern to last stitch. Make 1 knit stitch. K last stitch. Turn. (57 stitches)
Row 18 (WS): Work in pattern across. Turn.
Row 19 (RS): Repeat Row 13.
Row 20 (WS): Repeat Row 14.
[Repeat Rows 13-20] 11 more times. (101 stitches)
Work straight until sleeve measures 24 inches or desired length. Bind off in pattern. Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough to sew sleeve to body, roughly 3 times as long as the width of the top of the sleeve.
Size M & L ONLY
8 increase rows over 14 rows
Row 12 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 5 new stitches spaced evenly across . Turn. [53 (57) stitches]
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch - knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch - purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Increase over next 4 rows.
Row 15 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Make 1 knit stitch. Work in woven stitch to end of row. Turn. [54 (58) stitches]
Row 16 (WS): Sl 1st st wyif. Make 1 purl stitch. Work in woven stitch to last stitch. Make 1 purl stitch. Purl last stitch. Turn. [56 (60) stitches]
Row 17 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Work in pattern to last stitch. Make 1 knit stitch. K last stitch. Turn. [57 (61) stitches]
Row 18 (WS): Work in pattern across. Turn.
Row 19 (RS): Repeat Row 13.
Row 20 (WS): Repeat Row 14.
Rows 21-26: Repeat Rows 13-18 one more time. [61 (65) stitches]
Repeat (Rows 13-26) 5 more times. [101 (105) stitches]
Repeat (Rows 13-18) one more time. [105 (109) stitches]
Work straight until sleeve measures 24 inches or desired length. Bind off in pattern. Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough to sew sleeve to body, roughly 3 times as long as the width of the top of the sleeve.
Size XL, 2XL, and 3XL ONLY
Instructions written for size XL with 2XL and 3XL in parentheses - XL (2XL, 3XL)
4 increase rows over every 6 rows
Row 12 (WS): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 5 new stitches spaced evenly across . Turn. [57 (57, 61) stitches]
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch - knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch - purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Increase over next 4 rows.
Row 15 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Make 1 knit stitch. Work in woven stitch to end of row. Turn. [58 (58, 62) stitches]
Row 16 (WS): Sl 1st st wyif. Make 1 purl stitch. Work in woven stitch to last stitch. Make 1 purl stitch. Purl last stitch. Turn. [60 (60, 64) stitches]
Row 17 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Work in pattern to last stitch. Make 1 knit stitch. K last stitch. Turn. [61 (61, 65) stitches]
Row 18 (WS): Work in pattern across. Turn.
[Repeat Rows 13-18] 14 (15, 15) more times. [117 (121, 125) stitches]
Work straight until sleeve measures 24 (24, 24.5) inches or desired length. Bind off in pattern. Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough to sew sleeve to body, roughly 3 times as long as the width of the top of the sleeve.
Size 4XL, 5XL ONLY
Instructions are for 4XL with 5XL in parentheses - 4XL (5XL)
8 increase rows over every 10 rows
Row 12 (WS - set up row): Sl 1st st purlwise. Purl across, making 5 new stitches spaced evenly across . Turn. [61 stitches]
Row 13 (RS): Work Woven Stitch - knit side across row (see special stitches section). Turn.
Row 14 (WS): Work Woven Stitch - purl side across row (see Special Stitches section). Turn.
Increase over next 4 rows.
Row 15 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Make 1 knit stitch. Work in woven stitch to end of row. Turn. [62 stitches]
Row 16 (WS): Sl 1st st wyif. Make 1 purl stitch. Work in woven stitch to last stitch. Make 1 purl stitch. Purl last stitch. Turn. [64 stitches]
Row 17 (RS): Sl 1st st wyib. Work in pattern to last stitch. Make 1 knit stitch. K last stitch. Turn. [65 stitches]
Row 18 (WS): Work in pattern across. Turn.
Rows 19-22: Repeat Rows 15-18 one more time. 4 stitches increased. [69 stitches]
[Repeat Rows 13-22] 8 (8) more times. [133 stitches]
Size 5XL ONLY - Repeat Rows 13-18 one last time. [137 stitches]
Both 4XL & 5XL - Work straight until sleeve measures 25 (25) inches or desired length. Bind off in pattern. Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough to sew sleeve to body, roughly 3 times as long as the width of the top of the sleeve. [133 (137) stitches]
Assembly
Sew sleeve to armholes of body, using the long tail left when binding off. Seam one inch of the side of each sleeve to the bound off edge from the armhole shaping.
Sew arm and side seams. Weave in ends and enjoy!
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Copyright © 2020 Sharon Hansen/Yarnmare
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The pattern and photographs of this design are the property of Sharon Hansen/Yarnmare. This pattern and design are subject to copyright, and are for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not distribute or sell this pattern or any items created using the directions in this pattern without consent. Please email yarnmare@gmail.com with any questions.
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