Summer Blues Sweater
Summer is coming to an end. As the nights get cooler, a lightweight sweater is the perfect layer. The Summer Blues Sweater is a great way to celebrate (or mourn) the end of summer. This sweater pattern is beginner friendly. There are a few techniques to learn, but the construction is simple, and there are hardly any seams!
To knit this sweater you will need three or four cakes of Lion Brand Mandala Ombre yarn and size 10 (6.00 mm) circular needles. You will need a longer cable to knit the body of the sweater (40" to 60") and a shorter cable for the sleeves, which are knit in the round. Use the links below for ideas on what to get. These are the product I used.
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On with the pattern!
Summer Blues Sweater
Knitting Pattern
The Summer Blues Sweater is a super lightweight sweater with a lot of drape. It is a great transition piece as the summer nights begin to cool. This sweater is nearly seamless; the only seams are the shoulder seams. It is knit in the round from the bottom up. The upper back and front sections are knit separately and then joined at the shoulders. The sleeves are picked up at the armholes and worked in the round. The length can be easily adjusted, whether you prefer a very short, cropped sweater or a hip length or longer sweater.
Difficulty
⚫ ⚫ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪
Finished Sizes
This pattern is written for the following sizes (bust measurement):
XS (28-30), S (32-34), M (36-38), L (40-42), XL (44-46), 2XL (48-50), and 3XL (52-54), 4XL (56-58), and 5XL (60-62). It is designed to be worn loose, with a positive ease of 8”-10”. Sizes are listed as XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
All measurements are approximate as this fabric has a significant amount of stretch.
Length (from back ribbing): 26 (26, 27, 27, 27, 28, 28, 29, 29)”/66 (66, 69, 69, 69, 71, 71, 74, 74) cm
Back width: 19 (21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31. 33, 35)”/48 (53, 58, 64, 69, 74, 79, 84, 89) cm
Sleeve length: 18 (18, 18, 18, 17, 17, 16.5, 16.5, 15.5)”/46 (46, 46, 46, 43, 43, 42, 42, 40) cm
Size Adjustment
This sweater can be made longer or shorter by knitting more or fewer rows before dividing for the armholes. Arm circumference can be adjusted by making the armholes a little longer or shorter, and then picking up more or fewer stitches for sleeves. Use instructions for a larger or smaller size when knitting the armholes, and be sure to adjust the number of decreases through the sleeves.
Instructions are written using standard US abbreviations.
CO - cast on
K - knit
P - purl
Kfb - knit front and back (adds one stitch)
K2tog - knit 2 together
Ssk - slip, slip, knit: slip next two stitches, one at a time, knitwise, slip both stitches back to left needle, at the same time, knitwise (stitches will be in reverse order now), knit two together
PM - place marker
Materials
Lion Brand Mandala Ombre yarn (5.3 oz/150 g; 344 yds/315 m) in #204 Harmony: 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins.
Size 10 (6.00 mm), 40-60” circular knitting needles, or size needed to obtain gauge. (larger sizes may require longer circular needles to accommodate the larger circumference, but 40” should be large enough for most sizes as the gauge is very loose and the stitches squish together on the needle)
Size 10 (6.00 mm) 24” circular needles (or smaller) for sleeves
Tapestry needle (for seams and weaving in ends)
Gauge
Approximately:
14 stitches in stockinette stitch = 4”
20 rows in stockinette stitch = 4”
Notes
The body of the sweater is knitted in one piece from the bottom up. Piece is worked separately from the armholes. The only seaming required is the shoulder seams. The sleeves are picked up at the armholes and knit in the round.
Ribbing
Both front and back ribbing are worked on the same set of circular needles. First the back ribbing is worked to 2”, then the front ribbing is cast on the same needles and worked at the same time with a separate ball of yarn. When both front and back ribbing are to length, they are joined in the round to continue the body of the sweater.
Back Ribbing
With size 10 (6.00 mm) 40” (or larger) circular needles, cast on 69 (75, 83, 89, 97, 103, 111, 117, 125) stitches.
Row 1: K2, (p1 k1) across, k last stitch. Turn.
Row 2: K1, (p1 k1) across. Turn.
Repeat Rows 1-2 until ribbing measures 2” (5 cm), ending with a Row 2.
Front Ribbing
At the working end of the back ribbing (the end with the working yarn), use a new ball of yarn to cast on 69 (75, 83, 89, 97, 103, 111, 117, 125) stitches.
Row 1 (front ribbing): Working across newly cast on stitches, k2, (p1 k1) across, k last stitch.
Row 1 (back ribbing): Continue to back ribbing. Drop working yarn for front ribbing and pick up the working yarn for the back ribbing. Knit Row 1 across back ribbing the same as for the front ribbing. Turn.
Row 2 (back ribbing): K1, (p1 k1) across. Turn.
Row 2 (front ribbing): K1, (p1 k1) across. Turn.
Continue to work Rows 1 and 2 across both front and back ribbing, keeping the working yarn for each separate. Once the back ribbing measures 5”/12.7 cm (the front ribbing should measure 3”/7.6 cm), ending on a Row 2, begin the body of the sweater.
Body
The two ribbing pieces will be joined, and the body worked in the round. Begin with the front ribbing, working on the right side.
Rnd 1: Begin at front ribbing. K to last st; bring back ribbing to meet front ribbing, and continue with working yarn used to work across front, p2tog the last stitch of the front ribbing and the first stitch of the back ribbing. The working yarn from the back ribbing may be fastened off. PM to mark side seam. K across back to last stitch. P2tog the last stitch of the back and the first stitch of the round. PM for beginning of round (BOR). [136 (148, 164, 176, 192, 204, 220, 232, 248) stitches]
Rnd 2: Slip marker, knit to last stitch before next marker, p1, sl marker, k to last stitch of round, p1.
Repeat Round 2 until body (not including ribbing) measures 11”/28 cm, or desired length.
Divide for Armholes
Setup Round: Sl marker, k to last stitch before next marker, kfb, remove marker, slip last stitch worked (second part of kfb) back to left needle; PM on right needle and slip slipped stitch back to right needle. K across back to last stitch before BOR; kfb, remove marker, slip last stitch back to left needle, PM on right needle and slip stitch back to right needle. Markers will be in between the two stitches made with the kfb.
Divide Front for Neckline
Setup Row: K next 33 (36, 40, 43, 47, 50, 54, 57, 61) stitches (first stitch already worked in previous round); kfb in the next stitch (the center stitch of the front of the sweater) and PM between last two stitches worked; k to last stitch before marker, p last st. Turn. Work will now be in rows for the sections of the front and the back. There will be 35 (38, 42, 45, 49, 52, 56, 59, 63) stitches separated by markers on the front side of the sweater. There will be 70 (76, 84, 90, 98, 104, 112, 118, 126) stitches separated for the back of the sweater. Stitches not being worked may be placed on separate stitch holders or spare cables if desired.
Right Front
Row 1 (WS): Turn work so the wrong side is facing. Working only stitches between the two markers for the right front of the sweater (as worn), k1, p to last st before marker, k last stitch. Turn.
Row 2 (RS - dec row): K2, ssk, k to marker. Turn.
[Repeat Rows 1-2] 17 (17, 19, 23, 24, 21, 21, 22, 22) more times.
Continue knitting straight in stockinette stitch until right front measures 10 (10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13)”/25 (25, 28, 28, 28, 30, 30, 33, 33) cm from beginning of armhole, or to desired armhole depth, ending with a WS row. Bind off knitwise (on RS). Fasten off and cut yarn, leaving a tail long enough to sew shoulder seam.
Left Front
Place stitches for left front on needles. Attach yarn center front with WS facing.
Row 1 (WS): Working only stitches between the two markers for the left front of the sweater, k1, p to last st before marker, k last stitch. Turn.
Row 2 (RS - dec row): K to 4 st before marker, k2tog, k2. Turn.
[Repeat Rows 1-2] 17 (17, 19, 23, 24, 21, 21, 22, 22) more times.
Continue knitting straight in stockinette stitch until right front measures 10 (10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13)”/25 (25, 28, 28, 28, 30, 30, 33, 33) cm from beginning of armhole, or to desired armhole depth, ending with a WS row. Count rows to make sure left front and right front are the same length. Bind off knitwise (on RS). Fasten off and cut yarn.
Upper Back
Working only back stitches (all markers can now be removed), attach yarn at left underarm with WS facing.
Row 1: K1, p to last st, k last st. Turn.
Row 2: Knit across. Turn.
Repeat Rows 1-2 until upper back measures 10 (10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13)”/25 (25, 28, 28, 28, 30, 30, 33, 33) cm from beginning of armhole, or to desired armhole depth, ending with a WS row. Count rows for Right Front/Left Front to make sure the back is the same length. Bind off knitwise. Fasten off and cut yarn, leaving a tail long enough to sew shoulder seam.
Sew shoulder seams
Attach Right Front and Left Front BO edges to upper back, making sure your seams are the same length. Sew seam using long tails from Right Front and Upper Back.
V-neck Ribbing
With shorter circular needles, starting at center front of neckline, pick up 41 (41, 46, 46, 46, 51, 51, 56, 56) st along right front neckline, 36 (38, 40, 42, 42, 44, 44, 46, 48) st across back of neck, and 40 (40, 45, 45, 45, 50, 50, 55, 55) st along left front neckline, evenly spaced.
Rnd 1: PM for center front. Ssk, (k1 p1) to last 2 st, k2tog.
Rnd 2: Sl marker, k2 (p1 k1) to last st, k last st.
Rnd 3: Sl marker, ssk, (p1 k1) to last 2 st, k2tog.
Rnd 4: Sl marker, (k1 p1) around, k last st.
Rnd 5: Repeat Rnd 1.
Rnd 6: Repeat Rnd 2.
Rnd 7: Repeat Rnd 3.
Bind off loosely in k1 p1 pattern. Fasten off.
Sleeves
Attach yarn at bottom of armhole. With shorter circular needles, pick up 68 (68, 74, 74, 74, 80, 80, 88, 88) stitches knitwise evenly around armhole. Make sure half of the stitches are along the front and half are along the back of the armhole. PM to mark beginning of round. The first stitch of the round will be a purl stitch that should line up with the purl stitch column up the side of the sweater.
Rnd 1: P1, k around. Sl marker.
Repeat Rnd 1 [1 (1, 7, 7, 7, 1, 1, 7, 5)] times.
Begin decreases. Each decrease includes one decrease round and the given number of Rnd 1, except the final decrease.
Decrease Round: P1, k1, k2tog, k to last 3 st, ssk, k1, sl marker. Repeat Rnd 1 [4 (4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2)] times after each decrease round.
Work a total of 18 (18, 20, 20, 20, 22, 21, 24, 24) decreases (including a decrease round and additional rounds. Do NOT work the additional rounds on last decrease. Additional rounds are worked on some sizes, but not all, to achieve desired length. Continue to repeat Rnd 1 until sleeves are 3” (7.6 cm) shorter than desired length.
Sleeve Cuff
Rnd 1: P1 k1 around. Sl marker.
Repeat Rnd 1 until cuffs are 3” (7.6 cm) or desired length. Bind off loosely in p1 k1 pattern. Fasten off.
Repeat for other sleeve.
Weave in ends and enjoy!
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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 portion of this pattern, including images or specific directions, without consent. Please email yarnmare@gmail.com with any questions.
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