Leafy Yoke Sweater

This little sweater is by far the most involved knit that I’ve ever tried. It’s a small inch towards pattern making that I’m really proud of and excited to share!

It all started when I picked up a copy of the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible by Hitomi Shida.  Anyone who has flipped through this book will agree that the patterns are absolutely stunning and a bit intimidating.

I had no idea what to do with the charts or how I would apply them to a garment – but I knew I had to try. Enter this sweater! I started by making a swatch of a gorgeous yoke chart and working from there.

I kept my swatch in my peripheral while I was working, always dreaming of how I could turn this into a sweater. It took a little math and innovation, but I managed to turn it into a sweater for my daughter.

Since I wasn’t ready to dive into pattern making quite yet, I figured I’d try to meet up with an existing pattern. To do this, I calculated how many stitches I’d need at the collar and bottom of the yoke to pick up a size 6 of the Crozon sweater by Lisa Chemery. Then I adjusted the chart accordingly. I also compared existing garments as I went along – just to make sure I wasn’t going too far off the mark.

This is made in a craft store acrylic that’s not worth writing home about. Honestly I don’t love the feel of it, but the colour is pretty, it washed well and I think it will be durable. It’s machine washable too, which is a perk with a toddler.

This won’t be my last yoke exploration, although I’m glad I experimented on a small scale before attempting a sweater for myself. If you haven’t checked out the Japanese Knitting and Stitching Bible, I strongly recommend it. It’s definitely for intermediate knitters, but it’s gorgeous and inspirational.  

Happy making, 

Jackie

A little disclaimer: This blog is very small, so it almost goes without saying, but I am not affiliated with any brands mentioned in this post.