Caught Between Rockweed and a Soft Place

Remember Rockweed the cardigan? It's now back in a pullover version! Without further ado: here's Rockweed Pullover.

Rockweed Pullover is knit seamlessly from the top-down in two weights of yarn: smooth fingering weight for the main and fluffy lace weight for contrast. You can also use just one yarn (or color); size-by-size yardages for both versions are listed on the pattern page.

The pullover features the same ornamental lace pattern on the yoke and hem as its namesake cardigan. Sharp double decreases made on consecutive rounds create undulating waves of lace. But this time the sweater is knit in the round so you don't have to knit lace on wrong-side rows nor do those tricky purl-side centered double decreases. K2togs, SSKs, and regular CDDs are still very much needed, though. As is my custom, both written and charted instructions are given for the lace pattern.

The pattern employs a clever trick for jogless lace in the round in which the first and last repeats of the round meld together on both sides of the beginning-of-round marker. It's sort of the same trick as shifting the motif in colorwork but applied to lace knitting. Because of this crossing-the-boundary knitting, a locking stitch marker works better than a regular one. And reading is fundamental: being able to visually read your knitting will help in keeping the lace pattern properly aligned.

Another difference to the cardigan version is that in the pullover the lace tiers are knit in a contrasting color using lace-weight silk mohair whereas the rest of the sweater is knit in fingering-weight yarn. This gives the garment more visual interest and an extra delicate look. If necessary, go up in needle size for the lace portions to obtain the same gauge as in the rest of the sweater.

Sections of the main color between lace tiers are worked in stockinette while the neckband, sleeve cuffs, and hem are done in 2x2 ribbing. If you remember the original cardigan pattern, it featured garter stitch on the button bands, cuffs, hem, and in details between the lace tiers. And it makes sense for a carding knit back and forth. For the pullover version I wanted to drop the garter stitch because it's so annoying to work in the round. All those purl rounds!

But. Rockweed Pullover is so nice I made it twice! I love the look of the garter stitch detailing so much I wanted to offer an alternative version of the pattern, demonstrated here with the burgundy and pink sample. In this version, the neckband, hem, sleeve cuffs and sections between lace tiers are all worked in garter stitch in the round. This variation gives crisp transitions between stockinette and lace, especially if you want to knit the sweater in just one yarn or color.

Rockweed Pullover also features my usual shaping methods. Short rows placed at the bottom of the yoke help in creating a decent front-neck drop that makes a well-fitting, round neckline. Waist shaping on the body is done at princess seams: decreases and increases are placed at two sides of the center front and center back. You can additionally adjust waist shaping to fit your body: Work waist shaping more frequently if you have a short torso or your row gauge is looser than specified. Inversely, work waist shaping less frequently if you have a long torso or your row gauge is tighter than specified.

To knit the pattern you'll need two yarns in two colors and two yarn weights. The main body of the sweater is worked in fingering-weight yarn. In my brown-and-green sample I used Saimaa Wool Fingering, an undyed 100% Finnsheep yarn from a company that focuses on offering sustainably-produced, woven wool fabrics for the clothing industry. Lately they've started to offer their yarn range for hand knitters as well although they're not widely available yet.

For an ethereal look, the lace tiers on the yoke and hem are knit with fluffy lace-weight yarn. In my first sample sweater I used Filcolana Tilia in the colorway Meadow, a silk mohair yarn that comes in a huge variety of colors.

The sample sweater for the alternative garter-stitch version was knit using a deep-stash maroon single-ply lace-weight wool together with the very affordable DROPS Kid-Silk (discontinued colorway Bordeaux) as the main color and another DROPS Kid-Silk (Cherry Sorbet) for the contrast.

You can opt for a high contrast like my brown-and-green version, two colors in the same family as in the burgundy-and-pink sweater, or — for a more subtle look — choose a color that blends in with your main yarn. If you're not keen on the fluff, though, you can knit the lace sections with another fingering-weight yarn. Or ditch the contrast completely and work the sweater just in on color! Yardage requirements for both one- and two-color versions are listed on the pattern page.

I've updated my sizing since the original Rockweed cardigan was released. Rockweed Pullover has been completely regraded and comes in 10 sizes from XS (81 cm or 31¾" full bust circumference) to 6X (183 cm 72") following Kim McBrien Evans' representative size chart.

What sets this size chart apart from many others used in the knitting industry is the variable cup size. Rockweed Pullover is graded for a B cup in sizes XS–M, C in L–4X, and a D cup in sizes 5X–6X. Choose your size in the pattern based on upper bust circumference. The sweater is intended to be worn with approx. 5 cm / 2" of positive ease at the bust and hip and approx. 7.5 cm / 3" of positive ease at the waist.

The pattern for Rockweed Pullover is now available in my pattern shops on Payhip, LoveCrafts, and Ravelry (seizure warning). Share your sweater with the hashtag #rockweedpullover on Instagram!

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