KELLS PULLOVER

£6.00

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This is the fourth, and final, design in Illuminated Knits, a series of patterns inspired by illuminated Celtic manuscripts, using beautiful shades of Malabrigo yarn.

Kells is a seamless pullover worked from the top-down and entirely in the round. The Celtic knot motif is repeated four times across the pullover (on the front, back and down each sleeve); slipped stitch cables provide a contrasting colour effect.

Yarn Choices
For detailed yardage information for each size, please refer to this chart.

In this pattern, Yarn A (Malabrigo Arroyo Reflecting Pool) is used for the main (thicker) strand of the cable pattern, and Yarn B (Malabrigo Arroyo Regatta Blue). is used for the thinner twisted-stitch strand. Yarn A and Yarn B are striped on alternate rounds. Yarn A is used on all odd-numbered rounds, and Yarn B is used on all even-numbered rounds; when working with Yarn A, the stitches that form the contrasting Yarn B cable pattern are slipped whenever encountered (always slip purlwise with yarn held at back of work), and vice versa when working with Yarn B. This creates the contrasting colour effect. Most of the cabling occurs on odd-numbered rounds.

Yarn C (Malabrigo Arroyo Glitter) is used only at the collar, cuffs and hem, to provide a contrast to the other colours.

A note on gauge (important!): Arroyo is listed on Ravelry as sport-weight, however the gauge I achieved for this pullover was closer to a DK/light-worsted after washing and blocking. I recommend checking gauge very carefully, and if substituting a different yarn, using a DK/light-worsted weight.

Construction Notes
This pullover is worked from the top-down, entirely in the round and without any seams. The cable motif is repeated 4 times across the yoke, and increases are worked in the spaces between the motifs. After the yoke has been completed, the sleeve sts are slipped onto a holder/waste yarn, sts are cast on at the underarm and then the body is worked down towards the hem, with bust, waist and hip shaping. After the body is complete, sts are picked up at the underarm cast-on, then each sleeve is worked down towards the cuff.

When working the short-row shaping at the back of the neck, Yarn A and Yarn B need to be changed on each row, to maintain the single-stripe pattern. To achieve this, you can either use a yarn-joining method such as a spit-splice or Russian join, or break the yarn, join in the new yarn and then weave in all of the ends after the short-row shaping is complete.

Sizing & Fit
Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5){6, 7, 8, 9}(10, 11, 12)
Finished chest measurement: 34½ (36¾, 39, 41¼, 43){45, 47¼, 49, 51¼}(53½, 56, 57¾)˝/[86.5 (92, 97.5, 103, 107){112.5, 118.5, 122.5, 128}(134, 140, 144) cm]

For detailed finished measurements, please refer to the Sizing Chart.

Select the size closest to your body measurements (for a close fit, as pictured), or select a size with finished measurements approx. 2­­—3˝/(5–7.5 cm) larger (for a more relaxed fit). If you’re unsure which size to select, try measuring a pullover in a similar weight yarn which fits you well, and compare these measurements to the Sizing Chart to find your size.

For reference, the sample shown in the photographs is Size 1 on a 5´ 2˝/(157.5 cm) tall model (me!) with 34˝/(86.5 cm) bust

This pullover features some shaping at the bust, waist and hips; if you prefer, you can omit this shaping and simply knit straight down after the yoke separation.

The placement of the cable motif is on the centre back, centre front and the centre of each sleeve; this means that the spacing between the motifs is larger in the larger sizes, and that the cable motif will look proportionately smaller. This is illustrated in the two roughly-to-scale schematics here, which show Size 1 and Size 9.

Materials & Tools
• 3.75 mm/US size 5 needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)
• 3.5 mm/US size 4 needles (or one size below gauge-size needles, for ribbing):
For each size, you will need:
• 1 short circ needle for yoke/collar
• 1 medium/long circ needle for body/hem
• DPNs (or needles for preferred method of working small circumferences in the round) for sleeves/cuffs
• Cable needle
• 13 stitch markers (1 unique for beginning-of-rnd; 8 for marking charts; 4 for marking sleeves)
• DK/light-worsted weight yarn (sample shown in Malabrigo Arroyo) - see this chart for detailed yardage information.

Skill Level
Advanced (all stitches are explained fully in the pattern, however there is a lot going on at once, so it’s helpful if you already have some experience with cable knitting). Skills required include:
• Short row shaping at neck
• Working cable chart at same time as shaping
• Working from the top down, in the round
• Complex closed-loop cables, with slipped stitches
• Stretchy cast-on and cast-off