AUBURN BLUES

Once it came to my mind that a pattern – this is like a song. Somebody has composed it so that people who like it can sing it... or knit it :-)
This time my song is called Auburn Blues, and it is invented for my nephew Caleb who is graduating from Auburn University in the winter. He will be an electrical engineer, and something to do with business, and has this charming artistic personality, and plays music, and makes pretty drawings, and in general is a very handsome boy of Irish ancestry. To rhyme the sweater with him, I’ve chosen light wool/bamboo blend (people in the South believe it never gets enough cold here to wear wool… even if the temperature drops below 30F) of warm auburn honey color. The sweater has relaxed shape, side slits (back is a little bit longer than its front), detachable sleeves and a hood.

So, materials:
22 balls of elann Superwash Bamboo yarn (65% wool 35%), each ball 50 g /1.75 ounces – 100 m/109 yards.
Needles #6/4 mm (or size to obtain gauge) and 2 circular needles of the same size.
2 separating zippers matching yarn color – 50 cm/20‘’
Strong cotton or nylon thread of the matching color – to attach zippers.
Sewing needle.
Gauge - 18 stitches in 10 cm/4” worked on simple knit.
Size – M-L



Only 4 stitch patterns were used in the sweater:

1) Honey combs – for a central panel, side panels and hood trimming
Honey-comb
8 stitches x 4 rows
Stitch Key
Stockinet Stitch: Knit 1 (k) on right side rows, purl 1 (p) on wrong side rows.
Reverse Stockinet Stitch: Purl 1 on right side rows, knit 1 on wrong side rows.
c4b: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit the next 2 stitches, knit the stitches on the cable needle.
c4f: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Knit 2, knit the stitches on the cable needle.

HONEY-COMB, rows 1 - 4

Row 1 (Right Side): c4b, c4f.
Row 2 (Wrong Side): p8.
Row 3: c4f, c4b.
Row 4: p8.

2) Simple braid 2x2 to divide c 2 cable panels and honey combs (in every other right side row slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold it at front of the work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit 2 sts from the cable needle)

3) Cable panel
Cable panel
20 stitches x 16 rows

Stitch Key
c4b: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit the next 2 stitches, knit the stitches on the cable needle.
c4f: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Knit 2, knit the stitches on the cable needle.
t3b: Slip next stitch to cable needle, hold at back of work. Knit 2, purl the stitch on the cable needle.
t3f: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold at front of work. Purl 1, knit the stitches on the cable needle.

CABLE PANEL, rows 1 - 16

Row 1 (Right Side): p2, [c4b, p2] 3 times.
Row 2 (Wrong Side): k2, [p4, k2] 3 times.
Row 3: p1, [t3b, t3f] 3 times, p1.
Row 4: k1, p2, [k2, p4] 2 times, k2, p2, k1.
Row 5: t3b, [p2, c4f] 2 times, p2, t3f.
Row 6: p2, k3, p4, k2, p4, k3, p2.
Row 7: k2, p2, [t3b, t3f] 2 times, p2, k2.
Row 8: p2, k2, p2, k2, p4, [k2, p2] 2 times.
Row 9: k2, p2, k2, p2, c4b, [p2, k2] 2 times.
Row 10: p2, k2, p2, k2, p4, [k2, p2] 2 times.
Row 11: k2, p2, [t3f, t3b] 2 times, p2, k2.
Row 12: p2, k3, p4, k2, p4, k3, p2.
Row 13: t3f, [p2, c4f] 2 times, p2, t3b.
Row 14: k1, p2, [k2, p4] 2 times, k2, p2, k1.
Row 15: p1, [t3f, t3b] 3 times, p1.
Row 16: k2, [p4, k2] 3 times.

4) Simple rhombs for the hood and the sleeves:
Rhomb
6 stitches x 6 rows

RHOMB, rows 1 - 6

Row 1 (Right Side): k5, p1.
Row 2 (Wrong Side): p1, k1, p3, k1.
Row 3: k1, p1, k1, p1, k2.
Row 4: p3, k1, p2.
Row 5: k1, p1, k1, p1, k2.
Row 6: p1, k1, p3, k1.

As I perceive, those stitch patterns rhyme good among themselves and with Caleb too.

Unlike my previous 2 sweaters, this one is done in a simple way like all the normal people knit: the back – one piece, the front – one piece, 2 sleeves, one hood. And 2 zippers.

Note about selvage stitches (ss): Always slip the first stitch in the beginning of each row and purl the last stitch in the end of each row. In such a way you will have a chain of selvage stitches, - one vertical loop for each 2 rows - on each side of a knitted piece.

Front: cast on 162 sts.
Initial row: 1 st – selvage stitch (ss), 24 sts – honey comb (8x3), 2 p., 4 k. – braid 2x2, 2 p., 20 - Cable panel, 2 p., 4 – braid 2x2, 2p., 40 honey comb (8x5), 2p., 4 – braid 2x2, 2p., 20 cable panel, 2p., 4 k – braid 2x2, 2p., 24 – honey comb (8x3), 1 selvage st (ss).
Work without any changes 55 selvage stitches (ss.) up and bind off 9 sts from each side for the arm holes (144 sts). Continue to knit without selvage stitches.
Knit 18 rows. Then on the right side knit 80 sts and turn (this will be left side of the front including center 8 sts of honey comb). Knit separately the left side of the front – 38 more rows.
Bind off 50 sts for the shoulder. Place the rest 30 sts on a cable needle (for the hood).
On the back of 8 center stitches where you stopped for separation for the left and right sides, cast on 8 sts and continue to work 80 sts for the right side of the front the same way as left side. Bind off 50 sts for the shoulder and place the 30 sts on a cable needle (for the hood).

Back: cast on 162 sts and knit exactly like the front to the armhole without any changes 62 ss (the back is longer that the front). Bind off 9 sts from each side for the arm holes. Continue to knit the remaining 144 sts without selvage stitches. Knit 56 rows. Bind off 50 sts from each side for the shoulders. Place the remaining 44 sts on a cable needle (for the hood).
When finished, spread them and gently iron wrong sides of both pieces through a wet cotton cloth without pressing. Let them rest flat until totally dry.


Sleeve: Cast on 46 sts (leaving long thread for a seam) and work 2x2 rib stitch – 10 cm or 4”. On the wrong side row add 1 st for every 5 sts (purls all sts in this row), and then start knitting rhomb stitch pattern increasing 1 stitch each side on every 3rd row until you obtain 84 sts on the needle. Continue to work without increasing until the piece is 56 selvage sts long. Bind off in the beginning of every row 3 sts 2 time, 2 sts 4 times, 1 st 2 times, and then 2 sts in the beginning of every row until the length of the sleeve (with ribbing) is 58 cm/23”. Bind all the stitches off, mark the center stitch.

Finish both sleeves, spread them and gently iron wrong sides of both pieces through a wet cotton cloth without pressing. Let them rest flat until totally dry.

Hood: After making shoulder seams, place on one circular needle all the stitches around the neck (30+30+44= 104 sts). Continue to work first 8 sts in honeycomb pattern, 2 p., knit next 84 sts adding evenly about 16 sts (in the next row continue to work these 100 sts with rhomb pattern), 2 p., 8 sts honeycomb pattern. When the hood is 35 cm/18” long bind all the stitches off, mark the center stitch, leave long thread for assembly.

Assembly.



Hood: fold the hood in the center and sew together its sides.

Attaching of a zipper to a sleeve and arm hole: mark the center of a zipper on both tapes with chalk or colorful thread. Mark the right side on both tapes. Separate the zipper. The half that has a pull tab will be attached to the sleeve, the other one – to the armhole.

Pin together the centers of the sleeve top and the tape (right side of the tape to the wrong side of the fabric). Pin the ends of the tape to the top of the sleeve: the tape itself (not the zipping part) is supposed to be about 0,5 cm (1/5”) longer than the top line of the sleeve and stick out from each side. Starting from the center, attach the tape to the sleeve (see picture what it looks like from the wrong side and right side. The seam is almost invisible from the right side if the thread and yarn colors match well). Ease in the sleeve top as necessary.




Sew the long seams of the sleeves, but not all the way to the top, leave about 3 cm/1” free.

Pin together the shoulder seam and the center of the tape that doesn’t have a pull tab. Don’t pin directly to the end of shoulder seam but 5 cm/2” deeper (2 vertical rows of honey comb pattern):



Pin the ends of the tape almost to the bottom of the arm opening (the tape is supposed to be about 0,5 cm(1/5”) longer than armhole line of the sleeve and stick out a little bit from each side, exactly like on a sleeve). Actual line of the arm opening is shown red on the drawing – this is our seam line where the zipper tape is going to be attached to the knitted fabric. Starting from the center, attach zipper tape to the armhole (see pictures, one of them shows what the attached and zipped zipper looks from the wrong side).
Yes, there are some holes under arms in these sweater – please believe me they make the process of attaching and detaching the sleeves much easier.
The same way, attach the zipper to another armhole and a sleeve.

Sew together the front and the back but not all the way to the bottom, leave side slits as long as you like.



As always I put it on to make sure it can be worn at all:



This is what we get in the end…: