ERRATA: The sweater is worked from the top down and charts should be worked from top to bottom so that the cubes appear the right way round.

Autumn and winter can get a bit dull and grey in Yorkshire, and I wanted to create something to give me a bit of a zingy pop of cheer for cloudier days. Not very many people suit a whole sweater made of day-glow yarn (and I’m certainly not one of them!) so the brightness is balanced against a calmer backdrop. I love the combination of denim blue and the acid greeny yellow of Jessica of Ginger Twist’s hand-dyed yarn, but I think it would also look great with a raspberry pink and pale biscuit, or what about carrot orange on coal grey?

A modern twist on a traditional top-down circular yoke Fair-Isle sweater, Cubes combines the speed of a chunky cropped sweater with the interest of a little bit of geometric colour-work and trims which give you the opportunity to add a real pop of colour to the darkening days.

The sweater is designed to fit closely with one or two inches of positive ease, but would also look good with slight negative ease. If you are between sizes, I recommend making the smaller size, or combining sizes to suit you. As it’s knit from the top down in one piece, so you can try it on as you go.

SIZE
XS (S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X)
shown on size M with 1 inch positive ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust circumference: 31.5 (36.5, 40, 45, 49, 54, 58) inches
Length: 99, 9.25, 9.5, 9.75, 9.75, 9.75 inches from underarm to hem
Waist circumference: 26 (29, 32, 37, 41, 46, 50) inches
Sleeve length: 16.5 (17, 17, 17.5, 17.5, 18, 18) inches to wrist

MATERIALS
Yarn
(MC) Woolyknit Lofty (80% merino, 20% nylon; 116yd/106m per 100g skein); color: Denim; 4(4, 5, 6, 6, 7) skeins
(CC) Ginger Twist’s Ginger’s Hand Dyed Chunky (100% wool; 131yd/120m per 100g skein); color: Gorblimey; 1(1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3) skeins

Recommended needle size
Always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter’s gauge is unique
spacer 1 set US #10/6mm double-pointed needles
spacer 1 US #10/6mm circular needle, 24 inches or longer (longer needle recommended for larger sizes)

Notions

• yarn needle
• stitch markers - at least 2 distinct ones for shaping
• stitch holders or waste yarn

Swatch carefully to ensure gauge is even on stockinette stitch as well as the stranded colorwork areas.