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A simple, timeless favorite in which the yarn and the understated details of the design take a basic sweater to another level. A rib pattern breaks up the surface, and there are optional details you can add for a more polished look. I have read Barbara Walker’s book “Knitting from the Top” from the early 1970s and was inspired by her relatively simple approach to sweater construction. BB is my interpretation of her instructions.

BB is knitted from the top down. First, the shoulders of the back are shaped, then you work straight down until the armholes are shaped. Next, sts are picked up for the shoulders of the front: first the left, then the right. The two sections are joined after shaping the neckline, after a some knitting, the front and back are joined and knitting continues in the round with the rib columns established from the beginning. You might choose to make the slightly fiddly but beautiful sandwich edge, or pick up sts for the neckband in the usual way. Sts are picked up for the sleeves, which are shaped using GSRs. The sleeves can be short or long, with the long sleeves finished with a wide, extended rib. Voilà – a lovely oversized slipover or sweater is finished.

Practical information

Sizes 1, 2, 3, 4

Measurements:

Width across shoulders approx.: 48 cm, 55 cm, 62 cm, 62 cm
Chest width measured flat approx.: 54, 61, 68, 71 cm
Full chest circumference approx.: 107 cm, 121 cm, 136, 141 cm
Armhole depth before picking up sleeve sts, measured flat: approx. 21.8, 22.8, 24.8, 25.7 cm
Body width before working the bottom rib, measured flat approx.: 46.5, 53.5, 61, 63.5 cm
Body length measured at the side below the sleeve approx.: 31, 32, 33, 34 cm (including 10 cm of rib), or preferably: to desired length

Choosing your size
The BB sweater is designed with plenty of positive ease compared with your actual body measurements. A common rule of thumb is that larger sizes should have less positive ease. So take an oversized sweater you like, measure it, and choose the size closest to it. You can fine-tune the size by working fewer or more decreases down the body.

Gauge: 14 sts × 21 rows = 10 × 10 cm in stockinette stitch on needle A

Needles
Needle sizes are suggestions. Use the size needed to obtain gauge.
4.0 mm circular needle, 80 cm and shorter for sleeves (or DPNs or magic loop): needle A
3.75 mm circular needle, 80 cm and shorter for sleeve ribbing and bottom body ribbing (needle B)
3.5 mm circular needle – shorter for the neckband (needle C)

Yarn: Mondial Gran Gala, 50 g / 125 m – 4, 4, 5, 6 skeins for the slipover. Allow about 1 skein of yarn for the sleeves, depending on how far down the arm the shoulder sits. If your sweater has a lot of positive ease, the sleeves may require less yarn; conversely, with less ease in your BB sweater, more yarn will be needed – approx. 1½ balls per sleeve.

Gran Gala has many beads attached to the yarn. This meant I had to use much smaller needles to get the texture I wanted, even smaller than recommended on the yarn label. My testers achieved gauge with other yarns on 6.0 mm needles, as I did when I chose to knit BB in a different yarn. In that case, needle A is a 6.0 mm circular needle, needle B is 5.5 mm, and needle C is 5.0 mm.)

Alternative yarns are Bella by Permin (50 g / 145 m), or a fine wool strand (light fingering/fingering – approx. 50 g / 200 m) held together with a strand of kidsilk mohair (25 g / 225 m).