Use code RAV_MARTA to get a 10% discount. Code is valid until 18th October 23:59 BST.

Marta Sweater is named after my grandmother. She was the one who saved a rare book of Latvian ornaments from destruction during Soviet times and kept it safe until she could pass it on to me. Parts of this book feature heavily across my entire pattern collection.

I scattered ornaments from its pages throughout this sweater. I let my hand do the drawing while I was thinking about all the things she meant to me. She was a skilled weaver, crocheter, and knitter, and she taught me craft techniques I hadn’t encountered anywhere else. The picot edge in this pattern is one of them. She showed me how to do it on a mitten when I was very young and I have never forgotten it.

The colourwork runs deep past the sleeve separation so you get a lot of colourwork to enjoy. The floats are predominantly short, making it a meditative, rhythmic knit. There are some longer floats near the bottom of the chart and the pattern includes Ladderback Jacquard placement suggestions if you want to try this method.

Marta is a roomy, comfortable sweater with positive ease so it sits well without riding up. A waist shaping option is included if you prefer a more tailored fit.

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Translations provided by knitlingo.com

Difficulty: Intermediate

Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Finished chest circumference:

• 97 (104.5, 115.5, 124.5, 135.5, 146, 157, 166, 177) cm
• 38¾ (41¾, 46¼, 49¾, 54¼, 58½, 62¾, 66½, 70¾)”

Designed to be worn with 15-20 cm / 6-8” positive ease around the chest.

Yarn: Fingering/sport weight. Depending on the length of the sweater and shaping option, allow approximately:

Main colour (MC):

• 940 (1005, 1085, 1180, 1260, 1350, 1455, 1525, 1620) m
• 1025 (1095, 1185, 1290, 1380, 1475, 1590, 1670, 1770) yds

Contrast colour (CC):

• 335 (360, 390, 410, 430, 475, 495, 535, 560) m
• 365 (395, 430, 450, 470, 520, 540, 585, 610) yds

Yarns used in sample (size 2) 3 skeins of Dundaga Wool (100% Latvian Wool; 420 m 460 yds / 100 g), 2 skeins (each weighing around 150 g) of dark as Main Colour (MC) and 1 skein of gradient in red hues as Contrast colour (CC).

Original colourways available exclusively at Wrap In Wool.

Gauge: 26 sts & 34 rows = 10 cm / 4” in stranded colourwork in the round, blocked. Block your swatch the same way you plan to block your garment and let it fully dry before measuring the gauge.

Suggested needles: 2.75 mm (US 2) or needle size required to obtain gauge. These should be circulars 60-100 cm / 24-40” long and/or DPNs for small circumference knitting.

Notions: Stitch markers, locking stitch markers and/or bobby pins if using Japanese short rows, row counter, stitch holder, tapestry needle, measuring tape, contrasting waste yarn and spare set of circular needles in the same size.

Techniques used: Knitting in the round, short rows, stranded knitting, Ladderback Jacquard, picot edge, Knotted k2tog bind-off.

Notes: The sweater is knit in the round, starting with a cast-on at the neckline base. Increases are worked, followed by short rows to raise the back of the neck. Next, the contrast colour is added, and the colourwork chart is followed to the sleeve and body separation.

The body and sleeves are then worked separately in the round, continuing to follow the chart. The body can be shaped or left straight, and the sleeves are decreased to the wrist. Both the body and sleeve lengths can be easily adjusted. The hem and cuffs are finished with a 1x1 rib and a picot edge.

Finally, stitches are picked up around the neckline base to work the neckband finished with Knotted k2tog bind-off.