Queen’s Gambit : Checkered Sweater Knitting Pattern

Meet Queen’s Gambit, a bold and playful checkered sweater knitting pattern designed to let your creativity shine!

Featuring an oversized checkerboard motif worked in intarsia, this sweater is all about colour, contrast, and making something uniquely yours. Choose four colours that speak to you (or more if you want to change color each time), experiment with unexpected combinations, or go for a softer, more timeless palette.

Queen’s Gambit is also the perfect stash-busting project to make use of those beautiful skeins and leftover yarns waiting in your stash!

The pattern is available in both English and French.

Pattern details

• Construction: Bottom-up
• Fit: Checkered sweater with positive ease
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL and 6XL / 84 - 94 - 104 - 114 - 124 - 134 - 144 - 154 - 164 - 174 cm de circonf. / 9cm d’aisance positive
• Techniques: Intarsia, stockinette stitch, 1x1 ribbing and short finishing techniques
• Needles: 6 mm and 4.5 mm circular needles
• Gauge: 15 stitches × 21 rounds/rows = 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in) in stockinette stitch using 6 mm needles
• Languages: English and French

Construction

Queen’s Gambit is worked from the bottom up using circular needles. The lower ribbing is worked in the round, then the body is worked flat to make managing the intarsia colour changes easier.

At the armholes, the work is divided into the front and back, which are knitted separately. The shoulders are joined using a three-needle bind-off, while the neckline and armhole edgings are picked up and worked in the round.

The large colour blocks make this a satisfying project for knitters who enjoy graphic designs and playing with colour.

Skills required

This pattern is best suited to intermediate knitters who are comfortable with basic garment construction and ready to work with multiple colours.

Techniques include:

• Stockinette stitch and 1x1 ribbing
• Intarsia colourwork
• SSK and k2tog decreases
• Tubular and standard bind-off
• Three-needle bind-off
• Picking up stitches
• Invisible seaming

To make the colour changes easier and avoid long floats across the wrong side, we recommend preparing several small bobbins for each colour.

Make it your own

From bold, contrasting shades to soft, understated tones, every colour combination gives Queen’s Gambit a different personality. Create a statement sweater, use up your favourite leftover yarns, and enjoy watching your own checkerboard design take shape, stitch by stitch.

Choose your colours, grab your needles, and cast on your next colourful knitting project!

The Queen’s Gambit knitting pattern is available in English and French