I think that knitting (and handcrafting) is a bit like working from a raw diamond; you start with a piece of beautiful material and with your skills and techniques you work it into something refined and lovely.

Having this in mind I worked the deep yoke of my “Raw Diamond” with inspiration from the cutting of diamonds and gemstones.

Construction and design

This sweater is worked top-down and seamlessly.
The circular yoke, the bottom of the lower body and the sleeves are richly patterned.
The stitch-patterns features a mixture of common sts.
The neck-line is deeper in the front than in the back.
The waist is slightly shaped, this is of course optional.

Sizes
Finished chest measurements, after washing/blocking, and worked at gauge:
Sizes 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8: 83/92/100/108/116/125/135/147 cm = 32.5/36/39.5/42.5/46/49/53/58”. Sample is worked in size 1, with approximately 5 cm/2” of positive ease.

Materials
Yarn: I used “Loft”, in the colourway “Fossil”, from Brooklyn Tweed, to work my top. This fingering weight, wool yarn (Targhee Columbia), comes in skeins of 50 gr/1.76 oz and 251 m/275 yards. You will need approximately 1125/1300/1475/1650/1825/1900/2075/2250 m = 1225/1420/1610/1800/1990/2070/2260/2450 yards of this specific yarn to work the top. Please note: this yarn is of fingering weight. It is different from most fingering weight yarns that I know of,
and I think that choosing yarn for this sweater should be led by the gauge, rather than the yarn weight. Needles: size 3.5 mm/US4 (or size to obtain gauge).

Gauge
24 sts and 34 - 36 rounds in stockinette sts, after blocking/washing = 10 x 10 cm/4 x 4”. I used needle-size 3.5 mm/US4 to achieve gauge.

The pattern
The stitch-patterns of the yoke, the lower body and the sleeves are charted as well as written out round-by-round.
There is a schematic.
All measurements are given in cm’s as well as in inches.
All necessary stitch-counts are given.

Techniques involved
Cast-on and bind-off. Picking up sts (the underarm sts).
Short-rows (the elevation at the back).
Working in the round.
Working lace and stitch-patterns following charts and/or written instructions.
Skill level: intermediate.