Forest Light

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Forest Light is a seamless, top down, circular yoke sweater with colorwork details on the body and cuffs. This design is inspired by a sunny, spring morning in the woods. Knit from the top down, you can try on this sweater while it’s in progress for your best fit. This yoke is very easy to knit. It includes a bit of raglan shaping before the body and sleeve separation, to make for a good fit in the shoulders. If you’re looking for a first colorwork sweater, Forest Light is an approachable pattern. There is no shaping within the colorwork, making this pattern slightly easier than a top down stranded yoke. I used a gradient for my version, yet this design also lends itself well to a single contrasting color. You can also create your own gradient using a few colors of solid colored yarn.

This pattern is available in English.

SIZES 
A (B, C, D, E, F)(G, H, I, J, K)

FINISHED BUST CIRCUMFERENCE

34.5 (37.5, 40.75, 43.75, 47, 50)(53.25, 56.25, 59.5, 62.5, 65.75)” / 86 (94, 101.5, 109.5, 117.5, 125)(133, 141, 148.5, 156.5, 164.5) cm

Note: Sizes listed are the finished sweater measurements. Designed to be worn with positive ease: Choose the sweater size that is 4-8”/ 10-20.5 cm larger than your actual bust circumference. Shown in size B with 4”/ 10 cm positive ease. See schematic on page 5 for additional measurements.

SUGGESTED YARN

MC: Retrosaria Vovó, 100% Portuguese wool, 156 yards / 143m / 50g Color: #20 - Natural 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 9)(9, 10, 10, 11, 12) balls for cropped body length, or 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10)(10, 11, 11, 12, 13) balls for regular body length.

CC: Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool, 100% Superwash American Wool, 200 yds / 183m per 50g Color: The Family Jewels– 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2)(2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins for cropped or regular length version.

YARN

Wool or wool blend fingering or sport weight yarn in the following amounts:

MC (cropped length): 800 (850, 950, 1050, 1150,

1250)(1300, 1450, 1500, 1650, 1750) yds / 732 (778,

869, 961, 1052, 1143)(1235, 1326, 1418, 1509, 1601)m

MC (regular length): 900 (960, 1070, 1180, 1290,

1400)(1470, 1630, 1690, 1800, 1950) yds / 823 (878,

979, 1079, 1180, 1281)(1345, 1491, 1546, 1646,

1783) m

CC: 235 (250, 265, 280, 295, 310)(325, 345, 355, 370, 385) yds

NEEDLES

(Note: Swatch to determine what needle sizes you need to use. Needle sizes are only a suggestion.) 

Needle A: US 3 / 3.25 mm DPNs or 16” (40 cm) circular (neckline), 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needle for ribbed hem and magic looping cuff edging. (Or DPNs for cuff edge)

Needle B: US 4 / 3.5 mm 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needle for body and sleeves (or matching set DPNs, if preferred, for sleeves)

Needle C: US 5 / 3.75 mm 32” (80 cm) or longer circular needle (or matching set DPNs, if preferred) for colorwork sleeve cuffs.

Needle D: US 6 / 4 mm 32” (80 cm) or longer circular 
needle for colorwork on body.

GAUGE

Plain stockinette body & sleeves: 23 sts and 32 rnds

Colorwork gauge: 23 sts and 28 rnds = 4 inches / 10 cm on size D needles.

Note: Swatching is important for this design- I needed to go up 2 needles sizes for my colorwork. It is important to make sure body and colorwork gauge are both 23 sts for 4” / 10 cm, so the body doesn’t suck in at the bottom.