Rakaia Pullover

The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. This sweater was inspired by the beauty of rivers, the flow of the water as rivers carve and shape the landscape around them, the strength of their currents, and the importance they carry for our ecosystem.

MATERIALS

Yarn Biches & Bûches Le Gros Silk & Mohair (72% super kid mohair, 28% mulberry silk; 162 yd [148 m]/ 50 g; DK weight); Dark Beige; 8 (9, 11, 12) (13, 15, 16, 18) skeins.
Needles US 7 (4.5 mm) 32" (80 cm) circular; US 6 (4 mm) 16" and 32" (40 and 80 cm) circulars. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Cable needle; 4 removable markers; scrap yarn or stitch holders; tapestry needle.
Gauge 26 sts and 29 rows = about 4" (10 cm) in pattern from Cable chart, on larger needles, blocked.

Finished Size 37 (43, 49¼, 55½) (61½, 67¾, 73¾, 80)" (94 [109, 125, 141] [156, 172, 187.5, 203] cm) chest circumference (see Notes). Shown in size 43" (109 cm) with 7" (18 cm) ease.

NOTES

• This project is worked flat, in pieces. The body is worked from the bottom up, beginning with 2x2 ribbing, followed by the cable pattern for the main fabric, and the shoulders and neckline are shaped using the Sloped Bind-off method. The sleeves are worked from the top down in the cable pattern with 2x2 ribbed cuffs and sewn to the body during finishing; working the sleeves top-down eliminates the need to increase in pattern. The ribbed neckband is worked in the round.
• For directions on the Sloped Bind-off method, see purlsoho.com/create/sloped-bind-off. * The larger sizes have wider bodies, so their sleeves are shorter to prevent the overall cuff-to-cuff measurement of the sweater from becoming too wide.
• Maintain a 1-stitch garter-stitch selvedge at the edges of flat pieces throughout.
• The measurements shown on the schematic include all stitches for blocking purposes. The stitches consumed by the 1-stitch seam allowances are not included in the finished sizes.
• During shaping, if there are not enough stitches to work a complete 6-stitch cable as charted, work the stitches of the partial cable in stockinette stitch instead.
• Sew all seams using mattress stitch or your preferred invisible seaming method.
• For directions on working the Long-Tail Tubular Cast-on (also known as the Italian Tubular Cast-on), watch the video at brooklyntweed.com/pages/how-to-knit-italian-tubular-cast-on-video-tutorial