Couple-Color Henley Top Knitting Pattern

Couple-Color Henley in Juniper Moon Findley Dappled

What Is Being Made

The Couple-Color Henley is a seamlessly knitted pullover top designed by Caroline Fryar using Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled yarn. This henley features a classic henley neckline with button placket and is available in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3XL, with finished bust measurements from 32½ inches (83cm) to 50¼ inches (128cm). The garment is designed to be worn with zero to one inch of positive ease for a refined, close-fitting silhouette.

Techniques Used

This henley is constructed using seamless knitting worked from the bottom up, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous, unified fabric. The pattern employs jogless stripes in the round to create clean, uninterrupted color transitions when working with variegated yarn. This technique involves lifting the right half of the previous color's final stitch onto the left needle and knitting it together with the first stitch of the new round, preventing the characteristic "jog" that typically occurs when changing colors in circular knitting.

The pattern also incorporates short rows using the wrap and turn method, a shaping technique that allows for targeted increases and decreases in specific areas without adding bulk. A sewn bind-off is used to finish edges, creating a professional, flexible edge that maintains elasticity and drape. The construction method takes advantage of the natural color variations within the variegated yarn to achieve multiple stripes using only two yarn colors, creating visual complexity and interest with minimal materials.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is Stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric with characteristic V-shaped columns on the right side. The gauge is 28 stitches and 36 rows per 4 inches (10cm) in Stockinette stitch after blocking, establishing the fabric density and drape of the finished garment. The henley neckline and button band utilize standard knit and purl stitches to create the functional placket opening.

Materials

The henley is knitted using Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled yarn, a variegated yarn that provides natural color variation throughout the fabric. The main color (MC) requires 1 to 2 balls depending on size, using color #06 Driftwood, while the contrast color (CC) requires 1 ball in color #03 Fruits de Foret. The variegation of this yarn is essential to the design, as it creates multiple color stripes without requiring frequent yarn changes.

Needles required include US 3 (3.25mm) 24-inch circular needles for the main body and US 3 (3.25mm) double-pointed needles or 16-inch circular needles for working the smaller circumference areas such as sleeves and neckline. Needle size should be adjusted as needed to obtain the specified gauge. Additional notions include waste yarn for provisional cast-on, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and 5 to 9 buttons measuring 3/8 inch (10mm) in diameter, depending on the finished size, for the henley button placket.