Malabrigo Gowanus Jumper Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Gowanus Cabled Pullover

What is Being Made

The Malabrigo Gowanus is a cabled pullover sweater with a distinctive cowl neck. This intermediate-level knitting project is designed by Sandi Prosser and is featured in Malabrigo Book 7: Rasta in Brooklyn. The sweater is sized to fit Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, and XX-Large, with bust measurements ranging from 35 to 49 inches and finished length between 22 and 24 inches. The garment features a classic pullover silhouette with set-in armholes and a cozy cowl neckline that adds both warmth and style.

Techniques Used

This sweater is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create its sophisticated appearance and structure:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The sweater is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and easily adjust length as needed.
• Worked Flat: The body and sleeves are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, then seamed together at the end. This method is ideal for incorporating stitch patterns and maintaining consistent gauge across the fabric.
• Cable Patterns: Cables are a central design element, created using a cable needle to cross stitches over one another. The pattern includes a 24-row cable chart that is repeated throughout the body of the sweater, creating vertical textured lines that add visual interest and dimension.
• Seamed Construction: After all pieces are knitted, they are carefully seamed together using mattress stitch or similar seaming techniques to create clean, nearly invisible joins.
• Armhole Shaping: The pattern includes bind-offs and decreases at the armholes to create proper sleeve cap shaping, with variations in shaping across the five size options.
• Neckline Shaping: The front neckline is shaped through strategic decreases, with stitches placed on holders for the cowl neckline construction.

Stitches Used

The Malabrigo Gowanus employs a variety of fundamental and decorative stitches to achieve its textured appearance:

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout the sweater, creating the base fabric.
• Purl Stitch (P): Used in combination with knit stitches to create texture and pattern definition, particularly in the cable chart.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for armhole and neckline shaping.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK): A left-leaning decrease that mirrors k2tog decreases for balanced shaping.
• Cable Stitches: Created by slipping stitches onto a cable needle, working the next stitches, then working the held stitches. The 24-row cable chart specifies the exact cable crossings and their placement throughout the sweater.
• Selvage Stitches: The first and last stitch of every row are knitted to create neat, finished edges that are easier to seam.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Malabrigo Gowanus is designed to showcase the qualities of Malabrigo's signature yarn:

• Yarn: Rasta by Malabrigo, a worsted-weight yarn available in 5.25-ounce (150-gram) hanks with approximately 90 yards (83 meters) per hank. The pattern shown is worked in colorway #23 Pagoda. Yardage requirements vary by size: Small requires 8 hanks, Medium requires 9 hanks, Large requires 10 hanks, X-Large requires 11 hanks, and XX-Large requires 12 hanks.
• Needles: The pattern requires one pair of size 15 (10mm) straight needles for the main body and sleeves worked flat. Additionally, one each of sizes 11 and 15 (8mm and 10mm) circular needles, each 16 inches (40cm) long, are needed for the cowl neckline. Needle sizes should be adjusted as needed to obtain proper gauge.
• Additional Notions: The pattern requires stitch markers to track pattern repeats, stitch holders to temporarily hold stitches during neckline shaping, and a cable needle