Tahki Yarns Petunia Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Petunia Knitted Sweater

What is Being Made

The Petunia is an easy-level knitted sweater designed by Marjie Lafreniere. This garment is available in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and XL, with finished bust measurements ranging from 39 inches (99 cm) to 48 inches (122 cm) and lengths from 22½ inches (57 cm) to 25½ inches (65 cm). The sweater features a classic pullover construction with a crew neckline and set-in armholes.

Techniques Used

The Petunia sweater employs several key knitting techniques that create visual interest and structure:

• Worked Flat: Both the back and front pieces are knitted separately in flat rows on straight needles, rather than in the round, allowing for easier color changes and pattern work.
• Seamed Construction: After individual pieces are completed, the back and front are sewn together at the shoulders and sides using a yarn needle, creating clean, finished seams.
• Striped Colorwork: The sweater features horizontal stripes created by changing yarn colors at regular intervals throughout the pattern. The color sequence is strategically designed so that when the front and back pieces are seamed together at the shoulders, complementary colors meet: color A pairs with color E, and color B pairs with color D.

Stitches Used

The Petunia pattern incorporates two primary stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch: This fundamental knit stitch forms the main fabric of the sweater, creating a smooth, classic texture on the right side. Stockinette stitch is worked by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side.
• Eyelet Pattern: An openwork stitch pattern based on a multiple of 2 stitches, the Eyelet Pattern is created by working yarn overs (yo) paired with knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases. This pattern is worked over three rows: a knit row on the wrong side, a color-change row featuring the eyelet decreases and yarn overs on the right side, and another knit row. The eyelet pattern adds delicate visual interest and texture variation to the striped design.

Materials

The Petunia sweater is knitted using Tahki Yarns TANDEM, a blend yarn composed of 28% cotton, 28% viscose, 28% nylon, and 16% acrylic. Each ball weighs 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and contains 107 yards (98 meters) of yarn. The pattern requires five coordinated colors of TANDEM yarn:

• Color #09 iris garden (A): 1 to 2 balls depending on size
• Color #19 copper canyon (B): 1 to 2 balls depending on size
• Color #10 copacabana (C): 2 to 3 balls depending on size
• Color #18 new leaf (D): 1 to 2 balls depending on size
• Color #06 northern lights (E): 1 to 2 balls depending on size

Knitting is worked on size 10 (6mm) needles or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern sections and a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends. The recommended gauge is 12½ stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch.