Women's Cable Lace Pullover in Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Worsted

Women's Cable Lace Pullover in Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Worsted

What is Being Made

This is an advanced-level women's pullover sweater featuring a sophisticated combination of cable and reversible lace stitch work throughout the body. The garment is designed to fit women's sizes Small through XXL, with finished chest measurements ranging from 34 inches to 50 inches and lengths from shoulder varying between 21½ and 25½ inches depending on size. The pullover is intended to be worn with 2 to 4 inches of positive ease for a comfortable, relaxed fit.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that contribute to its advanced difficulty rating. The construction begins with a 1x1 ribbed cuff worked flat, which is then transitioned to circular knitting. The primary stitch pattern featured throughout the body is a Reversible Lace and Cable combination, which alternates between cable crossings and lace decreases to create visual interest and texture. The reversible nature of this stitch pattern means the fabric maintains visual appeal on both sides, making it suitable for garments where both sides may be visible.

The pattern includes armhole shaping accomplished through bind-offs at the beginning of rows, reducing stitch counts progressively across the five size options. The instructions are provided in both charted and written formats, allowing knitters to choose their preferred method of following the pattern. When working from the chart, knitters must remember to read right-to-left on right-side rows and left-to-right on wrong-side rows, a standard practice in charted knitting patterns.

Stitches Used

• 1x1 Ribbing: A fundamental stitch alternating knit and purl stitches, used for the cuff to create elasticity and a finished edge
• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The foundational smooth stitch used as a baseline and for edge stitches throughout the pattern
• Cable Stitches: Specifically C4F (Cable 4 Front) crossings that create the characteristic twisted rope-like texture, worked by crossing stitches over each other using a cable needle
• Yarn Over (yo): A decorative increase that creates the openwork lace elements by looping yarn around the needle
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used to balance the yarn overs and maintain stitch count while creating the lace pattern
• Purl Stitches: Used to create textured contrast sections between cable and lace motifs

Materials and Tools

The pullover is designed to be knitted with Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Worsted in color 302 Taupe. Yarn requirements vary by size: Small requires 4 balls of 100-gram weight, Medium requires 5 balls, Large requires 6 balls, and both XL and XXL require 6 and 7 balls respectively. The worsted weight classification indicates a medium-weight yarn suitable for creating fabric with good drape and structure.

The pattern calls for US Size 6 (4.5mm) and US Size 7 (4.5mm) circular needles in 24-inch length, allowing for the transition from ribbed cuff to larger gauge body work. Additional notions required include one cable needle for executing the cable crossings, one stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and two stitch holders for temporarily securing stitches during construction. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch and the Reversible Lace and Cable pattern after blocking, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Structure

The pattern is written for the smallest size with larger size options indicated in parentheses throughout. When only a single number appears without parentheses, that instruction applies uniformly across all sizes. This format allows experienced knitters to work multiple sizes from a single pattern document. The back piece begins with a cast-on of 86 to 126 stitches depending on size, followed by the ribbed cuff and transition to the main Reversible Lace and Cable pattern, which continues until the armhole shaping point is reached at approximately 14 to 16 inches from the cast-on edge.