Welcome to Week One of The Gathered Sweater pattern.

In this first section, we'll cast on, shape the neckline with German short rows, and begin the raglan yoke. Before long, you'll start to see your unique combination of yarns come to life.

Remember, there are no rules for colour placement. Simply enjoy the process, trust your instincts, and let your sweater evolve one yarn at a time.

The pattern is being released over three weekly instalments here on the blog. Once the project is complete, I'll bring everything together into a downloadable PDF for you to keep.

Sizes

S (M, L, XL)

Choosing Your Size

The Gathered Sweater is designed to be worn with approximately 15–20 cm of positive ease.

To choose your size, measure your chest at its fullest point and add 15–20 cm. Select the size with the finished chest measurement closest to your desired fit.

If you prefer a more oversized sweater, choose the next size up.

Finished Measurements

Measurement	S	M	L	XL
Chest circumference	124	128	132	136 cm
Length (centre back neck to hem)	53	54	55	56 cm

Yarn

Approximately 450 (500, 550, 600) g of yarn held together to create a fabric equivalent to 12–14 ply.

Approximate metreage:
850–1,100 (950–1,250, 1,050–1,375, 1,150–1,500) metres.

The Gathered Sweater is all about combining yarns with different textures to create a fabric that is soft, light and full of character.

For this project, I used a mixture of:

• Alpaca 14ply Brushed
• Cloud Textured Merino 14ply
• Uno Chainette 12ply
• Touch Yarns Mohair 12ply

These yarns vary in construction and metreage, ranging from approximately 80–125 metres per 50 g ball. Rather than trying to match the exact yarns used, focus on creating a combination that feels light, lofty and cohesive.

Mixing smooth, fluffy and textured yarns adds depth to the finished fabric, making every Gathered Sweater beautifully unique.

Needles

• 6 mm / 40 cm circular needles for neckline
• 6.5 mm circular needles for the body and sleeves 40cm and 80 cm.

Notions

• 8x stitch markers (1 is a BOR maker so needs to be a different colour)
• Waste yarn or stitch holders
• Tapestry needle

Tension

14 stitches × 24 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch using 6.5 mm needles.

Measured before blocking.

As every Gathered Sweater is created using different yarn combinations, your exact gauge may vary slightly. Aim for a fabric that feels soft, relaxed and light rather than firm.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
BOR	beginning of round
DS	double stitch (German short row)
K / k	knit
M1L	make one left
M1R	make one right
P / p	purl
pm	place marker
rnd(s)	round(s)
RS	right side
sm	slip marker
st(s)	stitch(es)
WS	wrong side

Using 6 mm, 40 cm fixed circular needles and Colour 1, cast on 74 stitches using the long-tail cast-on method.

Join to work in the round, taking care not to twist your stitches. Place a beginning of round (BOR) marker.

Place Raglan Markers

Work as follows:

K4, pm, K24 (back), pm, K4, pm, K5 (sleeve), pm, K4, pm, K24 (front), pm, K4, pm, K5 (sleeve).

You now have 8 stitch markers, including the BOR marker.

Knit 5 rounds.

Raglan Shaping & Short Rows

Setup Round

K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, K2, turn, DS.

Short Row 1 (WS)

Purl to the BOR marker, then continue past the next two markers, P2, turn, DS.

Short Row 2 (RS)

K1, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm (BOR), K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to 2 stitches past the previous DS, turn, DS.

Short Row 3 (WS)

Purl to the BOR marker, then purl past the next two markers and continue to 2 stitches past the previous DS, turn, DS.

Final Right-Side Row

Knit to the next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to the BOR marker, M1R.

Stitch count: 28 back sts, 28 front sts and 9 sts for each sleeve.

Two sets of raglan increases have been completed; 16 sts increased in total.

Break the yarn and join the next colour. Change to 6.5 mm needles.

Colour Changes

From this point onward, change colour at your leisure. For this project, the colour was changed every two rounds, which makes it easy to keep track of the raglan increase rounds.

Because this sweater is designed as a scrap-yarn project, feel free to change colours mid-round whenever it suits you. There are no strict rules—embrace the spontaneity and enjoy using your treasured leftovers and favourite yarns.

Continue Raglan Shaping

Round 1: Knit.

Round 2: K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, K4, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R. 8 sts increased.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2, changing colour as you go, another 23 (24, 25, 26) times.

Stitch Counts After Raglan Shaping

Size	Raglan	Back	Raglan	Sleeve	Raglan	Front	Raglan	Sleeve	Total
S	4	76	4	57	4	76	4	57	282
M	4	78	4	59	4	78	4	59	290
L	4	80	4	61	4	80	4	61	298
XL	4	82	4	63	4	82	4	63	306

 

That's a Wrap for Week One

Congratulations—you've completed the first stage of your Gathered Sweater! By now your yoke should be well underway, and your collection of yarns will already be creating a fabric that's uniquely yours.

I'd love to see how your sweater is coming along. If you'd like to share your progress, leave a comment below or join us in our Skool community and/or Facebook Group. Seeing everyone's different yarn combinations is all part of the fun.

The Week Two pattern will be released next Friday (August 6th), where we'll, separate the sleeves and begin knitting the body.

In the meantime, scroll down to see the beautiful versions our lovely test knitters have created. I hope they inspire your own Gathered Sweater journey.

Happy knitting!

Sheryl 🧶

I'd love to know...

Which yarn have you reached for most so far? Has a forgotten skein finally found its place? Scroll down to the comments section :)