Such a great little city-to-beach sweater on German model Franziska Frank, and so very, very easy to knit. All it takes is a little bit of modification to this free Berroco pattern called My First Summer Tunic. (With optional necklace! Please opt out.) The process is this: You knit one rectangle for the front and another for the back; seam them together along the tops of the shoulders, then pick up stitches for the sleeves; lastly, seam the sides and underarms closed. To make it look like Franziska’s: Rib the first two inches, then increase one stitch (for an odd number); work in seed stitch until 1 inch short of the top edge; decrease one stitch and switch back to ribbing for that last inch. Repeat for the back. Work the sleeves in seed stitch (from an odd number of stitches) until switching to ribbing for the cuffs. And when seaming the sides together, leave a few inches open at the bottom for the split hem. For the yarn, how about the lovely Blue Sky Alpacas’ Organic/Worsted Cotton in Bone.
See Vanessa’s post for the rest of Franziska’s outfit.
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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission
very cool! I am knitting a similar sweater style now. It’s a raglan top down though in a pima cotton blend. I love these slouchy beach/city sweaters!
Slouchy sweaters forever, amen.
I made my own tunic, boat-neck, 3/4 sleeves with a bit of A-line flare. I wear it a lot. I did mine in cotton a nice tabacco brown. I would put side vents in the next time I make one. This summer I’m sewing.
I have the same goal.
nice!
Ooh, I love this. But, I don’t think it’s seed stitch. To me, that looks like reverse stockinette at a loose-ish gauge, which would give it that drape (seed stitch tends to be more structured). What do you think?
I wondered whether it’s actually waffle stitch or something like that. You might be right — might just be loosely knit reverse stockinette. Any simple overall texture would be great.
I’m also pretty confident the original sweater (top photo, on model) is reverse stockinette, at a somewhat loose gauge. If you zoom way in on the photo, you can see the stitch pattern clearly enough for it to be unmistakeable, even with the blur.
Which of course makes adapting an existing pattern to this lovely inspiration photo that much simpler!
Pretty! Ohhhhh, I wish my Chicane sweater was done….
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Hi! I’m a beginner knitter, and I was wondering if this could be knitted with a gathered ribbed hem instead? Will I have to do any decreases when I come close to the ribbed hem? Thanks!
Hi, Xue. By “gathered ribbed” hem, do you mean something different than what I’ve described in the post (i.e., two inches of ribbing)?
I meant a hem that is joined together instead of the split at the side which you described — such that it forms a gathered end at the bottom.
Oh sure — you’d just seam all the way down the sides rather than leaving the opening at the bottom.
Pattern says stockinette stitch
Right okay. Thanks so much for the prompt reply too!
Ha! So opting out of the necklace. Too much of a good thing.
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