At your request, I’m aiming to create a directory of all of the posts I’ve ever written with assorted advice on sweater knitting, but in the meantime I’ve been wanting to pull together a list of all of the top-down sweater recipes I’ve ever posted — essentially free patterns, when used with either your existing understanding of how top-down sweaters work or in conjunction with my Improv top-down sweater tutorial. Whenever I finish an improvised top-down I always (well, nearly always) share all of my math and notes so you can recreate it if you like or use it as a jumping off point, tweaking the math or details to your size and liking. I’ll continue to add to this in the future, but following are the various top-down recipes I’ve shared in the past few years:
TOP ROW LEFT: Basic pullover
3.75 sts/inch, nothing fancy (knitted step-by-step in the Improv tutorial)
TOP ROW RIGHT: Cropped v-neck pullover
3.5 sts/inch, cropped with v-neck, elbow sleeves, compound raglans
MIDDLE ROW LEFT: Striped basic pullover
5.75 sts/inch, striped, folded neckband
MIDDLE ROW RIGHT: Rollneck pullover
5.25 sts/inch, rollneck
BOTTOM ROW LEFT: Cropped v-neck cardigan
4.5 sts/inch, cropped with inset pocket
BOTTOM ROW RIGHT: Big v-neck cardigan
4.25 sts/inch, long with patch pockets
Remember, the tutorial will show you how to adapt any of these (or whatever you have in mind) to whatever gauge and proportions you desire! And Ravelry is full of far more creative variations. But I hope these give you some ideas for the basic kit of parts and where you might start with it, if you haven’t already.
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PREVIOUSLY in Patterns: Anna Vest pattern, now available
Karen, you are very generous…..and very organized. Thanks for this.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the fact that you not only took the time to organize this, but also are willing to share your patterns with us.
Honestly I’d procrastinated doing it because I thought there were more! But some predate the tutorial or didn’t have all the same level of detail or whatever.
Karen, thank you SO much! So kind of you to offer these up. I have yet to knit a sweater but have declared 2019 to being my ‘year of the sweater’ so this comes at the perfect time. Thanks again! xoxo
Do it!
It’s nice to have this all in one spot. Do you remember how much ease you were aiming for on your striped basic pullover?
That one’s about 8” on me.
Thank you! What a gorgeous gift is this page for us all! Thank you indeed
Every time I see that wide striped sweater my heart goes pitapat! Have to do a cabled sweater for my niece, then I’m doing something like that. And off the sweater topic – just finishing up my first log cabin mitts, what a fun pattern! Thanks!
Glad you’re enjoying it!
Top down is my thing. I love making sweaters for kids this way cause it makes it easier to wear with no seams. I finished my daughter one using the Roger pattern from Ravelry paid. I was easy except the neckline short rows which I had never done before. Now I have me one that I am finishing and hoping to wear next week. I enjoyed the pattern. I have an ancient pamphlet from years and years ago that I made kids sweaters and they turned out great but could never get one for me right. But so far this one seems to look great. Sleeve 1 is almost done (changed to fit my larger biceps) and then the finishing. I am looking forward to looking at yours and the tutorials. Thanks for your time and the blog so these can be available to everyone. Linda
Thank you, Karen. This is so kind of you to share with all of us. You did a great job organizing it, too!
With so many patterns, tutorials and notes, I find if they are not well organized it is challenging to locate what I am looking for. May be time to weed my files.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your folded neckband. Also LOVE the way you knit it down. Very professionally done!!!
Have a great day… KNITTING!
I like this one very much, I used it once: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/raglano