The Foliage Sweater is a knitted top with a merino and linen blend in fingering and circular yoke.
You will need a small amount of fingering yarn to knit this sweater in a blend of merino and linen, but it can also be in merino and cotton or in another material such as simply single-spun merino.
The pattern is available here in the shop, on Ravelry, coming soon Loveecrafts and on Makerist.
Foliage Sweater, a fluid and light top
1. The story of Foliage Sweater, this flowing top
Last year, I had the chance to work at the Inès base at Woolissime for Inès Shawl.
I was totally seduced by this light, special base with its little touch of linen which does not take color in the same way as merino.
When I saw the colors Nathalie was offering this year, I contacted her because I immediately had the idea for a new pattern.
This is how Foliage was born.
2. The construction of this top
This is a sweater knitted from the top down, starting with a few rows of fancy ribbing in a circular yoke*. It is then embellished with a pattern in mosaic knitting which flares out to the end of the yoke.
Once this part is finished, you will attack the body which is knitted in stockinette stitch.
You will finish the body with a fancy ribbed edge.
The sleeves are then taken up, knitted up to the elbows and finished with the same fancy ribbing as the lower body.
*If you want to know a little more about circular inserts, I posted a video on YouTube about a year ago.
3. What level should I knit Foliage Sweater for?
This pattern is not complicated to knit but it is not intended for complete beginners.
The most difficult points you might encounter are:
- Mosaic knitting: Mosaic knitting itself is not complicated because it is only colored stripes with slipped stitches, but in this case, mosaic knitting was worked in a single row and in the round. You will also need to learn to read a diagram because written explanations are not adequate for this type of technique.
You can find a video on mosaic knitting here:
4. Where to buy the pattern?
The pattern is for sale here in my shop, on the site Ravelry in French and English, available for immediate download. It will also be available on the website of Loveecrafts and on Makerist.
5. The sizes available for this mid-season top
Sizes
1 [2, 3] [4, 5] [6, 7, 8]
The pattern is therefore available from 83 cm to 154 cm chest measurement (finished knitting) and the expected ease is 13 to 20 cm.
To understand the ease, I suggest you watch the video below:
It can be worn with more or less ease (in the photos shown, the ease is 17 cm for a size 3).
6. The wool and materials needed to knit this top
The suggested wool is Woolissime Inès 400 m / 100 g (90% superwash merino, 10% linen) 400 m / 100 g in two colors:
CP: 746 [850, 957][1062, 1166][1287, 1402, 1487] m or 2 [3, 3][3, 3][4, 4, 4] skeins in Burnt Sienna color
CC: 142 [162, 182][202, 222][245, 267, 283] m or 1 [1, 1][1, 1][1, 1, 1] skein in Pesto color
You can of course use another composition such as single merino, a mixture of linen and bamboo like the Bamboo Linen from Yarn By Simone or any other yarn that has a certain fluidity: you can quite easily imagine a blend of merino and silk or simply a cotton that is not too heavy.
The necessary equipment is as follows:
- 3.25mm circ. needle 40cm long
- 3.5 mm circ. needle 100cm long
- 5 double-pointed needles 3.25 mm and 3.5 mm for small circumferences (ribbing and sleeves) if necessary.
- 1 tapestry needle
- 14 (16, 18)(20, 22)(24, 25, 26) markers if necessary.
7. Why Foliage Sweater?
Finally, why did you name it Foliage Sweater?
Foliage is simply the English translation of the word foliage or foliage.
Seeing the pattern emerging on the sweater, I couldn't help but think of anything other than the tangle of ivy and hazel leaves in my garden.
I hope you'll love this top and that this article will make you want to knit it.
If you feel like sharing any comments and feedback, please feel free to do so below.
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See you soon,
Christelle
