World’s easiest sweater: knit the Aina sweater without a single purl stitch

With its timeless design, the Aina sweater is sure to become a wardrobe staple. This easy sweater is knit on large needles with soft alpaca yarn that hides minor imperfections.

Size: One size, equivalent to size M.

Finished sweater measurements:
Bust circumference: 104 cm.
Shoulder to hem: 62 cm.
Sleeve length from underarm: 46 cm.

Materials for the Aina sweater:

• Sandnes Garn Børstet Alpaca yarn (96% brushed alpaca, 4% nylon, 50 g = 110 m), 350 grams, shade 9062 olive
• 7 mm (US 10.5) (circular) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Blunt tapestry needle

Gauge: 13 sts and 26 rows = 10 cm. Note! Knitting with the sweater with the suggested yarn will cause it to stretch slightly with wear. This has been considered in the stitch counts.

Adjusting the size of the sweater to suit you

The sweater in this pattern comes in one size, but you can easily calculate the stitch count needed for your size.

1. First, knit a swatch (about 12 x 12 cm) to determine your own gauge—that is, the number of stitches and rows per 10 cm.

2. Calculate the number of stitches needed based on your bust measurement. If you want a loose-fitting sweater, add 10–20 cm to the measurement.

• For example, if your bust circumference is 85 cm and you want 10 cm of ease, the measurement is 95 cm.
• Using the pattern’s gauge (13 sts = 10 cm), the stitch count would be calculated as follows: 1.3 × 95 = 123.5 sts.
• Divide this number by two to get the stitch counts for the front and back pieces: 123.5 ÷ 2 = 61.75 sts. Because the yarn used in the pattern stretches slightly with wear, it’s best to round the stitch count down by a few stitches.
• If your bust circumference including ease is, for example, 120 cm and your gauge is 14 sts = 10 cm, the stitch count would be calculated like so: 1.4 × 120 = 168 ÷ 2 = 84 sts.
• Typically, 18–20 stitches are sufficient for the neckline unless you want a particularly wide neckline.
• As a rough estimate, the stitch count for the sleeve is about ⅔ of the stitch count of the front piece. To find the perfect sleeve width, measure the sleeve of a sweater you own. Calculate the stitch count using the same formula as above. Instead of dividing, remember to multiply by two to get the full sleeve circumference.