Inspired by Canon Hand Dyes and the new Downton Abbey film, Downstairs is a workhorse raglan dressed up with textured stripes for those precious mini skein sets that you can’t resist. Top-down construction makes this an ideal sweater for a confident beginner, and the body goes by like a breeze when you have so much to look forward to! And with a slightly oversized fit, Downstairs will be like the cozy sweatshirt you always grab for heading to an outdoor festival or a hard-earned night off from work.

If you prefer a cardigan, check out Upstairs!

Sizes
A (B, C, D)(E, F, G, H)
28 (34, 40, 46)(52, 58, 64, 70)” / 71 (86.5, 101.5m, 117)(132, 147.5, 162.5, 178)cm actual bust measurement of finished garment.
Choose a size that is 2-8” / 5-20.5cm larger than your full bust measurement.

The modeled sample is size D with about 6” of positive ease.

Yardage/Metreage Required
Main Color: 800 (900, 1000, 1100)(1200, 1300, 1400, 1500) yds / 732 (823, 914, 1006)(1097, 1189, 1280, 1372) m
Contrast Color (Cumulative): 90 (110, 130, 150)(170, 190, 210, 230) yds / 82 (101, 119, 137)(155, 174, 192, 210) m
Note that lengths are approximate and can vary based on your
yarn, gauge, and modifications.

Downstairs is meant to show off those delightful mini skeins we love to collect, especially sets by Canon Hand Dyes which feature 5 gram / 20 yard mini skeins. Note that CC yardage is cumulative. If using the recommended yarn, one mini skein set will suffice for all sizes. If you are working with scraps or other mini skeins, plan for 15-20 yards of 9 (9, 10, 10) 11, 11, 12, 12 colors.

Gauge
22 sts and 32 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette worked in the round, taken after blocking.

Recommended Yarn
Canon Hand Dyes Naked Bruce Yak Merino
70% SW Merino, 20% Yak, 10% Nylon, Fingering weight
435 yds/100g
2 (3, 3, 3)(3, 3, 4, 4) skeins

Canon Hand Dyes Downton Abbey 12 or 24 mini skein set on Charles Merino
80% SW Merino, 20% Nylon, Fingering weight
Approx. 18-20 yds / 15-18 m per color
1 (1, 1, 1)(1, 1, 1, 1) set

Many thanks to Amy Lee from Canon Hand Dyes for providing yarn support for this pattern!

Notions / Needles
US 5 (3.75 mm) 32-40” / 80-100cm length circular needle for Body and Sleeves (use your preferred method for small circumference knitting of the Sleeves: DPNs, magic loop, 2 circulars or 9-12” circulars)
US 3 (3.25 mm) 16-40” / 40-100cm length circular needle for Neckband, Cuff and Hem (use your preferred method for small circumference knitting of the sleeves: DPNs, magic loop, 2 circulars or 9-12” circulars)
Adjust needle sizes as necessary to match gauge. Note that the smaller needle will be 2 US sizes / ~0.5 mm smaller than the larger needle when gauge is met.
Tapestry needle
Stitch marker
Smooth waste yarn or stitch holders

Track Your Progress
This pattern was designed with the knitter in mind! As you complete each task, mark or fill in the Track Your Progress (TYP) task bubbles and repeat boxes so you never lose your place again. Happy knitting!

A very talented team of knitters made Upstairs and Downstairs possible. Thanks so much to Amanda, Cynthia, Karen, Krista, Laura, Lis, Michelle, Misa, and Stephanie for test knitting, to Lis for sample knitting, and to Meaghan for tech editing!

Thanks so much to Kate Howland for her wonderful graphic design work on Upstairs and Downstairs!

#SizeInclusive