Hopoholic is The Sweater for those autumn weekends when the air starts to get a bit crisp, the sky gets a bit bluer, and hanging out in the local pub’s garden requires a bit more insulation as the afternoon wears on. This comfy, cozy cardigan combines handspun yarn with a completely seamless construction for the perfect woolly hug for your weekend endeavors, with or without a hoppy pint in hand.

Beginning from the center back, the sweater is worked sideways to the shoulders, and waste yarn is used to create afterthought sleeves. The fronts are then worked to the desired length: as wide as the back for a super cuddly garment, or slightly shorter if you’ve got a bit less yarn to work with. Sleeves are worked down from the armholes with short row shaping for the sleeve caps, and end in deep moss stitch cuffs that mirror the hem and collar. Leave the fronts open for a casual look, or use your favorite shawl pin to snuggle them under your chin for extra warmth.

The original pattern calls for worsted weight handspun yarn. The yarn used in this sweater was a combination of fibers and colors — I spun two plies of Portuguese Merino and one ply of Targhee to blend two colorways from the Hello Yarn Fiber Club. The sweater is worked from the center back outwards to the fronts, with afterthought sleeves added in after the fronts are finished. If you are concerned about having enough yardage, I recommend doing the following to make sure the sleeves are long enough: work each side of the back past the armholes, stopping when you’ve worked 2-3 inches of the front past the armhole waste yarn. Next, work the sleeves to the desired length so you know they’ll be long enough. Then return to the fronts, and work them for as long as you can before running out of yarn.

SIZES
XS (S, M, L, 1X/2X, 3X, 4X, 5X), shown in size L with 3 inches of positive ease.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46/50, 54, 58, 62) inches
Length: 26 (28, 30, 30, 31/31, 31, 32, 32) inches

MATERIALS
Fiber:
Hello Yarn Targhee top; color: Parritch; 4 (4.5, 5.5, 6, 6.5/7, 7.5, 8.5, 9) ounces
Hello Yarn Portuguese Merino top; color: Silt; 8 (9, 11, 12, 13/14, 15, 17, 18) ounces

Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 10-14 (worsted/aran weight)
Ply: 3
Yardage used: 1230
Drafting method: Worsted (short forward draft)

Commercial Yarn Alternative
Brooklyn Tweed Shelter; 6 (7, 9, 9, 10/11, 12, 13, 14) skeins
Cascade 220 Heathers; 4 (5, 6, 6, 7/7, 8, 9, 9) skeins

Sweater uses approximately 825 (975, 1150, 1250, 1400, 1525, 1650, 1825, 1950) yds of yarn.

GAUGE
16 sts/24 rows over 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch on larger needles.