I love vintage skull art and anatomy books. My kids tease me regularly for snapping pictures of the bones that we find in the woods. But I can’t help it. I’m an armchair phenologist who loves the distinct seasons that we have where I live. And the steady, predictable cycles of birth and death in nature. This sweater was designed in celebration of that reflective time of the year when the days are markedly shorter and summer’s delights are in our recent memories.

Dye expert Jensen at Sugarplum Circus shares my love of the shadow season so it was a total treat to knit with her yarn for this project. I used her BFL sport. Blueface Leicesters are a long wool breed. That means that their wool has a long staple length; making their yarn next-to-the-skin soft, yet strong and durable too! The BFL won’t pill as easily as other fine wools often do. It’s light in body and Jensen finds that sweaters knitted with it hold their shape well.

This pullover sweater knitted from the top - down with raglan shaping features simple colorwork at the hem, pronounced raglan seams and a close fit. It’d make a great first colorwork project since the colorwork does not incorporate any shaping.

Two Options: For this project, you can choose to knit the simpler version, featuring simple colorwork at the hem and a touch of mesh at the cuffs. Or you can punch up the colorwork and add a bit of that lace mesh at both the cuffs and at the hem.

Yarn
For the Sample Shown First with Gray as a Main Color and Purple/Black as a Contrast Color:
Sugarplum Circus BFL Sport (100% Superwash Bluefaced Leicester 287 yards/100 grams)
Main Color - 3 (3, 3, 3, 4) (4, 4, 5) Skeins - Sterling.

Spincycle Dream State (100% superwashed American Wool 150 yards/138 meters)
Contrast Color - 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1) Skeins - Absolute Zero.

For the Sample Shown Second with Burgundy as a Main Color and Rosy Pink as a Contrast Color:
Sugarplum Circus BFL Sport (100% Superwash Bluefaced Leicester 287 yards/100 grams)
Main Color - 3 (3, 3, 3, 4) (4, 4, 5) Skeins - Raisin.

Sugarplum Circus BFL Sport (100% Superwash Bluefaced Leicester 287 yards/100 grams)
Contrast Color - 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1) Skeins - Mabel.

OR
Approximately – 622 (690, 745, 816, 863) (948, 1076, 1165) yards / 569 (631, 681, 746, 789) (867, 984, 1065) meters in Main Color.
Approximately – 35 (39, 41, 43, 46) (50, 54, 59) yards / 34 (37, 38, 40, 43) (47, 50, 55) meters in Contrast Color.

Yarn Requirements are based on the square inches of the sweater sample and are an approximation. Your gauge and any alterations that you make will effect the amount of yarn that you use.

Gauge
20 stitches and 26 rounds = 4” / 10 cm in Stockinette Stitch on larger needles and knitted in the round.

Reluctant Swatcher Project If you’d like, you can knit a hat to test your gauge! My Skull & Stormy Hat pattern is knitted at the same gauge as this sweater and making it is a fun way to knit a functional swatch for this sweater.

Suggested Needles*
US Size 5 / 3.75 mm circular needle, 16” / 40 cm / length for the neckline AND 24 - 40” / 60-100 cm length (depending on the size you’ve chosen) for the hem ribbing.

US Size 6 / 4 mm 16” / 40 cm 24 - 40” / 60-100 cm length (depending on the size you’ve chosen) for the sweater yoke and body.

Double pointed needles of the same sizes suitable for small circumference knitting for the sleeves.
Always choose the needle size that you need in order to obtain the pattern’s gauge.

Notions

• Stitch markers
• Highlighter Pen (optional - for highlighting your size’s instructions)
• Highlighter Tape (optional - to keep your place in the pattern and on the charts)
• Scrap Yarn or Stitch Holder (For putting sleeves on holder)
• Measuring Tape
• Tapestry Needle
• Wool Wash and Blocking Mats

Techniques Used

• Long Tail Cast On Method
• Small Circumference Knitting in the Round
• Stranded Colorwork
• Knitting in the Round on a Circular Needle
• Increasing and Decreasing