Pattern of the Month

Instructions:

The pullover is given in one (medium man's) size and is worked using the Fair-Isle technique, with colours not in use stranded loosely across back of work.

Charts

The charts are included with the pattern instructions below, but for a larger version of the charts you can right click on the icon below and choose "save link as" or "save target as" (browser dependent options) to download and save a pdf file.

Back

Using No 12 (2¾mm) needles and main shade yarn cast on 175 stitches, and work 3 inches in k1/p1 rib.

Change to No 11 (3mm) needles, and work 2 rows in stocking stitch.

Continue in stocking stitch, working the pattern from the chart thus: reading knit rows from right to left and purl rows from left to right. Work the 87 pattern stitch repeat twice across.

Continue working rows from the chart until the 12th row of the 4th pattern repeat has been completed. **

Armhole shaping: cast off 13 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
Continue straight until the 18th row of the 6th pattern repeat has been completed.
Cast off.

Front

Work as for the back until **.

Armhole and neck Shaping:
Next row: cast off 13, pattern 74. Turn.
Purl back in pattern.
Continue on these 75 stitches only.
Next row: knit in pattern to last 4 stitches; k2tog, k2.
Next row: purl in pattern.

Repeat the last 2 rows until 61 stitches remain, then decrease in the same way at the neck edge on every 4th row until 52 stitches remain.
Work 7 rows.
Cast off.

Join wool to inner (neck) edge of the remaining stitches.
Cast off 1 stitch, and complete to match the first side, working "sl1, k1, psso" instead of k2tog for the neck shaping.

Sleeves

Begin at the top of the sleeve.

Using No 11 (3mm) needles and main shade yarn cast on 135 stitches. Knit one row.

Beginning with the 16th row of the chart (a purl row worked from left to right), work thus:
Work 1 stitch to the right of the dotted line, work the (next 6 stitches) 5 times, work the last stitch.

Continue in pattern as set, decreasing 1 stitch at each end of every 5th row until 87 stitches remain.
Continue straight until 4 complete patterns have been worked.
Work the first 3 rows again.

Continue with main shade only and work 3 rows in stocking stitch.

Change to No 12 (2¾mm) needles and work 3 inches in rib as for the back. Cast off ribwise.

Neckband

Join right shoulder seam.

Using No 12 (2¾mm) needles and main shade, pick up and knit 54 stitches down left front neck, 1 stitch from centre front, 54 stitches up right front neck, and 50 stitches across back neck. [159 sts]

Work 10 rows k1/p1 rib, decreasing 1 stitch each side of the centre front stitch on every row, then work 10 rows k1/p1 rib, increasing 1 stitch each side of the centre front stitch on every row.
Cast off ribwise.

To Make Up

Press parts lightly under a damp cloth.
Join the left shoulder and neckband seams.
Set in sleeves, joining 1½ inches of the sides of the sleeves to the cast off groups at the armhole.
Join the side and sleeve seams.
Fold the neckband in half to the wrong side and catch stitch in place.

Materials

Shetland 2 ply jumper weight (fingering yarn):
7 x 1oz balls in main shade plus 1 oz each in 9 contrast colours: green, grey/brown (light and dark), pink, yellow (light and dark), moss green, mauve, white.

A pair each No 11 (3mm) and No 12 (2¾mm) needles.

Tension

32sts x 32 rows to 4 inches over Fair Isle stitch.
[This is basically a 4 ply equivalent]

Size matters

Chest to fit one size: 40-42 inches.
Length: 25½ inches.
Sleeve: 20½ inches.

Abbreviations

k2tog/p2tog: decrease by knitting/purling 2 sts together.

stocking stitch: one row knit and one row purl, ("stockinette").

A word on the wool

Original yarn "Real Shetland Knitting Wool 2 ply jumper weight" stated as available from a supplier in Edinburgh is likely to be the 2 ply jumper weight from Jamieson and Smith. It's a 4 ply equivalent specifically designed for Fair Isle knitting, and is available in 25g balls from a number of different suppliers in an extensive range of colours.
Editors note: Sadly you have to pay somewhat more than the 19p price per ball quoted for the original yarn in the 1970s!

Disclaimer
(well...almost)

In transposing any patterns it is always a risk that errors will be introduced, in spite of dedicated proof reading.
If you have any problems with this pattern, please and I will try and assist.