Knitted Sleeveless Sweater Pattern

The Knitted Sleeveless Sweater was originally published in April 1925 in The Needlecraft Magazine.

Materials required are four balls of fourfold natural camel's-hair yarn, one ball of seal-brown, and one pair each of No. 5 and No. 3 ½ needles. This sweater is size fourteen to sixteen years, but may easily be made larger or smaller by increasing or decreasing the number of stitches it is begun with.

Using the tan yarn and No. 5 needles, cast on 80 stitches for the back. Knit plain for five ridges (10 rows); then knit the body of the sweater in stocking-stitch that is, knit forward on the right side plain, and purl back on the wrong side, which gives the effect of plain knitting on the right side throughout.

When, the work measures sixteen and one-half inches from the bottom, shape the armhole as follows: Bind off 6 stitches at each end of row; then decrease 1 stitch at each end of every 2d row four times, by knitting 1st 2 stitches of row together, and last 2. This will leave 60 stitches on the needle.

Knit as before, knitting 1 row and purling next, until the armhole measures six and three-fourths inches from the 6 stitches first bound off. In next row knit 20 stitches, bind off 20 stitches for neck, and knit the remaining 20 stitches. Take off the stitches of the first shoulder on a large safety-pin or any convenient stitch-holder, and on the last 20 stitches start the other front, as follows: Decrease 1 stitch at the neck-edge every 2d row twice; now begin the stripes. Working forward, from, neck-edge, knit 2, (with the tan), 1 brown, (3 tan, 1 brown) 3 times, 3 tan. Working back, purl 3 (with tan), (1 brown, 3 tan) 3 times, 1 brown, 2 tan, carrying the thread not used along on the wrong side, always. Work 4 rows in this way, then shape the neck by adding 1 stitch every 4th row at neck-edge twelve times, always making every 4th stitch added brown.

From this point the front edge is straight. The armhole must be shaped to correspond with the back; beginning six inches from where the stripes were started, add 1 stitch at each end of needle every 2d row four times, then at each end of next 2d row cast on 6 stitches. There will be 40 stitches on the needle for the front when all the stitches have been added. Now knit to correspond with the back, keeping the stripes true and even, and ending with the five ridges of plain knitting.

For armhole: Pick up 82 stitches, using tan yarn and No. 3 ½ needles, and knit 5 rows plain, binding off on the 6th row or 3d ridge. Finish the other armhole in same way.

Beginning at end of shaped edge on left front and working around the neck and down right front to end of shaped edge, pick up 126 stitches with tan yarn and No. 3 ½ needles, knit 9 rows and bind off on the 10th, or 5th ridge.

Now pick up 72 stitches on right front and knit 2 ridges or 4 rows. In next row make the openings for the buttonholes, as follows: Knit 5, bind off 4, (knit 16, bind off 4) 3 times, knit 3. In next row cast on 4 stitches to take the place of each 4 stitches bound off in previous row. Knit 2 more ridges, binding off on the 5th ridge.

Pick up 72 stitches on left front and knit 9 rows plain, binding off on the 10th row; this is the side to sew the buttons on. Join neatly to neck-border. Sew up the side seams evenly. Line both front edges with a strip of satine two and one-half inches wide, and sixteen inches long.

Fold each strip in half, to give double thickness, and stitch on the machine, then sew in place by hand, felling neatly. Cut the buttonholes through the satine and work with brown twist, and sew four brown buttons on left side.

Any colors, or two shades of one color, may be used for this pretty and comfortable garment; the tan and brown make a very pleasing combination, however.

Download printable version (.pdf)