Yoked sweaters are a great entry-level sweater for knitters learning to work garments in the round. Because they are worked from the top down, you’re starting with the smallest (and most fun!) part, and you can try on your sweater as you go to make sure all the pieces are just the size and length you want.
And circular yokes are a lot of fun to knit because they usually are covered with colorwork or textured stitches that make the sweater interesting.
Olga Putano, a knitwear designer originally from Ukraine, designed three basic sweater bodies worked in superfine, DK and worsted weight yarn, and four yokes each that work within that basic pattern, to make up her book Only Yoking.
Each pattern has 10 sizes available, ranging from a 32 inch to a 68 inch chest measurement. In each section there’s an overview of the yokes along with the yarn information needed to make that particular version and the charts for that design. The section ends with the general sweater pattern, so you can work from those instructions and flip back to the chart you need when you get to that section.
My favorite patterns are Sienna, a worsted weight pattern with a sort of leaf design on the yoke; Audrie, a two-color sweater with a tulip-like, floral motif using DK weight yarn; and Mila, pictured on the cover, which the designer says was inspired by stained glass windows and has a pretty, painterly look. This one is a little trickier because you have to work with three colors in a round, but it’s well worth it for the pretty result.
The projects aren’t all shown on Ravelry or the publisher’s website, though you can see a few there. This quick flip through gives you an idea of what the sweaters look like.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EzY3HiFx28?si=yO8HIW20JWgWfrWI]
In addition to the patterns, the book includes information on how to work cables for the textured yoke patterns that use them, as well as an overview of basic knitting skills.
Only Yoking is a fun and colorful book that’s great for knitters getting into sweater knitting with colorwork or cables, or for those with a few patterns under their belt who want to try something new. The patterns give you a lot of encouragement to make it your own and the tools you need to stitch a sweater just the way you want it.
About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2023 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.
