Go Bold with the Goran Sweater Knitting Pattern

One of my goals for 2024 (yet to be started on, I should mention, but there’s still time!) is to knit a sweater with a lot of detailed colorwork. I haven’t yet decided if a colorwork yoke is “enough” to fulfill this goal or if it really needs to be colorwork all over. (Probably the second one, because that’s something I’ve never done before and I really want to try it.)

If you’re new to colorwork on garments, designs like that can be pretty intimidating. I mean, I’m still a little intimidated and I’ve been knitting for decades.

But the good news is there are a lot of sweaters and other garments — and projects in general — that allow you to play with color without having to pay attention to so many details.

The Goran sweater from Justyna Lorkowska is a great example of this.

The bold zigzag colorwork on the yoke and body of this sweater is relatively easy to accomplish, because most of it is just stripes, with a little bit of stranded colorwork needed to make the zigzags when the colors change. This pattern does use a chart for the colorwork, but it’s also a repeating pattern around the body so once you get the hang of it, it should be pretty easy.

The sweater is worked from the top down in four colors of worsted weight yarn. You could also work both of the wide stripes in the same color and just use three colors if you prefer.

Short rows are used to shape the back neck, and the sweater has a circular yoke design. It’s meant to be roomy, with 8-16 inches, or 20 to 40 cm, of positive ease.

Sizes range from bust measurements of 40.5 to 73.25 inches or 101 to 183 centimeters.

You can learn more and grab a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Harmonia Zdj??]

A Perfect Sweater to Knit if You’re New to Knitting Sweaters

Vintage Men’s Sweaters To Knit And Crochet

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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