Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knit Mabel’s Sweater from Only Murders

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I didn’t expect to like the show “Only Murders in the Building” as much as I do, but one draw of the show, in which neighbors investigate murders for their true-crime podcast, is definitely the costumes, especially the knitwear.

Selena Gomez’s character Mabel wears a lot of great knits, and Joji Locatelli was inspired a yellow sweater featured in the very first episode of the show.

This top down waddle textured pullover is knit in Mabel’s signature yellow color, but you can use any fingering weight yarn you like. The design is actually pretty simple as it uses regular ribbing and fisherman’s rib, which looks like brioche but is a lot easier to do.

The pattern comes in 9 sizes, with actual bust circumference measurements ranging from 30.5 to 62.5 inches, or 76 to 156 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 2-4 inches/5-10 cm of positive ease, so you can pick the size that fits you best with that in mind.

The somewhat close fit and raglan sleeves make this sweater easy to wear and it’s sure to be a new favorite for fall and to layer with in colder weather. This one reminds me of some of my favorite textured tops that I’ve purchased, and I actually already bought this pattern so I can make one as soon as I make some room in my knitting schedule.

You can get your copy of the pattern on Ravelry. While you’re there take a scroll through the projects gallery so you can see how it looks in different colors and on different bodies if you’re not into the yellow. There are lots of really pretty options in there!

If you’ve never worked fisherman’s rib before, it’s really easy, but if you want some practice before you take on this project, check out my fisherman rib scarf, which is worked on big needles and is a super quick knit to get you comfortable with the concept.

[Photo: Joji Locatelli]

Comments

  1. I’m just getting into Only Murders in the Building, and I’m loving every piece of knit wear. Mabel’s sweaters, Steve Martin’s cardigans, and Martin Short’s scarves and sweaters really make the show. I grew up watching Steve Martin and Martin Short, and they are the best comedic duo.

Have you read?

Book Review: The Wandering Knitter

Knitting and travel are two hobbies that are highly compatible. Travel often involves waiting or time spent on planes, trains, boats, etc., time that can easily be filled by knitting, a portable and productive craft you can do most anywhere (and yes, you can take your knitting on a plane most of the time). 

Krista Ann combines knitting and traveling regularly and ended up visiting every continent in 2022 with her knitting needles along for the ride. The Wandering Knitter explores travel, knitting and learning new knitting skills no matter where you are. 

This isn’t a book for beginners, but if you’ve wanted to learn techniques like brioche, cables, lace, colorwork, mitered squares and short rows, there’s a set of more beginner level patterns followed by ones that are bigger, more detailed or required a little more skill. For example a brioche washcloth is the beginner pattern, while a brioche sweater (with unexplained exceptionally long sleeves) is the stepped up project. A basic mesh lace scarf becomes a more complex lace kerchief. A giant mitered square cowl graduates to a mitered square tote bag. 

Interspersed among the patterns are essays about traveling to different continents and what she saw there. There are also tips for traveling with your knitting and tips for reading charts, but no tutorials for knitting skills (other than a written explanation of how mosaic knitting works). 

Some of the projects would be useful to have when traveling, such as fingerless gloves, a warm headband or a colorwork hat. The travel angle is an interesting hook for a book, but I would have enjoyed essays more about specific incidents or shopping for yarn in a different country or something more than the general essays about things she’s liked and places she’d like to go back to. 

Still, if you’re looking for a skill building book that doesn’t focus on the basics but gives you some wearable, attractive accessories, this book is a good one to check out. Just maybe make the sleeves shorter if you knit the sweater. 

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 20 patterns. Published 2026 by Quarry Books. Suggested retail price $24.99.