Show Your Bias with this Sweater Knitting Pattern

I’ve been knitting for a really long time, and I know a lot of different knitting techniques, but even for me there are things I either don’t know or don’t do all that often.

So I decided this would be the year that I delved into some techniques a little more deeply. It might be things I know how to do but don’t do often, like double knitting, or things I’ve never tried, like helical knitting (more on both of those soon!).

One thing I do know how to do that I don’t normally do but that I also didn’t think about when I was thinking about things I wanted to do was knitting on the bias.

Bias knitting is accomplished by starting with just a few stitches and increasing to your desired width, then increasing on one side of the work and decreasing on the other to the desired length. This makes a fabric that leans to one side, and when you also work this kind of design in a self-striping yarn, it makes a really fun diagonal effect in your project.

If you want to try it out, the Tunic-on-a-Bias pattern from Yarnspirations is a great way to see it in action. This boxy dropped shoulder sweater is worked in pieces from the bottom up letting the stripes shine. It’s rated for intermediate knitters.

It comes in six sizes, with a finished chest measurement ranging from 39 to 62 inches, or 99 to 157.7 cm. The smallest size is meant to fit a chest from 28-34 inches, or 71-86.5 cm, but the amount of positive ease goes down considerably as the sizes go up.

The project calls for Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes, an acrylic yarn that has what they call “blurry stripes,” which have a bit of a marled look. Any self striping yarn you like would look great in this project.

The pattern is a free download from Yarnspirations, or you can buy the yarn and supplies direct from them.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

I love the look of mesh tops for summer, but I don’t know that I would ever actually wear one that’s full of giant holes, even though I admit they look cool (in both senses of the word) on other people.

What I would wear, though, is something that’s still lacy but maybe a little bit more subdued, like this chevron lace knit top from Yarnspirations.

This easy to knit T-shirt style top is worked flat in two pieces from the bottom up, using and easy lace pattern that’s a repeat of 10 stitches and four rows (though the wrong side rows are just purled, so there’s only two rows you need to learn the pattern on).

It has little cap sleeves that are worked as part of the top by casting on stitches where you need them.

If you’re new to lace knitting this is a good one to try because the pattern includes both written and charted instructions, and the only skills you need are yarn over, knit two together, slip slip knit and slip 1 knit 2 together pass the slipped stitch over (which makes a centered decrease).

There are four size options available (which they claim is enough to cover XS to 5XL), with finished chest measurements ranging from 38.5 inches (that’s 98 cm) to 59 inches, or 150 cm. The amount of ease would vary widely depending on your size and the size garment you choose. For example the largest size is said to fit a chest measurement from 5258 inches/132-147.4 cm, which gives you a range of ease from 1-7 inches, or 2.5 to 17.78 cm, depending on your size. Just something to be aware of when you think about how you want it to fit.

The project calls for Red Heart Cotton Breeze yarn, which isn’t a yarn I’ve tried yet, but it’s a DK weight acrylic and cotton blend, which should make a lightweight top that’s great for summer.

Grab the free pattern from Yarnspirations.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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