That Seventies Sweater

That Seventies Sweater by Boadicea Binnerts

What is Being Made

That Seventies Sweater is a vintage-inspired pullover sweater featuring a stranded colorwork design that captures the warm, muted aesthetic of 1960s and 1970s fashion. The design incorporates colorful flowers and simple triangles throughout, creating a fun and eye-catching everyday garment. The sweater is available in six sizes ranging from XS to 2X, with finished flat measurements at the armpit ranging from 45cm (18 inches) for XS to 70cm (28 inches) for 2X, and finished lengths from 55cm (24 inches) to 75cm (28 inches) depending on size.

Construction and Shaping

This sweater is knit bottom-up, meaning construction begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the neckline. The garment features raglan sleeves, a classic construction method where the sleeves are decreased gradually from the armpit to the neckline, creating diagonal seam lines from the underarm to the shoulder. The sweater has a simple, straight silhouette with colorful bands and edgings that frame the design. Positive ease of 12cm to 14cm (5 to 6 inches) is built into each size to allow for comfortable everyday wear.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The primary technique used in That Seventies Sweater is stranded colorwork knitting, also known as Fair Isle knitting. This technique involves carrying two or more yarn colors across the row, switching between them to create the pattern of flowers and triangles. Stranded colorwork requires careful tension management to ensure that floats (the strands of yarn carried across the back) remain loose enough to prevent puckering while maintaining even stitches on the front of the fabric. The colorful bands and edgings are worked in solid colors, likely using stockinette stitch or ribbing for structure and definition.

Yarn and Materials

That Seventies Sweater is designed for 4-ply yarn weight, though the pattern employs two different yarn constructions to achieve the desired fabric characteristics. The main color (MC) uses ColourMart Cashmere/Cotton 2/28NM Lace Weight held double, which means two strands of the lace weight yarn are worked together simultaneously to create the proper gauge and fabric weight. This construction provides a luxurious blend of cashmere and cotton fibers. The contrast color (CC1) uses ColourMart Cotton/Merino 2/12NM in 4-ply weight as a single strand. Additional contrast colors (CC3 and CC4) are worked from remnants in 2-ply weight. Yarn quantities vary by size, with the main color requiring between 130 grams (XS) and 250 grams (2X), and the primary contrast color requiring similar yardage amounts. Standard knitting needles appropriate for 4-ply yarn weight are required to work this project.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques. The stranded colorwork technique requires familiarity with managing multiple yarn colors simultaneously and maintaining consistent tension across color changes. The raglan construction, while not overly complex, involves decreases that must be worked evenly to create the characteristic diagonal lines of the sleeves. Knitters new to colorwork may find this project challenging but achievable with careful attention to pattern instructions and practice managing the yarn floats.