Finley Sweater

Finley Sweater by Laura Reinbach

What is Being Made

The Finley Sweater is a knitted pullover sweater designed by Laura Reinbach. This project is suitable for beginners and comes in seven sizes ranging from extra small (XS) to extra large (XXL), with finished bust measurements from 36 inches (91 cm) to 55 inches (140 cm). The sweater features a two-color design using a main color and a contrasting color, allowing for creative colorwork options.

Knitting Techniques Used

This sweater is constructed using fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters. The pattern employs circular knitting methods, worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPNs). The design incorporates increases and decreases to shape the garment, creating shaping at key points to achieve the finished measurements. The use of contrast color (CC) alongside the main color (MC) suggests colorwork elements that add visual interest to the finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Finley Sweater uses essential knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (k): The foundational stitch used throughout the sweater
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Make 1 left slanting (m1l): An increase worked by inserting the left needle under the strand between stitches from front to back, then knitting through the back loop to create a left-leaning increase
• Make 1 right slanting (m1r): An increase worked by inserting the left needle under the strand between stitches from back to front, creating a right-leaning increase
• Cast on (CO) and bind off (BO): Standard edge techniques for beginning and finishing the sweater

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Finley Sweater is designed to be worked in worsted weight yarn, specifically Malabrigo Rios (Pure Merino Superwash), which provides a soft, washable merino fiber. The yardage requirements are 5 to 8 skeins of main color (MC) depending on size, with the sample shown in Paris Night, plus 1 skein of contrast color (CC) shown in Natural. Each 100-gram skein contains 210 yards of yarn.

The pattern calls for US Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles in 24 or 32 inch lengths, along with matching DPNs, and US Size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles in 24 or 32 inch lengths with DPNs, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. This two-needle-size approach allows for gauge adjustments and different fabric densities in different sections of the sweater if desired.

Additional Pattern Elements

The pattern includes standard knitting abbreviations and notations such as beginning of round (BOR), marker (m) for tracking pattern repeats, and before (bef) for instructional clarity. The comprehensive abbreviations section supports knitters in following the detailed construction steps for each size.