Marcasite Sweater in Valley Yarns Haydenville - 904 - Downloadable PDF

Marcasite Sweater in Valley Yarns Haydenville – Pattern #904 by Julie Turjoman

The Marcasite Sweater is a beautifully updated athletic-inspired pullover designed by Julie Turjoman and knitted in Valley Yarns Haydenville. Pattern number #904 is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible for knitters eager to cast on. With its funnel neck, long full sleeves, and oversized silhouette, this sweater blends sporty comfort with relaxed, stylish wearability. Subtle stitch texture and thoughtful shaping details ensure the knitting process stays engaging from start to finish, even for those newer to garment construction.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pullover cardigan-style sweater with a distinctive funnel neckline, designed to be worn with 4 to 6 inches of positive ease for a relaxed, oversized fit. It is sized across a wide range — XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, and 4XL — with finished bust measurements spanning from 36 inches up to 63½ inches. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size 39½ inches. The generous size range and ease allowance make this sweater a versatile wardrobe staple suited to many body types and style preferences.

Techniques Used

The Marcasite Sweater employs a combination of construction techniques that give knitters a well-rounded garment-making experience:

• Worked flat: Portions of the sweater are knitted back and forth in rows, which is the traditional method for constructing seamed garment pieces such as the front, back, and sleeves individually.
• Worked in the round: Circular knitting is used for seamless sections, including the funnel neckline, which creates a smooth, polished tube of fabric without a seam interruption.
• Seamed construction: The individual flat-knitted pieces are joined together using seaming techniques, giving the finished sweater structure, shape retention, and a clean, professional finish.
• Neckline knit bound: A specific knitted bind-off method is used at the neckline to create a neat, elastic edge appropriate for the funnel neck design.
• Long-Tail Cast-On: Referenced in the pattern abbreviations and supported by a video tutorial, this is a popular cast-on method that creates a firm, even edge ideal for garment beginnings.
• Short-Row Wrap & Turn shaping: Used for precise shaping within the sweater, this technique allows knitters to add dimension and contour without cutting the yarn, with video tutorial support provided.
• Three-Needle Bind-Off: This technique is used to join live stitches from two needles simultaneously, creating a strong and tidy seam — commonly used at shoulder joins in sweater construction.
• I-Cord: Referenced in the pattern instructions and supported by a video tutorial, I-cord is a small, rope-like tube of knitting often used for decorative edging or finishing details.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch fabric of the Marcasite Sweater is Stockinette stitch, the classic knit-on-right-side, purl-on-wrong-side pattern that produces a smooth, flat fabric with excellent drape and stitch definition. The gauge for this pattern is set at 20 stitches and 24 rounds to 4 inches in Stockinette stitch. Additional stitch texture and shaping details are incorporated throughout to keep the knitting interesting, as noted in the design description. Key stitch techniques referenced in the abbreviations include:

• K (knit) and P (purl) — the foundational stitches of all knitted fabric
• K2tog (knit 2 together) — a right-leaning decrease that reduces stitch count by one
• M1L (Make 1 Left) — a left-leaning increase worked by lifting the strand between stitches from front to back and knitting through the back loop
• M1R (Make 1 Right) — a right-leaning increase worked