Berroco Kernmantle - Norah Gaughan Vol 15 PDF

Berroco Kernmantle by Norah Gaughan — Pattern Summary

Kernmantle is a sophisticated, experienced-level knitted sweater design by Norah Gaughan, published as part of Norah Gaughan Vol. 15 and available as a downloadable PDF from Berroco. The name Kernmantle evokes the structure of a rope — a fitting metaphor for a garment defined by its intricate, intertwining cable work. This is a project designed for knitters who are comfortable with complex stitch patterns, construction techniques, and shaping, and who want a rewarding, heirloom-quality finished piece.

What Is Being Made

Kernmantle is a pullover sweater featuring a richly cabled design. It is sized to fit bust measurements of 30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, and 54 inches, with the sample shown in size 42 inches. The finished bust measurement ranges from 33½ to 56 inches across the size range, and the pattern is designed with approximately 2–3 inches of ease for a comfortable, flattering fit. The back length reaches up to 29½ inches in the largest size, while the front length is slightly shorter, reflecting a deliberate design choice in the construction.

Construction and Techniques

Kernmantle employs a combination of construction methods that make it both structurally interesting and technically challenging:

• Seamless construction — portions of the sweater are worked without seams, creating a smooth, polished finish.
• Top-down knitting — the garment begins at the top, allowing knitters to try on the piece as they go and adjust fit before committing to the full length.
• Worked in the round — circular knitting is used for seamless sections, requiring both 24-inch and 29-inch circular needles in the larger size 7 (5mm), as well as a 16-inch circular needle in size 5 (3.75mm).
• Worked flat — certain sections, including the front shoulder pieces, are worked back and forth in rows, as evidenced by the instructions referencing right-side and wrong-side rows and the use of standard flat knitting shaping techniques.
• Cables — the defining feature of this design. An elaborate 80-stitch cable chart spanning 11½ inches in width forms the visual centerpiece of the sweater. A cable needle is required throughout.

The combination of top-down, seamless, in-the-round, and flat techniques means that knitters will need to be comfortable switching between methods and reading both charts and written instructions. The shoulder construction is particularly noteworthy: stitches are picked up along the back shoulder and worked forward, with neck shaping achieved through make-one (M1) increases on right-side rows — a refined technique that produces smooth, nearly invisible shaping.

Stitches Used

The following stitches and techniques are central to knitting Kernmantle:

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the foundational background fabric, used throughout the body and for gauge measurement. The gauge is 20 stitches and 26 rows to 4 inches in stockinette on the larger needles.
• Cable stitches — worked from an 80-stitch chart, these form the dramatic textured pattern that gives the sweater its character. Cables involve slipping stitches to a cable needle, holding them to the front or back, and knitting in a specific order to create twisted, rope-like columns of texture.
• Make-one increases (M1) — used in neck shaping to add stitches invisibly along the edge.
• Pick up and knit — used at the shoulder to begin front sections from existing back stitches, a technique common in seamless and top-down construction.

Materials

The pattern calls for Berroco Ultra Alpaca in color 6214, a worsted-weight yarn. Depending on the size being knitted, the pattern requires 6 to 10 hanks of 100 grams each. Berroco Ultra Alp