Boyd Cabled sweater in West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft DK - DBP0041 - Downloadable PDF

Boyd Men's Cabled Sweater by Sarah Hatton – Pattern Summary

About This Pattern

The Boyd Men's Cabled Sweater is a classic, traditionally styled men's pullover designed by Sarah Hatton and knitted in West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft DK yarn. This is a downloadable PDF pattern rated at an intermediate difficulty level, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with cables and shaping but may not yet have tackled complex multi-panel constructions. The finished garment is a full-length sweater featuring prominent cable detailing — a timeless design element that adds texture, depth, and a handsome, structured appearance to the fabric.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a men's cabled sweater worked in DK weight yarn. It is sized to fit a range of chest measurements, making it a versatile wardrobe staple suitable for a wide variety of body types. The sweater is a substantial project, with full length measured from the back of the neck and includes set-in or drop sleeves with a defined sleeve length across all sizes.

• Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, and XXL
• To fit chest: 36–38, 40–42, 44–46, 48–50, and 52–54 inches (approximately 91–137 cm)
• Actual garment measurements: 108, 117, 130, 133, and 150 cm across the chest
• Full length from back of neck: 67, 69, 71, 73, and 75 cm
• Sleeve length: 48, 49, 50, 51, and 52 cm

Techniques Used

The Boyd sweater draws on a range of classic knitting techniques that give it its structured, textured character. The central feature of the design is its cable knitting, which requires the use of a cable needle (CN) to cross stitches over one another, creating the characteristic twisted rope or braid effect. Cables are a hallmark of traditional British and Irish knitwear and add both visual interest and a satisfying tactile quality to the finished fabric.

Additional techniques referenced in the pattern include:

• Increasing — using the M1 (make 1) method, which involves picking up the loop between the last and next stitch and working into the back of that loop to create a neat, nearly invisible increase
• Decreasing — standard decrease methods are used for shaping the body and sleeves
• Stocking stitch (st-st) — worked as one row knit and one row purl when working in rows, or every row knit when working in the round, forming the smooth, classic fabric used in many sections of the garment
• Pattern repeats — the cable and texture panels are worked over defined stitch and row repeats, requiring careful attention to row counting and stitch markers
• Right side (RS) and wrong side (WS) awareness — the pattern distinguishes clearly between RS and WS rows, which is essential when working cables correctly

Stitches Used

The Boyd sweater uses a combination of foundational and decorative stitches:

• Knit (k) and purl (p) — the fundamental building blocks of all knitted fabric
• Stocking stitch — smooth knit fabric formed by alternating knit and purl rows
• Cable stitches — worked using a cable needle to hold stitches to the front or back of the work, creating the signature twisted panels that define the sweater's aesthetic
• M1 increase stitch — a lifted increase used during sleeve and body shaping

Materials Required

The pattern is written specifically for West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft DK, a 100% Shetland wool yarn. This yarn is known for its rustic character, excellent stitch definition, and durability — qualities that make it particularly well suited to cable knitting, where crisp stitch definition is essential for