Cabled Sweater in Noro Obi

Cabled Sweater in Noro Obi – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Noro guides knitters through constructing a beautifully textured cabled sweater using the brand's signature Noro Obi yarn. Designed as a one-size garment to fit a bust measurement of 34–38 inches (86–96 cm), this sweater is an excellent project for intermediate knitters looking to develop their cable and twist stitch skills while working with a luxurious, self-striping yarn.

Garment Overview and Finished Measurements

The pattern produces a single sweater with generous, relaxed proportions. The finished measurements are as follows:

• Width: 60 inches / 152 cm at the underarm
• Length: 19 inches / 48 cm at the center back
• Sleeve Length: 7½ inches / 19 cm

The wide, oversized silhouette is characteristic of a relaxed, drape-forward aesthetic, making this sweater both comfortable and stylish. The short sleeve length gives it a versatile, season-spanning wearability.

Construction Method

One of the most distinctive features of this pattern is its unconventional construction approach. Rather than being worked from the bottom hem upward in the traditional manner, the back is worked in one piece beginning at the right side seam and progressing horizontally across the body. Colored markers are placed at strategic points throughout the knitting to indicate positions for lower rib pick-up, neck pick-up, and sleeve pick-up, allowing additional sections to be added after the main body is complete. This sideways construction is a hallmark of certain classic knitting styles and results in the cable pattern running vertically on the finished garment, which is visually striking and structurally elegant.

Techniques Used

This pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, and it calls upon a range of knitting techniques that go beyond basic knit-and-purl construction:

• Cable knitting – The pattern features a prominent C6B (Cable 6 Back) cable, which crosses six stitches to create a bold, rope-like twisted column running through the fabric.
• Twist stitches – T3F (Twist 3 Front) and T3B (Twist 3 Back) are used extensively to move the cable columns diagonally across the purl background, creating a flowing, travelling cable effect.
• Rib and texture patterning – The foundation of the design is built on a structured rib-like arrangement of knit and purl stitches that frames and supports the cable motifs.
• Stitch marker placement – Colored markers are used throughout to denote key construction points, requiring the knitter to track position carefully across a long row repeat.
• Picking up stitches – Ribbing, necklines, and sleeves are added by picking up stitches from the marked positions on the completed body sections.
• Tension/gauge swatching – The pattern places strong emphasis on working a tension square before beginning, noting it is very important to achieve the correct gauge for the finished measurements to be accurate.

Stitches Used

The stitch vocabulary in this pattern includes a rich combination of knit/purl textures and cable movements:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – Used in combination to create the ribbed and reverse stocking stitch backgrounds that set off the cables.
• Stocking Stitch (st.st.) – Right side knit, wrong side purl; used as the basis for the tension swatch.
• Reverse Stocking Stitch (Rev.st.st.) – Right side purl, wrong side knit; used to create the purl field against which the cables travel.
• C6B (Cable 6 Back) – A six-stitch back cross cable that forms the central rope cable motif repeated across the garment.