Nautilus Pullover in Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic - Downloadable PDF

Nautilus Pullover in Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic — Pattern Summary

The Nautilus Pullover is a women's knitted pullover sweater designed by Joan Beebe and published as a downloadable PDF pattern by Tahki Stacy Charles. Worked in the beloved Tahki Cotton Classic yarn, this design features a clean, graphic stripe sequence that gives it a fresh, nautical-inspired aesthetic perfectly suited to warm-weather knitting. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent next step for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore colorwork through simple stripe construction.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a classic pullover sweater with a fitted silhouette worked in multiple colors. It is sized to fit a wide range of bodies, offered in eight sizes:

• XS, S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, and 4X
• Finished bust measurements range from 32½″ (82.5 cm) to 60″ (152.5 cm)

This generous size range makes the Nautilus Pullover an inclusive pattern suitable for a broad spectrum of knitters and wearers. The sweater is designed with a relaxed but structured shape, ideal for layering or wearing on its own during spring and summer months.

Construction and Techniques

The Nautilus Pullover is constructed using several well-established knitting methods that intermediate knitters will find both familiar and rewarding:

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is begun at the lower edge and worked upward toward the shoulders, a traditional approach that allows knitters to easily adjust length before committing to armhole shaping.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat, meaning back-and-forth on straight or circular needles rather than in the round. This is a classic approach well-suited to seamed garments.
• Seamed finishing: The individual pieces — typically a front, back, and sleeves — are joined together using seams, which adds structure and durability to the finished pullover. Seaming with a yarn needle is an important finishing skill this pattern helps develop.
• Stripes: The colorwork in this design is achieved through horizontal stripes, one of the most accessible forms of knitting colorwork. Stripes require no complex color management techniques such as stranding or intarsia; instead, colors are simply changed at the beginning of rows, making this an excellent introduction to multi-color knitting.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used throughout the Nautilus Pullover is Stockinette stitch, which is formed by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side when working flat. Stockinette creates a smooth, classic fabric that showcases the stripe sequence beautifully and drapes elegantly in cotton yarn. Armhole shaping is achieved through decrease rows worked on right-side rows, repeated at regular intervals to create a clean, tailored armhole curve.

Gauge

Achieving correct gauge is essential for this pattern. The specified gauge is 20 stitches and 29 rows = 4″ / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch using the larger needles. Knitters are strongly encouraged to swatch before casting on, as cotton yarn has less elasticity than wool and accurate gauge directly affects the finished bust measurement.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

Yarn

The pattern calls for Tahki Cotton Classic, a 100% cotton DK-weight yarn by Tahki Stacy Charles. Each hank contains 1.75 oz / 50g and approximately 108 yards / 99m. Three colors are used to create the stripe design:

• Main Color (MC): Tahki Cotton Classic #3001 White — 5 (6, 7, 8) (9, 10, 11, 12) hanks
• Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Tahki Cotton Classic #3473 Coral — 2 (2, 2, 2) (3, 3, 3, 4) hanks
• Contrast Color 2 (