Stephen West - Enchanted Mesa
This top down sweater is a canvas for playing with different yarns. Select the gauge for your size and begin knitting this top-down sweater. The short row asymmetrical yoke features Quince & Co. Owl followed by some silk and handspun yarns for the stockinette stitch biased body. There is another short row section to bring the sweater down to the waistline and simple stockinette tubes for the sleeves. The sweater construction is easy to customize so it matches your body proportions. Enchanted Mesa is for the playful and adventurous knitters out there who like to make spontaneous improvisational yarn and color choices. Grab your favorite yarns and have fun!
Sizes:
One size, customizable with varying gauges.
The pattern is written in one size with DK weight yarn (4.5 sts = 1” / 2.5cm). For varying sizes, follow the gauge chart. Swatch with different yarns and needle sizes to get gauge for your desired size. This sweater is meant to fit with a few inches or more of positive ease to accentuate the drape in the body of the sweater. The same sweater with 4.5 sts / 1” is modeled on a 37” / 94cm and a 41” / 104cm chest circumference for 6” / 15cm and 2” / 5cm of positive ease.
3.5 sts = 1” / 2.5cm
Chest Circumference - 56” / 142cm
Sleeve Circumference - 15” / 38cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - Heavy Worsted/Worsted
4 sts = 1” / 2.5cm
Chest Circumference - 49” / 124cm
Sleeve Circumference - 13” / 33cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - Worsted
4.5 sts = 1” / 2.5cm (Sample Size)
Chest Circumference - 43” / 109cm
Sleeve Circumference - 12” / 30cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - DK / Worsted
5 sts = 1” / 2.5cm
Chest Circumference - 39” / 99cm
Sleeve Circumference - 10.5” / 27cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - Sport/DK
5.5 sts = 1” / 2.5cm
Chest Circumference - 36” / 91cm
Sleeve Circumference - 9.5” / 24cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - Sport/Fingering
6 sts = 1” / 2.5cm
Chest Circumference - 33” / 84cm
Sleeve Circumference - 8.5” / 22cm
Recommended Yarn Weight - Fingering/Lace
Body and sleeve lengths are customizable. For tighter or looser sleeves, you can change the needle size to get a different gauge.
Yarn:
DK weight and thinner with 4.5 stitches = 1” / 2.5cm
DK weight is the thickest yarn I used. Other yarns are sport, fingering and lace weight yarns with the same needle size for sections with more drape and airiness. Working with smaller yarns using the same needle size usually results in a similar gauge. The sample pictured uses a single strand of DK or fingering weight yarns as well as two strands of lace weight held together and one strand of lace weight and one strand of fingering weight held together. Be adventurous and freely mix different colors and fibers together.
Instructions are written using colors A, B, C, etc… to mark when different colors are used, but feel free to ignore the exact color changes and throw in bits of color and texture whenever you want. If one section is striped but you feel like using one ball of yarn, make it solid. If another section is solid, but you’re feeling antsy and adventurous then throw in a dozen different colors. Have fun and make it your own!
Yardage: The total yardage for a version with 4.5 sts / 1” is approximately 1200yds / 1097m. This sweater is meant to use odd balls and scrap yarn for a patchwork/color blocked effect. If you run out of yarn in one section grab another ball of yarn and keep knitting!
Needles: 40” circular in the size needed to obtain desired gauge
40” spare circular needle same size or smaller
Sample photographed used US 8 / 5mm needles
Notions: 1 stitch marker, tapestry needle, waste yarn
Sample Gauge: 18 sts & 24 rnds = 4” / 10cm in stockinette stitch with DK weight yarn & US 8 / 5mm needles