Lake Geneva Sweater

The Lake Geneva Sweater is my design for the Winter issue of Knitscene. It’s a top-down, drop shoulder, V-neck sweater, made entirely without seams. The marled effect is created by holding two strands of fingering weight yarn together. For the sample I used Cascade Yarns Sorata in Charcoal and Silver. I love the simplicity of this design and I think it will be a fun and easy knit for both beginner and experienced sweater knitters. Worked at a worsted weight gauge, this sweater goes fast!

Copyright Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

 

One of my favorite features of this design is the way the shoulders are shaped. Drop shoulders can get a little droopy (think of big shouldered sweaters from the 1980s) unless they are tapered toward the sleeve, and that is usually achieved by working short rows. For this design I did something even easier; the shoulders are worked in garter stitch and the taper is created by gradually working more stitches in stockinette stitch until only the armhole border is worked in garter stitch. The shorter row gauge of garter stitch makes the length at the armhole shorter than at the neck edge.

Copyright Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

 

The V-neck shaping couldn’t be simpler from the top down. There is no need to cast on stitches for the front neck as you would for a round neck, instead increases are worked at the neck edge until there are enough stitches to join the fronts and work in the round. The V-neck shaping was carefully planned so that it doesn’t start until the garter stitch shoulders are complete, and the fronts are joined at the base of the neck on the same row the front and back are joined at the armhole. I’m not a fan of “at the same time” instructions, so I avoid them whenever possible!

Copyright Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

 

The body of the pullover is worked straight to the hem, and the sleeves are picked up and worked in the round from the armholes, so after doing the hard work of shaping the neck and shoulders it’s all mindless stockinette. There is a little column of garter stitches on each side, which acts as a faux seam and makes a fun detail. It is also repeated on the sleeves at the underarm. Ribbed cuffs and hem complete the sweater adding to the casual, comfortable feel.

The Winter issue of Knitscene is available in the Interweave Store, and at bookstores and yarn shops all over. Thank you for knitting!