World's easiest sweater: knit the Aina sweater without a single purl stitch
With its timeless design, the Aina sweater is sure to become a wardrobe staple. This easy sweater is knit on large needles with soft alpaca yarn that hides minor imperfections.
Size: One size, equivalent to size M.
Finished sweater measurements:
- Bust circumference: 104 cm.
- Shoulder to hem: 62 cm.
- Sleeve length from underarm: 46 cm.
Materials for the Aina sweater:
- Sandnes Garn Børstet Alpaca yarn (96% brushed alpaca, 4% nylon, 50 g = 110 m), 350 grams, shade 9062 olive
- 7 mm (US 10.5) (circular) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
- Blunt tapestry needle
Gauge: 13 sts and 26 rows = 10 cm. Note! Knitting with the sweater with the suggested yarn will cause it to stretch slightly with wear. This has been considered in the stitch counts.
Adjusting the size of the sweater to suit you
The sweater in this pattern comes in one size, but you can easily calculate the stitch count needed for your size.
1. First, knit a swatch (about 12 x 12 cm) to determine your own gauge—that is, the number of stitches and rows per 10 cm.
2. Calculate the number of stitches needed based on your bust measurement. If you want a loose-fitting sweater, add 10–20 cm to the measurement.
- For example, if your bust circumference is 85 cm and you want 10 cm of ease, the measurement is 95 cm.
- Using the pattern’s gauge (13 sts = 10 cm), the stitch count would be calculated as follows: 1.3 × 95 = 123.5 sts.
- Divide this number by two to get the stitch counts for the front and back pieces: 123.5 ÷ 2 = 61.75 sts. Because the yarn used in the pattern stretches slightly with wear, it's best to round the stitch count down by a few stitches.
- If your bust circumference including ease is, for example, 120 cm and your gauge is 14 sts = 10 cm, the stitch count would be calculated like so: 1.4 × 120 = 168 ÷ 2 = 84 sts.
- Typically, 18–20 stitches are sufficient for the neckline unless you want a particularly wide neckline.
- As a rough estimate, the stitch count for the sleeve is about ⅔ of the stitch count of the front piece. To find the perfect sleeve width, measure the sleeve of a sweater you own. Calculate the stitch count using the same formula as above. Instead of dividing, remember to multiply by two to get the full sleeve circumference.
Instructions for the Aina sweater:
Front piece
Cast on 64 sts. It's best to cast on loosely to prevent the edge from becoming tight.
Begin garter stitch [in Finnish]—that is, knit every st on every row—until the piece measures 52 cm.
Shape the neckline by binding off sts on both sides of the neckline. Knit 23 sts at the beginning of the row. To create the neckline, loosely bind off the next 18 sts as follows: first, knit 2 sts, then pass the first st over the second one. Knit 1 st and continue in the same manner, passing the previous st over until you have bound off 18 sts. If you are knitting with straight needles, transfer the 23 stitches you've already knit onto a spare needle or piece of yarn. If using circular needles, you can leave the stitches on the needle. Knit to the end of the row (the remaining 23 stitches). Turn work.
Row 1: Knit 23 sts. Turn work.
Row 2: Knit the first 2 sts together, knit to the end of the row. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three times. After the decreases, there are 20 stitches on the shoulder. Continue knitting the shoulder until the front piece measures 60 cm or your desired length. Bind off the sts. Cut the yarn.
Make the decreases on the other side in the same way.
Back
Knit in the same manner as the front, but without the neckline decreases. Knit until the piece is 60 cm long or your desired length.
Sleeves
Loosely cast on 44 sts. Knit until the sleeve length is 43 cm or your desired length. Bind off the sts. Make the other sleeve in the same way.
Assembling the sweater
- Place the front and back pieces together and sew them together at the shoulders. The seams should be on the inside of the sweater.
- Fold the sleeve in half to find the center. Place the center at the shoulder seam. Sew the sleeve to the edges of the front and back pieces.
- Sew the side seams of the front and back pieces, and finally sew the side seams of the sleeves.
Finishing
Weave in any loose ends. You can wet block or steam the sweater if you'd like.
