Obama Sweater Pattern


Obama sweater


Materials:  
Needles:   #8 straight needles
Yarn:   5 (5, 6, 7, 8) skeins (quantity depends on size) Lion Brand Wool-Ease Navy (or background color of your choice)
  1 skein Lion Brand Wool-Ease Red
  1 skein Lion Brand Wool-Ease Blue Mist
  1 skein white yarn (Note:  Lion Brand Wool-Ease isn't available in plain white [!]; any brand with a similar feel and the same gauge will do.)
Other Materials:   Yarn bobs (about 7)

Gauge:
4.5 stitches per inch
6 rows per inch

Size: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large.  Pattern is written for smallest size with changes for larger sizes in parentheses.  When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes.  To follow pattern more easily, circle all numbers pertaining to your size before beginning.

Finished chest:  34 (37, 40, 43, 47) in.

Finished length:  22 (22 ½, 23, 23, 23 ½) in.

Notes:

The sweater is fairly close-fitting, so if you want a looser fit, simply knit a larger size.

For a man's sweater, omit the waist shaping.

Wind two bobs each with red and blue mist and three bobs with white.

PATTERN:

Back:
Cast on 76 (82, 88, 96, 104) sts.
Work in St st for 3 in. (about 18 rows).
Shape waist:
Dec 1 st each edge every 6th row 3 times—70 (76, 82, 90, 98) sts.  Work 11 rows even.
Inc 1 st each edge every 6th row 3 times—76 (82, 88, 96, 104) sts.  Continue even until piece measures 14 in. from beg, ending with a WS row.
Shape armholes:
Bind off 5 (5, 6, 8, 9) sts at beg of next 2 rows—66 (72, 76, 80, 86) sts.  Dec 1 st each edge for 5 (6, 6, 7, 9) rows—56 (60, 64, 66, 68) sts. Continue even until armhole measures 7 (7 ½, 8, 8, 8½) in., ending with a WS row.
Shape neck and shoulder:
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on left shoulder edge; work 13 (14, 15, 15, 16) sts even.  Place center 20 (22, 22, 24, 24) sts on holder.  Work right shoulder (18, 19, 21, 21, 22 sts) even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on right shoulder edge—13 (14, 15, 15, 16) sts.  Work left shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) sts on left shoulder edge, work till last 2 sts before sts on holder, bind off 2 sts on left neck edge—6 (7, 7, 7, 7) sts.  Work right shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) sts on right shoulder edge, work till last 2 sts before sts on holder, bind off 2 sts on right neck edge.  Work left shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off remaining 6 (7, 7, 7, 7) sts on each shoulder.

Front:
Work same as back until armholes measure 5 (5½, 6, 6½, 6½) in., ending with a WS row.  Begin chart when piece measures 10 (10 ½, 11, 11, 11) in. from beginning.  (Note:  You will begin shaping the armholes while still working on the chart.)

This is the chart:



This is the chart in color.  I left the symbols in place in case the colors on your monitor or printer are not the same as mine.



This is the legend to the chart.



When chart is finished, Work even till armholes measure 5 (5 ½, 6, 6, 6½) in.
Shape neck and shoulder:
Next row:  Bind off 3 sts on left neck edge—21 (22, 24, 24, 24) sts.  Place center 8 (10, 10, 12, 14) sts on holder, bind off 3 sts on right neck edge—21 (22, 24, 24, 24) sts.
Next row:  Bind off 2 sts on left neck edge—19 (20, 22, 22, 22) sts.  Bind off 2 sts on right neck edge—19 (20, 22, 22, 22) sts.
Next row:  Bind off 1 st on left neck edge—18 (19, 21, 21, 21) sts.  Bind off 1 st on right neck edge—18 (19, 21, 21, 21) sts.
Next row:  Bind off 1 st on left neck edge—17 (18, 20, 20, 20) sts.  Bind off 1 st on right neck edge—17 (18, 20, 20, 20) sts.
Next row:  Bind off 1 st on left neck edge—16 (17, 19, 19, 19) sts.  Bind off 1 st on right neck edge—16 (17, 19, 19, 19) sts.
Work even till armholes measure 7 (7 ½, 8, 8, 8½) in., ending with a WS row.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on left shoulder edge—11 (12, 13, 13, 13) sts.  Work right shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on right shoulder edge—11 (12, 13, 13, 13) sts.  Work left shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on left shoulder edge, work till last 2 sts before center 8 sts on holder, bind off 2 sts on left neck edge—6 (6, 7, 7, 7).  Work right shoulder even.
Next row:  Bind off 5 (5, 6, 6, 6) sts on right shoulder edge, work till last 2 sts before center 8 sts on holder, bind off 2 sts on right neck edge—6 (7, 7, 7, 7) sts.  Work left shoulder even—6 (7, 7, 7, 7) sts.
Bind off remaining 6 (7, 7, 7, 7) sts on each  shoulder.


Sleeves: (Make 2.  Fucking DUH.)
Cast on 36 (38, 40, 42, 44)sts.  Work in St st for 2 in.  Inc 1 st at each end every 6th row 18 (18, 20, 19, 21) times  - 72 (76, 80, 80, 86) sts.  Work even in St st until sleeve measures 21 (21½, 22, 22½, 23) inches or 1 inch less than desired length.  Dec 1 st each RS edge 6 times—60 (64, 68, 68, 74) sts.  Cast off.

Finishing:
Sew shoulder seams.
Collar:
With RS facing, circular needle and starting at left shoulder seam, pick up and knit 54 (54, 58, 60, 62) sts around neck, including 20 (22, 22, 24, 24) sts from back neck holder and 8 (10, 10, 12, 14) sts from front neck holder.  Place marker, join and work 3 rnds in St st; bind off.  NOTE:  I found that this produced much too tight of a collar, so I simply bound off the stitches on the holder and let it be.  Experiment to find what works for you; it's easy enough to rip stitches out.  Block.  Attach sleeves; sew seams; weave in loose ends.



Back to Obama Sweater


Back to Sweaters

Back to Knitting Patterns

Back to Knitting

Back to Index