Durrow

This ribbed and cabled pullover was designed as a birthday gift for a guy who is a casual dresser and likes his sweaters to be trim-looking while not fitting too snugly in the chest and shoulders. It has saddle shoulders and a crew neck for a casual, comfortable fit. The sleeves feature a spiralling knotwork design inspired by a border pattern from folio 21v. of the Book of Durrow, ca 650 CE.

errata added on August 23, 2019 to explicitly tell you to work each side of the front neck hole separately.

Sizes

Finished chest: 40 (44, 48, 52, 56)” [102 (112, 122, 132, 142) cm]

Yarn

Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (85% wool, 10%silk, 5% cashmere; 104 yd [95m] per 50g ball): color #119 Licorice  12(13, 14, 15, 15) balls
Needles

Needles

US #8 (5 mm): straight needles
US #6 (4 mm): circular needle, not more than 20 inches [50 cm] long

Gauge

18 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches (10cm) in 4×2 rib stitch, slightly stretched

Notions

Tapestry needle; 4 stitch holders; 4 stitch markers

Chart A

Chart B

Chart C

Legend

Abbreviations

Please see our standard list of abbreviations.

Stitch Patterns

4 x 2 rib

worked flat

Row 1 (RS): *k4, p2* rep bet * until end of row
Row 2 (WS): p4, k2

2 x 2 rib

worked in the round

Rnd 1: *k2, p2* rep bet * until end of rnd.

Back

With US #8 needles, CO 92(104, 108, 122, 128) sts.

First row: K1, *k4, p2, rep from * to last st, k1.

Continue in 4 x 2 rib pattern, working first and last stitch in stockinette, until piece measures 17 inches/43cm (17in/43cm, 17.5in/44cm, 18in/45cm, 19in/46cm), ending with a WS row.

Bind off 2(2, 3, 4, 4) stitches at beg of next two rows; 88 (100, 104, 114, 120) sts rem.

Decrease for Armhole

Next row (RS): k2, ssk, work to 4 sts from end, k2tog, k2.
Next row (WS) : work even.

Repeat these two rows 16(19, 19, 22, 25) times more for a total of 17(20, 20, 23, 26) decrease rows; 54 (60, 64, 68, 68) sts rem.

Work next two rows even.

Decrease for Shoulder

Bind off 4 sts at beg of next 6(6, 6, 8, 8) rows. Place remaining sts on holder.

Front

Work as for back until 13(16, 16, 20, 23) of the armhole decreases have been worked, ending with a WS row.

Next row (RS) Split for neckline: place center 6 (8, 12, 14, 14) sts on holder, while at the same time continuing to work the armhole decreases as for back. Work each side with a separate ball of yarn. Work next WS row even.

While continuing to work remaining armhole decreases followed by shoulder decreases as for back, work neck opening thusly: BO 2 sts at beg neck edge on next 8(6, 8, 6,8) rows, then dec 1 st at each neck edge on RS rows only 0(4, 2, 3, 1) times. Bind off.

Sleeve

work two

*NOTE: cable pattern is worked as follows: rows 1 through 19 set up the pattern and are worked only once. Rows 20 through 50 are then worked three times for repeat pattern. Then rows 51 through 71 are worked once to close cable pattern; after working row 71, resume 4 x 2 rib pattern across all sts.

With US # 8  needles, CO 46 sts.

First row (RS): *k4, p2, rep from *, end k4. Work in 4 x 2 rib pattern until piece measures 2 inches/5cm, ending with a WS row.
Next row (RS): [k4, p2] twice, place marker, work row one of chart, place marker, [p2, k4] twice. Continue as set, working in 4 x 2 rib pattern while working cable chart between markers, until piece measures 4 inches/10cm, ending with a WS row.

Next row – increase row (RS): k1, m1, work in patt as set to last st, m1, k1.

Continue in patt as set, working increase row every 8th (8th, 6th, 5th, 4th) row 12(12, 16, 20, 22) times more for a total of 13(13, 17, 21, 23) increase rows, then work even until piece measures 18 inches/46cm(18in/46cm, 18.5in/47cm, 19in/48cm, 19.5/49cm), ending on a WS row. You should be around row 46(46, 48, 50, 52) of the third repeat of middle section of cable chart.

BO 2(2, 3, 4, 4) stitches at beg of next two rows.

Decrease for shoulder

Next row – decrease row (RS): k2, ssk, work in patt as set to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2.

Work next row even.

Repeat these two rows 16(19, 19, 22, 25) times more for a total of 17(20, 20, 23, 26) decrease rows, while at the same time working cable chart through to end, then resuming rib patt across these sts.

Work rem sts in 4×2 rib patt for 3.5 inches/9cm(3.5in/9cm, 3.5in/9cm, 4in/10cm, 4in/10cm) more, place all sts on holder.

Finishing

Using mattress stitch, sew sleeve and side seams. Sew sleeves to body; raglan decreases on body and sleeves will match up, and the extra flap at the top of the sleeve will be sewn along the edge of the shoulder bind-offs on front and back pieces.

Neckband

Move stitches from holders to circular needle, picking up 10(12, 12, 14, 14) sts along each side of front neck edge. Work in 2 x 2 rib for one inch, bind off all sts loosely in rib.

Block lightly if desired for a less snug fit.

Schematic