Steamboater Sweater Pattern

A great men’s sweater is comfortable, often of subdued color, and for most men, comes with ample ease.  In doing this one for a friend, I wanted to use the same up-from-a-cable technique, in the round, as I used on the feminine Silver Streak, but in a sweater that would work as well for a man (and, suitably proportioned, for a woman who wanted real winter warmth, not the dressiness of Silver Streak).

This is Cascade Eco worked on #8 needles (beige 8014 for the cabling and collar, and cocoa brown 8063 for the body).  These worked to 4.25 stitches/in, and 5.5 rows per inch.  A #6 circular is needed for the collar.

The sweater begins with a long cable to fit loosely around jeans; from which the pickup was 7 stitches in every 8.  Lifted increases working up to the chest measurement were made every 8 rows starting with Row 3 until it was of the required length (in the one shown, 19 inches long). 

It is, like the patterns for Silver Streak, and the Breton Shirt and the Rugged Rugby Shirt, for knitters interesting in expanding their skills, filling out a measurement worksheet, and making their own sweater with a perfect fit—skills that will help when you decide to plunge into design.  It is also a great first-time cable project, if you haven’t tried cables before, especially from charts such as the one provided.

This one doesn’t seem to be subject to the Boyfriend Sweater curse.  Not if the long, “Ohhhh!  Is that ever nice,” that it got when it was tried for the first time means anything.