Have you ever thought about the perfect sweater?
One that is a joy to knit and fits just right?
Well, for our autumn knit-along we thought it’s time to put some of the design freedom into your hands.
Intrigued?
Saoirse is not just one pattern. It’s two. A sweater and a vest.
The Saoirse Sweater
The Saoirse Vest
Both patterns are seamless, worked top-down in the round and come with multiple modification tips and a free step-by-step workshop series.
This KAL has all the above plus luxury yarn kits to choose from, free workshops, clue prizes, as well as dedicated support and chat threads.
And it all goes live on August 22nd at 8pm Irish time (3pm EST) right here.
So let’s take a look at the Saoirse sweater and vest patterns for the Autumn KAL.
Inspiration Overview
To explain my thought process for Saoirse, I have to bring you back to Autumn 2023 and our Galanta KAL.
Autumn 2023 was the first time we added a vest version of our autumn knit-along sweater. In fact, it was the first time I had knit a vest!
It was a revelation to me. It hadn’t occurred to me what a versatile wardrobe staple it could become. This made it hard to resist adding vest versions whenever I could.
One thing I realised, however, was that it is not always as easy as it was with Galanta.
Galanta is a sweater knit in the round, from the bottom up, with set-in sleeves worked at the very end. This makes it an ideal candidate for working as a vest. All I had to do was omit the sleeves! It already had the shoulder shaping and the only item you needed to be careful of was the depth of the armhole.
Now flash forward to autumn 2024 and our Autumn KAL, Saoirse, is a very different situation.
This top-down, seamless, raglan sweater is a pleasure to kit BUT converting it to a vest version took a lot of redesigning. Seamless raglans, by their very nature, have the top portion of the sleeve built into them. As you work the body, you are working the upper sleeve. This means that without modification, when you reach the armhole dividing round, you will have a short-sleeved top rather than a vest.
Are you with me?
Then let’s meet the Saoirse Vest and Sweater patterns for our autumn 2024 knit-along and take a look at construction details 👇
Saoirse Pattern Details
SIZES
To Fit Actual Bust Circumference up to: 31.75 (35.25, 38, 40.75, 44.25, 47.75, 50.5, 53, 56.75, 59.25)” / 80.5 (89.5, 96.5, 103.5, 112.5, 121.5, 128.5, 134.5, 144, 150.5) cm
2-4” / 5 – 10 cm of positive ease recommended
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust Circumference: 33.75 (37.25, 40, 42.75, 46.25, 49.75, 52.5, 55, 58.75, 61.25)” / 85.5 (94.5, 101.5, 108.5, 117.5, 126.5, 133.5, 139.5, 149, 155.5) cm
Size 40” / 101.5 cm modelled with 4”/ 10 cm positive ease.
Length from Back Of Neck: 22.5 (23, 23.5, 24.25, 24.5, 25, 25.5, 26, 26.5, 27)” / 57 (58.5, 59.5, 61.5, 62, 63.5, 65, 66, 67.5, 68.5) cm
YARN
Saoirse Sweater
Stolen Stitches ‘Nua Worsted’ (60% Merino, 24% Yak, 20% Linen; 109 yds / 100 m per 1.76 oz / 50 g); colour: Rolling Bales (9908); 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 15, 15) skeins
Approximate Yardage: 922 (1005, 1090, 1167, 1262, 1356, 1409, 1491, 1567, 1613) yds / 846 (923, 1000, 1071, 1158, 1243, 1293, 1368, 1437, 1480) m sweater with collar
Saoirse Vest
Fyberspates ‘Cumulus’ (74% Baby Alpaca, 26% Mulberry Silk; 164 yds / 150 m per 0.88 oz / 25 g); colour: Sphagnales (935); 4 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7) skeins
Approximate Yardage: 563 (612, 654, 706, 755, 814, 848, 905, 964, 999) yds / 515 (560, 599, 646, 690, 744, 775, 827, 882, 914) m vest with cowl
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US size 7 / 4.5 mm circular needles, 32”/ 80 cm long (or longer for larger sizes) & 16-20” / 40-50 cm long for neck
US size 7 / 4.5 mm dpns if magic loop not being used for sleeves
US size 6 / 4 mm circular needles, 32”/ 80 cm long (or longer for larger sizes) & 16-20” / 40-50 cm long for neck for Garter Edging
US size 6 / 4 mm dpns if magic loop not being used for sleeves for Garter Edging
Always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed, as every knitter’s gauge is unique.
Tapestry needle, stitch markers, waste yarn.
GAUGE
18 sts and 26 rows/rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Ripple Stitch with larger needle blocked
18 sts and 36 rows/rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Garter Stitch with larger needle blocked
18 sts and 38 rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Garter Stitch with smaller needle blocked
Construction Overview
Saoirse is a top-down, seamless, raglan sweater. It uses garter edges with I-cord bind-offs while the body is worked with waist shaping. As you might guess, this sweater is all about options. You will have two body shaping options, as well as two neck options. Let’s take a closer look.
Initially, you will be working flat, with increases along the neck edge. Once this is complete, the rest of the sweater is knit in the round.
At each raglan shoulder seam, you have a garter stitch panel and increases are worked at each side of this panel.
There is a ridge stitch pattern used for the body that is easy to work and creates a lovely textured effect, don’t you think?
This sweater uses modified raglan shaping, changing from full raglan increases into slower increases as you progress through the yoke. Smaller sizes have less body increases and larger sizes have fewer sleeve increases. This means that you will have the perfect fit for every part of your body when you reach the bottom of the yoke.
Saoirse is a top-down, seamless, raglan sweater so to convert the Saoirse sweater to a vest style, I had to bind off the sleeves much earlier than you would for the sweater. This means that the rest of the front and back of the yoke will be worked back and forth in rows before rejoining in the round.
But you know what, the shape it creates is fascinating and I think ‘more’ than just a vest.
The neck is finished as a cowl version with an Icelandic bind-off edge. It’s perfect for snuggling down into and having something softer around your face.
I’ll give lots of mods in the pattern if you want an even bigger cowl. Remember, as well that this cowl collar can also be added to the sweater and not just the vest.
Finally, the body is worked straight to create a comfortable to wear shape. I’ve added a few decreases before the garter hem. This snugs it up a little and helps counteract garter’s love of growing!
And don’t worry, it still contains those beautiful, detailed side panels that you saw in the sweater!
The hem is finished with an Icelandic bind-off to keep it light and because we love adding little extra details, the armhole openings are finished using applied I-cord. This gives a bit of stability to the opening that will help it hold its shape as well as creating a lovely edge.
Yes, lots of techniques in the vest pattern, too!
Yarn Details and Kits
Cumulus
If you’ve been drooling over the Saoirse vest images because of the slight fluffy halo and light fabric, then Cumulus is what you’re looking for in a yarn. Cumulus is a blend of Suri alpaca and silk – feather-light and soft with a dreamy colour palette. But if you don’t like alpaca or that halo, our next two choices might be for you:
Nua Worsted
This is a yarn that really doesn’t need an introduction. It’s rustic, deliciously soft, and this yarn was designed for patterns like Saoirse.
Nua Worsted is a blend of merino, yak, and linen creating a heavier fabric which is beautifully soft with a surprising bounce. The sweater you’ve seen was knit in Rolling Bales, though Nua Worsted is the perfect colour palette to choose from for your autumn knits.
Blasta
Ta-dah! It’s the surprise entry of our third choice that has you pondering, right?
Blasta Blasta is a 100% wool, with 60% Irish Fleece, woollen spun yarn with a soft halo when blocked. Creating a light, rustic fabric. You might even say it’s the Goldilocks’ choice because it falls between the previous two yarns.
The fabric you will create for Saoirse will be heavier than Cumulus but lighter than Nua worsted. Oh, and it has phenomenal stitch definition 😉.
Knit-along Schedule
During the knit-along, each section of the pattern is released on the below schedule. As each section is released, you’ll get the updated pattern details and tutorials for the current clue. The pattern will include instructions for the sweater and the vest!
All PDFs will be uploaded to your Teachable library under the resource section according to the schedule below. If you purchased the pattern on Stolen Stitches or Ravelry, we will also send you a pattern update with the next clue.
Note that the pattern needs to be purchased separately from the yarn kit.
- Yarn Kits on Sale: 22nd August, 2024, 8pm Irish time (3pm EST) here (Link will not be live until this time.)
- Clue 1: 25th September, 2024–it all kicks off!
- Clue 2: 9th October, 2024.
- Clue 3: 23rd October 2024.
- Final Prize: 6th November, 2024–Raffle drawing for the grand prize from images posted on Knithub.
How to Join the Autumn Knit-along
Click on THIS LINK at 8pm Irish Time on Thursday, August 22nd and you can nab the shawl pattern. This link will not be live until this time.
Kits can be purchased HERE after 8pm on Thursday August 22nd.
Once you purchase, you will receive an email with all the information for this year’s autumn knit-along. The step-by-step workshops are complimentary for the duration of the KAL and will be released with each clue update.
Have any questions?
Just leave a comment below, and let us know!
Knit-along FAQ
Do I have to use the yarn provided?
No! We encourage everyone who would like to join in the knit-along to do so with yarn they love. We provide yarn kits and recommendations that the patterns are designed for, but you can choose yarn from your stash or local yarn shop if you prefer. All you need to join the KAL is to purchase the pattern here.
How does the knit-along work?
For our spring KAL, the pattern is known in advance and the choice is up to you which version you choose. From here, the pattern is released in a series of clues so that we can all knit each section together. This works well for those who have a problem finishing garments or knitting garments that fit their body shape. Each clue release we take an in-depth look at that particular section and chat about tips and modifications that accompany the step-by-step video series included with the KAL.
Where can I ask questions about the KAL?
We have a dedicated chat thread within our online community in Knithub. There are also dedicated support comments under each video tutorial, as well as our YouTube lives that run during the KAL. You can choose a space that feels comfortable for you.