There are some sweaters that begin with a sketch.

This one began with a swatch.

Actually … it began with a swatch that didn’t work.

I had fallen completely in love with a simple vertical lace pattern. It had the kind of understated texture that draws you in the longer you look at it. So naturally, I paired it with one of my favourite tweedy yarns.

It was … disappointing.

The lace disappeared. All those beautiful stitches were swallowed by the tweed, and I realised this sweater was going to need a different partner.

That single swatch sent me down a completely different path.

A smoother yarn. A touch of silk. A soft halo of mohair. Suddenly the lace came alive, the fabric draped beautifully, and the whole design clicked into place.

And then came the fun part.

How do you build a sweater that lets those stitches shine?

The answer is Rivulet.

Our Autumn Knit-Along combines an elegant lace fabric with a fascinating European Shoulder construction that creates beautifully shaped shoulders and a relaxed, easy-to-wear silhouette. As always, we’ll knit it together, one clue at a time, with full video workshops and the support of our wonderful knitting community every step of the way.

So if you’re curious about the construction, wondering why the yarn choice matters so much, or simply looking for your next sweater to cast on, you’re in exactly the right place.

KAL Timing

If you haven’t joined a Stolen Stitches KAL before, we release the entire pattern as a series of clues over a number of weeks. Each clue is released on a schedule with a complementary set of step-by-step tutorial videos so that you have everything you need to create a garment you’ll truly enjoy making and wearing.

Our Rivulet Sweater clue release schedule is as follows:

Yarn Kits on Sale: 20th August 2026

Clue 1: 23rd September 2026 

Clue 2: 7th October, 2026

Clue 3: 21st October, 2026

Grand Prize: 11th November, 2026

Inspiration

Designing this sweater reminded me of the importance of swatching. As I said, this design began with stitch pattern. The simple, vertical lace stripe pattern had a beautiful simplicity to it that I though would be lovely in a sweater. My next step was finding a yarn that really allowed the pattern to shine. My first swatch was our lovely tweedy Solas yarn.

I love the yarn and I love the pattern but they did not work together. The lace pattern was completely lost in the tweed.

Fast forward to my next swatch, which was a smooth silk merino blend paired with a fluffy mohair. This was just perfect. The fabric was soft with a lovely drape and the stitch pattern could be seen perfectly. It reinforced for me the importance picking the right the yarn for the right stitch pattern!

Construction Details

Once I had decided on the yarn and stitch pattern, next I moved into planning how it was constructed. It ended up being a fusion style of construction, not fitting neatly into a single box.

To begin with, it starts from the top down, using a European Shoulder construction. While I’ve used this style before (from the bottom up) with Hawthorn this name for the style was new to me.

It is a shoulder style that has all of the shaping on the back shoulder.

Sometimes this is worked with frequent increases but it can also be worked using short rows, which is what I’ve done on the Rivulet Sweater. This means that it’s very simple to work the front, you just pick up the stitches for each shoulder and knit straight!

This construction style has the advantage of moving the shoulder seam towards the back of the shoulder. This creates a nice clean visual from the front of the sweater, with a dramatic shoulder slope towards the back.

The shaping at the top of this sweater falls between a drop shoulder and a set-in sleeve. I think it’s best termed as a modified drop-shoulder. The shoulder width is a little wider than the body size, but it’s not the full width. There are then some underarm increases just before you reach the armhole cast-on stitches.

The body is worked in the round from the top down without shaping. Having vertical lace stripes means that the fabric is open and draped, and works with a more casual style that has a comfortable amount of positive ease. If you did want to add shaping you’d need to work it at the side seams, A-line increases would work best.

The body finishes with a simple garter edging that has an I-Cord Bind-Off to finish and stabilise the sweater edge.

Sleeves are picked up around the armhole and worked in the round from the top down. With the European Shoulder you need to mark the centre of the shoulder, which will be forward of the shoulder seam. This creates a very interesting shoulder shape around the armhole opening. There is a lace panel worked at the top of the sleeve and the bottom area is worked in stockinette stitch. Finally, the sleeve is finished in the same was as the body with Garter Stitch and an I-Cord Bind-Off.

Yarn Options

The first version of the sweater that was knit used two yarns held together; De Rerum Natura ‘Albertine’ and ‘Bérénice’. These give an open, soft and airy fabric. The merino silk blend can grow a little with blocking so it’s important to check your post-blocking gauge and keep this in mind when you are measuring lengths as you work.

The other options we’ve found that work well is the combination of BC Garn ‘Bio Balance’ (a wool, cotton blend) with De Rerum Nautra ‘Bérénice’. This give a lighter fabric that would be suitable for warmer climates.

The final version we created used our Stolen Stitches ‘Nua Worsted’ by itself. The soft halo of the yarn combined with the tweed effect of the linen created a nicely draping fabric that shows off the lace stitches.

Pattern Details

SIZES

To Fit Actual Bust Circumference Up To: 31.5 (34, 36.5, 39, 41.5, 44, 49, 51.5, 54, 56.5, 59)” / 80 (86.5, 92.5, 99, 105.5, 112, 124.5, 131, 137, 143.5, 150) cm

Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

6-8” / 15-20 cm of positive ease are recommended.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Bust Circumference: 37.5 (40, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 50, 55, 57.5, 60, 62.5, 65)” / 95 (101.5, 108, 114.5, 120.5, 127, 139.5, 146, 152.5, 159, 165) cm

Size 42.5” / 108 cm modelled with 7.5”/ 19 cm positive ease.

Length from Back of Neck: 22.5 (23, 23.75, 24.25, 24.75, 25.25, 25.75, 26.25, 26.25, 27, 27.5)” / 57 (58.5, 60.5, 61.5, 63, 64, 65.5, 66.5, 66.5, 68.5, 70) cm

YARN

Option 1 | Both yarns are held together

Yarn 1: De Rerum Natura ‘Albertine’ (90% Merino Wool, 10% Silk; 219 yds / 200 m per 1.76 oz / 50 g); colour: Badiane, 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10) skeins

Yarn 2: De Rerum Natura ‘Bérénice’ (55% Mohair, 25% Silk, 20% Merino Wool; 230 yds / 210 m per 0.88 oz / 25 g); colour: Badiane, 5 (6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9) skeins

Approx. yardage of each yarn: 1142 (1190, 1297, 1347, 1427, 1495, 1660, 1733, 1793, 1866, 1980) yds / 1043 (1087, 1184, 1230, 1303, 1365, 1517, 1583, 1638, 1704, 1808) m

Note: If you are working a sleeveless vest version, the sleeves use approximately 356 (356, 373, 373, 373, 385, 426, 440, 440, 442, 449) yds / 325 (325, 341, 341, 341, 352, 389, 402, 402, 404, 410) m.

Option 2 | Single Yarn

Stolen Stitches ‘Nua Worsted’ (60% Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Linen; 109 yds / 100 m per 1.76 oz / 50 g); 10 (10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16) skeins

Approx. yardage: 1110 (1052, 1144, 1188, 1257, 1316, 1460, 1522, 1574, 1635, 1736) yds / 927 (965, 1050, 1090, 1153, 1207, 1339, 1397, 1444, 1500, 1593) m

NEEDLES & NOTIONS

US size 7 / 4.5 mm circular needles, 32-40”/ 80-100 cm long or longer for larger sizes, 20″ / 50 cm long for neck edging (or dpns)

Set of US 7 / 4.5 mm dpns if Magic Loop not used for sleeves

Always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed, every knitter’s gauge is unique.

Stitch markers, 2 safety pins, waste yarn or barber cord, tapestry needle.

GAUGE

16 sts & 26 rows / rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Lace Pattern blocked

16 sts & 36 rows / rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Garter Stitch blocked

Complimentary Workshops & Community Chat

Two of the highlights of a Stolen Stitches knit-along are the complimentary step-by-step workshops and community chat in our Knithub.

Knit-alongs are a great way to tackle a new technique or as a first time garment knitter. There are multiple avenues of support so that you’ll never have to feel lost as you work your way through a larger project.

This is why our workshops are free for the duration of the KAL. We want you to feel comfortable and confident as you join us in a KAL and, most importantly; we want you to be happy with your finished garment so that you can feel as great wearing it as you did knitting it.

As we release each pattern clue, you will receive a notification that the videos are now available to view. Once the KAL is over, this workshop is then sold separately but you, as a KAL knitter, will have lifetime access.

When you purchase the pattern, you’ll automatically get a code for the complimentary workshops that we host on Teachable. If this is your first time joining us, you will be prompted to set up an account and, with two easy steps, you’ll have access to all our resources within.

Where to Purchase the Rivulet Sweater Knitting Pattern

You can buy the pattern on either my website here or Ravelry here. Pre-sale goes live aon 20th August 2026 at 8pm Irish time (3pm EST). Links will not be live until this time. You can find yarn kits for double stranded here and for Nua Worsted here.

Are you excited for our autumn KAL? Will you be joining us this year?