OPENWORK MESH SWEATER

 A relaxed, airy pullover with a ribbed neckline and cable-framed lattice stitch

ADVANCED BEGINNER  •  KNITTED FLAT  •  SEAMED CONSTRUCTION

 

1. Pattern overview

The Blue Openwork Mesh Sweater is an intentionally loose pullover featuring a large ladder-like mesh, narrow cable columns and a neat ribbed crew neckline. The garment is worked in separate front, back and sleeve pieces, then seamed. The open fabric is designed to be worn over a camisole or fitted top.

Feature	Details
Construction	Front and back worked flat from hem to shoulder; sleeves worked flat from cuff to cap; seams sewn after blocking.
Fit	Relaxed / oversized, with a dropped-shoulder silhouette.
Stitch pattern	Eight-stitch eyelet mesh section framed by cable columns; use the supplied chart as the visual reference.
Neck	Crew neck with picked-up stitches and 1×1 rib.
Skill level	Advanced beginner to intermediate: yarn overs, purl stitches, cable-crossing and basic garment seaming.

 

2. Sizes and finished measurements

Choose a size by finished chest circumference, allowing approximately 20–35 cm / 8–14 in of positive ease over the body. The sweater is deliberately roomy. Measurements are approximate after gentle blocking.

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL
Finished chest	110 cm	120 cm	130 cm	140 cm	150 cm	160 cm	170 cm
Body length (hem to shoulder)	52	54	56	58	60	62	64 cm
Upper sleeve circumference	38	40	42	44	46	48	50 cm
Sleeve length (cuff to shoulder)	42	43	44	45	46	47	48 cm

 

The chest measurement is the full circumference of the finished garment. Lengths can be adjusted by adding or removing pattern repeats before shaping.

3. Materials

·        Yarn: bulky / chunky weight yarn with good stitch definition and soft drape. A smooth wool, wool blend or acrylic blend is suitable. The reference looks like a soft, lightly fuzzy blue yarn.

·        Approximate yarn quantity: 650–800 m (XS/S), 750–950 m (M/L), 900–1,150 m (XL/2XL), 1,050–1,300 m (3XL). Buy extra if using a lofty or heavy yarn.

·        Main needles: 8 mm (US 11) straight or circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge.

·        Ribbing needles: 6–6.5 mm (US 10–10.5), or 1–2 sizes smaller than main needles.

·        Cable needle, stitch holders or waste yarn, stitch markers, tapestry needle, measuring tape and blocking mats.

4. Gauge

Suggested target gauge in the mesh pattern, measured after washing and drying flat: 12 stitches and 16 rows = 10 × 10 cm / 4 × 4 in. This is a planning gauge only; the openwork fabric can change significantly with yarn and blocking.

Make a generous swatch at least 20 × 20 cm. Wash and dry it as you will the finished sweater, then measure the central mesh area without stretching it. If you have more stitches per 10 cm, use larger needles; if you have fewer, use smaller needles. Recalculate the cast-on if your gauge differs.

5. Abbreviations and techniques

Abbreviation	Meaning
k	knit
p	purl
st(s)	stitch(es)
RS / WS	right side / wrong side
yo	yarn over: bring yarn over the needle to create an eyelet
C1F	slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold in front; k1, then k1 from cable needle (as described in the supplied chart)
rep	repeat
BO / CO	bind off / cast on
inc / dec	increase / decrease
selvage st	edge stitch; knit on RS and purl on WS for a stable seam edge

 

6. Understanding the supplied chart

Chart key supplied with the reference:

·        Blank square = knit stitch.

·        Square with a filled dot = purl stitch.

·        Open circle = yarn over (yo).

·        Crossed symbol = C1F cable crossing. Follow the chart legend: slip 1 stitch to a cable needle and hold in front, knit 1, then knit 1 from the cable needle.

The chart is a five-row stitch excerpt and does not include a full garment chart or a complete written repeat for every size. The written instructions below use a practical 12-stitch motif unit: an 8-stitch mesh field framed by a 4-stitch cable/texture column. Keep the eyelet columns aligned and use the supplied chart as the visual guide. If your close-up reading of the chart differs, prioritize the chart symbols and maintain the same stitch count by balancing yarn overs with decreases.

7. Stitch pattern used in this written version

For ease of following the chart in a garment, work the fabric over a multiple of 12 stitches, plus 2 selvage stitches. Repeat the 12-stitch motif across the row. The exact placement of cable crossings can be shifted by one motif to suit the chart image; keep the mesh eyelets vertically aligned.

Mesh-and-cable repeat (worked flat):

1.        Set-up row (RS): selvage st, *p2, work the 8-stitch eyelet field as shown in the chart, p2; repeat from * to last selvage st. (The eyelet field is formed by paired yarn overs and matching decreases so the stitch count remains constant.)

2.        Row 1 (WS): selvage st, work stitches as they appear; purl the purl columns and knit the knit columns. Work yarn overs through their back loops only if the chart/desired eyelet placement requires it; normally knit or purl them as they appear.

3.        Row 2 (RS): work the mesh eyelets in their established columns; work C1F at each marked cable column. Keep the cable column stitches in pattern.

4.        Row 3 (WS): work stitches as they appear, maintaining the vertical purl ridges.

5.        Row 4 (RS): work the mesh and cable columns as established; repeat the cable crossing only where indicated in the chart.

6.        Row 5 (WS): work stitches as they appear. Repeat Rows 1–5 for the fabric, checking that every yarn over is balanced by a decrease where required.

Important stitch-count check: every yarn over that is not intended as a deliberate increase must be paired with a decrease in the same row. The supplied legend does not show a separate decrease symbol, so the full chart image should be used to confirm the paired decrease locations before knitting a full garment. Make and block a swatch first.

 

. Back panel

Work the back first; use it as the length and width reference for the front. The cast-on numbers below are a sizing framework based on the suggested gauge. Adjust the edge stitches or repeat count after swatching to achieve the finished width.

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL
CO stitches	66	72	78	84	90	96	102
Approx. panel width	55	60	65	70	75	80	85 cm

 

7.        With the smaller needles, CO the number of stitches for your size. Work 6 cm / 2.4 in in 1×1 rib (k1, p1), beginning and ending with a knit stitch on RS rows.

8.        Change to the larger needles. Work 1 setup row on WS, keeping the first and last stitch as selvage stitches.

9.        Begin the mesh-and-cable stitch pattern. Work the 5-row chart sequence repeatedly until the piece measures approximately 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 or 58 cm from the cast-on edge, respectively, or 6 cm / 2.4 in shorter than the desired total body length.

10.    Shape shoulders and back neck: bind off the center 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 or 36 stitches loosely. Work each shoulder separately.

11.    At each neck edge, bind off 2 stitches once, then 1 stitch once. Continue even until the shoulder measures the intended body length.

12.    Bind off remaining shoulder stitches loosely. Work the second shoulder to match.

9. Front panel

13.    Work as for the back until the piece is approximately 6 cm / 2.4 in shorter than the back’s total length.

14.    Shape the front neck: work to the center 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 or 30 stitches; place these center stitches on a holder. Join a second ball of yarn and complete both sides separately.

15.    At each neck edge, bind off 3 stitches once, 2 stitches once, then 1 stitch twice. Adjust the depth if you prefer a higher or lower neckline.

16.    Continue straight until the front matches the back length at the shoulder. Bind off shoulder stitches to match the back.

17.    Work the second side in the same way, reversing the shaping.

10. Sleeves (make 2)

Sleeves are worked flat from cuff upward. The loose mesh naturally creates a relaxed sleeve; do not make the cuff too tight.

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL
CO stitches	34	36	38	40	42	44	46
Target upper width	38	40	42	44	46	48	50 cm
Sleeve length	42	43	44	45	46	47	48 cm

 

18.    With smaller needles, CO the listed number of stitches. Work 7 cm / 2.75 in in 1×1 rib.

19.    Change to larger needles and establish the mesh-and-cable pattern, centering the motif. Work 4 rows even.

20.    Increase 1 stitch at each edge every 6th row until you have approximately 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 or 60 stitches, or until the sleeve reaches the desired upper-arm width. Incorporate new stitches into the edge columns first, then into the mesh pattern.

21.    Continue even until sleeve measures the listed length from cuff, or 5 cm / 2 in shorter than your preferred finished length.

22.    Shape the sleeve cap: bind off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows; then bind off 2 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows. Decrease 1 stitch at each edge every RS row 4 times. Bind off remaining stitches loosely.

23.    Make the second sleeve to match.

11. Neckband

24.    Block the front and back panels lightly before picking up the neckband; do not stretch the neckline opening.

25.    With RS facing and smaller circular needles, beginning at a shoulder seam, pick up and knit stitches evenly around the neckline. Pick up approximately 1 stitch per bound-off stitch and 3 stitches for every 4 rows along straight vertical edges. Avoid puckering.

26.    Place a marker at the beginning of the round. Adjust the total to an even number of stitches.

27.    Join to work in the round. Work k1, p1 rib for 4–5 cm / 1.5–2 in.

28.    Bind off in pattern using a stretchy bind-off. The neckband should sit comfortably without pulling the openwork fabric inward.

12. Assembly and finishing

29.    Weave in loose ends on the WS, following the yarn path and avoiding bulky knots in the open mesh.

30.    Lay the front and back flat with RS together. Sew one shoulder seam using mattress stitch, leaving the second shoulder open until the neckband is complete if that makes picking up easier.

31.    After the neckband is finished, sew the remaining shoulder seam.

32.    Mark the center of each sleeve cap and match it to the shoulder seam. Pin the sleeve evenly into the armhole, distributing any extra width gently. Sew in place.

33.    With RS together, sew sleeve and side seams in one continuous seam on each side, from cuff to hem. Use mattress stitch or a neat backstitch, taking care not to close the mesh holes.

34.    Turn the sweater right side out. Check that both sleeves hang evenly and that the hem and cuffs are not twisted.

35.    Weave in all remaining ends. Wash according to the yarn label and dry flat, shaping the garment to the finished measurements.

13. Fit adjustments

·        Body width: add or remove one 12-stitch motif repeat, or adjust the plain edge stitches symmetrically.

·        Body length: add or remove complete 5-row pattern repeats before beginning neck shaping.

·        Sleeve width: add increases more frequently for a fuller sleeve, or stop increasing earlier for a narrower sleeve.

·        Sleeve length: add or remove pattern repeats between cuff and cap shaping.

·        Neck opening: use fewer or more center stitches on the front and back, keeping both sides symmetrical.

14. Care

Follow the yarn label. For wool or wool blends, hand wash gently in cool water with wool wash, press out excess water in a towel and dry flat. Do not hang the sweater while wet. Avoid aggressive stretching: shape the mesh evenly and allow it to dry completely before wearing.

15. Maker’s checklist

·        ☐ Swatch washed, dried and measured

·        ☐ Front and back panels match in width and length

·        ☐ Both sleeves match

·        ☐ Neckband lies flat and is comfortable

·        ☐ Side and sleeve seams are secure

·        ☐ All ends are woven in

·        ☐ Finished sweater dried flat and measured