As I worked out the design for the Journeyer pullover from my Open Road collection, versatility was a priority. I only have so much time for knitting sweaters, so I prefer classic designs that can I can wear a lot of different ways—with a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers on weekends or with a tailored shirt, skirt, and boots on workdays.
Journeyer has gentle A-line shaping that's flattering for many figures. The pattern is written for six sizes, with bust circumferences from 33.5 inches/85 cm to 50 inches/127 cm. It's hip length, but I think a fun modification might be a cropped version 2-3 inches shorter, without any shaping.
I also wanted the knitting to be engaging but not too complicated—so if you cast on now, you wouldn't still be knitting next spring. It's knit in worsted weight yarn (Cascade 220) at a gauge of 19 sts/29 rows over 4 inches/10 cm. The center panels on front and back are fun to knit, and once you've worked a few inches they're very intuitive: I found it easy to look at my knitting and see what would come next.
I dislike close-fitting crew necks—I find them uncomfortable and not very flattering. So I made Journeyer's neck shaping a little wider than a typical crewneck. The neckband is worked in a classic 1x1 ribbing that's folded over and sewn to the fabric on the wrong side. This method creates a comfortable and flexible neckband that wears well and looks beautifully polished.
Journeyer is worked in the round from the hem to the underarms. The front and back are then worked flat and joined at the shoulders. The sleeves are worked in the round, from the top down, using short rows to shape the caps. I love this method because 1) it's easy, and 2) there are no surprises. You can try on the sleeve as you knit it and thus find out very early on if the upper arm fits well—if not, you can start over with more or fewer stitches. And you can judge the length as you knit. Unlike a traditional set-in sleeve, the top-down method eliminates any uncertainty about how it's going to look or fit.
The sleeves are three-quarter length (my favorite!), but if you prefer long sleeves you can keep knitting to the length you like, working one or two more decrease rounds and starting the ribbing wherever you'd like.
Journeyer is one of three designs in my Open Road collection. Next week I'll focus on another of the Open Road designs—the Allons mitts.
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