Chunky Drop-Shoulder Sweater (10.0 mm / US 15 / UK 000)

A simple, boxy drop-shoulder pullover worked in bulky/super-bulky yarn on very large needles for fast knitting and a cozy fabric. Designed to be beginner-friendly: worked flat in pieces (back, front, sleeves) and seamed. Includes sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X). Gauge and needle choices tuned for a 10.0 mm needle.

Key specs

Needles: US 15 / 10.0 mm / UK 000 — main; US 13 / 9.0 mm / UK 00 — optional for tighter ribbing or use same 10.0 mm for everything.
Yarn: Super Bulky (Category 6) or a dense Bulky worked at a looser tension. Suggested sample yarn: 100 g = 110 yd (100 m) per skein.
Gauge: 9 sts and 12 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette on 10.0 mm needles. Swatch 4" x 4" and adjust needle size to match gauge.
Style: Boxy, drop-shoulder, slightly oversized. Easy set-in sleeves after seaming.

Finished measurements (approx)

Chest (finished): XS 34" (86 cm), S 39" (99 cm), M 43" (109 cm), L 47" (119 cm), XL 51" (130 cm), 2X 55" (140 cm), 3X 59" (150 cm).
Body length (shoulder to hem): XS 20" (51 cm), S 21" (53 cm), M 22" (56 cm), L 23" (58 cm), XL 24" (61 cm), 2X 25" (64 cm), 3X 26" (66 cm).
Sleeve length (center top of shoulder to cuff): XS 17" (43 cm), S 17.5" (44.5 cm), M 18" (46 cm), L 18.5" (47 cm), XL 19" (48 cm), 2X 19.5" (50 cm), 3X 20" (51 cm).

Yarn requirements (approx)

Assumes 100 g / 110 yd (100 m) skeins. Buy one skein extra for swatching and shade matching.

XS: 6 skeins — ~660 yd (600 m)
S: 7 skeins — ~770 yd (700 m)
M: 8 skeins — ~880 yd (800 m)
L: 9 skeins — ~990 yd (900 m)
XL: 10 skeins — ~1100 yd (1000 m)
2X: 11 skeins — ~1210 yd (1100 m)
3X: 12 skeins — ~1320 yd (1200 m)

Notions

Stitch markers (4–6)
Tapestry needle
Measuring tape
Stitch holders or waste yarn
Buttons optional (not required)

Needles (explicit sizes)

Main needles: US 15 / 10.0 mm / UK 000 — circular 24" (60 cm) recommended if you prefer working body in one long piece, or straight needles for flat panels.
Ribbing (optional): US 13 / 9.0 mm / UK 00 if you want a firmer cuff/hem rib; many knitters use the same 10.0 mm for ribbing to keep the drape consistent.
Small DPNs or 16" circular in matching size for sleeve cuffs if needed: US 15 / 10.0 mm / UK 000.

Abbreviations

K = knit
P = purl
K2tog = knit 2 together
P2tog = purl 2 together
CO = cast on
BO = bind off
St(s) = stitch(es)
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Pattern notes

This is a drop-shoulder sweater with minimal shaping; front and back are identical in width, with a shallow neck shaping on the front only.
Work to your preferred length — body and sleeve lengths include suggested numbers below; check fit as you go.
Because the fabric is bulky and drapey, blocking gently after seaming will even stitches and set measurements.

Stitch counts to cast on (body and sleeves)

All cast-on numbers are multiples of 4 to work K2,P2 ribbing cleanly.

Full body circumference (cast-on split between front & back): XS 76 (CO 38 for back / 38 for front), S 88 (44/44), M 96 (48/48), L 104 (52/52), XL 112 (56/56), 2X 120 (60/60), 3X 128 (64/64).
Sleeves (cuff cast-on): XS 28, S 32, M 36, L 40, XL 44, 2X 48, 3X 56.

Back (worked flat)

CO back number of sts for your size onto 10 mm needles. (See cast-on above.)
Ribbing: K2, P2 across for 3" (8 cm). Change to stockinette: Row 1 (RS): K across. Row 2 (WS): P across.
Work in stockinette until the back measures from cast-on edge to shoulder 20" (51 cm) for XS, 21" (53 cm) S, 22" (56 cm) M, 23" (58 cm) L, 24" (61 cm) XL, 25" (64 cm) 2X, 26" (66 cm) 3X — or until you reach the length where you want the hem to sit. End having worked a WS row.
Shoulder shaping: For a drop shoulder we keep shoulders straight: BO 4 (you can increase/decrease this if you want narrower/wider shoulder seams) at the beginning of the next 4 rows to create a little slope, or simply BO all sts when the full length is reached if you prefer a straight shoulder edge. If you choose partial BOs, seam later to match front shouldering.
Place shoulder stitches on a holder or BO and leave center section for neck area as is — for the back you will usually not shape the neck, so BO remaining sts if desired to create a back neck opening (optional: BO center 12 sts for back neck and then BO shoulder chunks separately).

Front

Work as for back to the point where front length equals back to underarm.
Neck shaping (shallow scoop): When front measures 2" less than the full back length (so you will leave room for shoulder seam), BO center 6 (XS) / 8 (S) / 8 (M) / 10 (L) / 10 (XL) / 12 (2X) / 12 (3X) sts for neck and work each side separately.
Work each shoulder side separately: dec 1 st at neck edge every RS row 2 times to create a gentle slope, until shoulder width matches back shoulder width (so that seaming lines up). Keep outer edge stitches unworked until shoulder seaming.
BO remaining shoulder sts to match the back when lengths align.

Sleeves

CO sleeve cuff sts for your size on 10 mm needles.
Rib cuff: K2,P2 for 2.5" (6 cm) or desired cuff length.
Change to stockinette. Increase for sleeve body: Increase 1 stitch at each end of every 8th row until you have reached the listed sleeve counts (or until sleeve measures upper arm circumference desired at bicep). Example increases: M size start 36 sts, increase evenly to target 36–no increase if target equals starting; for sizes that need larger biceps, increase as needed (suggested total increases: XS add 0–4 sts, S add 0–6, etc.). Keep increases symmetrical and place markers to track.
Work sleeve until total length from top of cuff to underarm equals about 13" (33 cm) for XS and increase 0.5" per size as desired — final sleeve length to underarm should match the body underarm placement.
BO all sts and leave sleeve open for seaming.

Finishing and assembly

Block pieces to measurements gently (wet block or steam), pin to size if needed and let dry.
Using mattress stitch, seam shoulders first matching any slopes created. If you left the back neck whole and shaped the front, align shoulder edges and seam.
Pin front and back together at sides to the underarm for the desired ease. Seam side seams from hem to underarm using mattress stitch.
Sew sleeves into armholes: With RS facing, fold sleeve in half lengthwise to find top center and align top of sleeve to shoulder seam; ease sleeve edges to fit armhole opening and seam from underarm around sleeve length if needed. Alternatively seam sleeves flat first and then seam sleeve/side seams together in one long seam.
Neck finishing: Pick up stitches evenly around the neckline using 10 mm needles and work K2,P2 rib for 1"–1.5" (2.5–4 cm) and BO loosely in rib. Or attach a folded neckband seam for a thicker collar.
Weave in ends and give a final gentle block if needed.

Fit tips

Because this is a chunky fabric, even small changes in stitch count change size significantly. Make a swatch and measure gauge carefully.
If you prefer less ease, subtract 4"–6" from the finished chest measurement and recalculate stitches using gauge: stitches = desired chest inches x (9 sts / 4").
If you want a longer sweater, add rows in the body before shoulder shaping; if you want shorter sleeves, measure as you go and try on the sleeve before seaming.

Simple troubleshooting

Too many stitches per 4": try larger needles to loosen fabric or use the same yarn in a lighter weight.
Too few stitches per 4": use smaller needles or a heavier yarn.
Uneven ribbing: try using the slightly smaller needle only for ribbing to get crisper edges.

Care

Check the yarn label. Many super-bulky blended yarns are hand wash and dry flat. Block gently to avoid stretching.

Support

Pattern and help from PurlJam. Website: https://purljam.verde.uk. Support email: team@verde.uk. Socials: #purljam.

Enjoy knitting this quick, cozy sweater! If you want a version with raglan yoke shaping or a fitted shoulder, request that specific style and I can provide a separate, fully detailed raglan pattern and exact increase counts.

purlJam

The knitting and crochet AI pattern pixie