Modern Men's Chessboard Jumper (Textured Checker)

Boxy, modern men's jumper knitted flat with a textured chessboard (checker) pattern formed by alternating stockinette and reverse-stockinette blocks. Drop-shoulder, minimal shaping; great for a clean contemporary look. Written for 6 sizes: S (M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL). Gauge, needle and yarn details included; pattern uses multiples of 8 stitches for the chessboard repeat.

Finished measurements (approx)

• Chest (finished): 40 (42, 44, 46, 48, 50) in / 102 (107, 112, 117, 122, 127) cm
• Body length from cast-on to shoulder: 26 (27, 27.5, 28, 28.5, 29) in / 66 (68.5, 70, 71, 72.5, 73.5) cm
• Sleeve length (from shoulder seam to cuff): 18 (18.5, 19, 19.5, 20, 20.5) in / 46 (47, 48, 49.5, 51, 52) cm

Yarn

Worsted / Aran weight yarn (US "worsted", UK "aran"). Mainly worked in one color for a textured chessboard effect; you can use two contrasting colors instead if you prefer a color-checker look (see notes).

• Suggested yarn: Smooth worsted/aran with good stitch definition (e.g., 100% wool or wool blends).
• Yardage (approx): S 900 yd / 825 m; M 1000 yd / 915 m; L 1100 yd / 1005 m; XL 1200 yd / 1095 m; XXL 1300 yd / 1188 m; 3XL 1400 yd / 1280 m.
• Skein example: 100 g = ~200 yd / 183 m (adjust skein counts based on your chosen yarn).

Needles

• Ribbing: US 7 / UK 7 / 4.5 mm (pair of straight or short circulars)
• Main fabric: US 8 / UK 6 / 5.0 mm (24" or 32" circular recommended for flat knitting; straight needles okay)
• Optional: sets of DPNs or circulars for seaming sleeves if preferred.

Notes: "UK old" sizing uses the traditional British numbering where larger numbers indicate smaller diameter needles; here we give the commonly used conversions: US 7 = 4.5 mm = UK 7, US 8 = 5.0 mm = UK 6.

Notions

• Tapestry needle for seaming
• Stitch markers (optional)
• Measuring tape
• Waste yarn for provisional cast-on (optional)

Gauge

18 sts x 24 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette using US 8 / 5.0 mm needles. Gauge measured after blocking. The chessboard texture can affect gauge a little; make a sample to check both stitch and row gauge. Chess squares in the written pattern are 8 sts x 8 rows by default; adjust needle size if you want squares closer to true squares.

Abbreviations

• k = knit
• p = purl
• CO = cast on
• sts = stitches
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side
• rep = repeat
• PM = place marker

Chessboard (8 x 8) pattern - textured (works flat)

Pattern uses 8-stitch blocks across the row and 8-row blocks vertically. Each "square" is either stockinette (Block A) or reverse-stockinette (Block B). Work a 16-row vertical repeat which alternates the starting block every 8 rows so the checker shifts.

How to work the blocks: For a Block A (stockinette block) work knit on RS rows for all 8 sts, and purl on WS rows for the same 8 sts. For a Block B (reverse-stockinette block) work purl on RS rows for all 8 sts and knit on WS rows for the same 8 sts.

Written 16-row repeat (each row worked across the whole row):

Rows 1-8:
Row 1 (RS): *K8, P8; rep to end
Rows 2-8: Continue working each 8-st block in its stitch (i.e., for the K8 blocks knit on RS rows and purl on WS rows; for the P8 blocks purl on RS and knit on WS), maintaining the same block sequence as Row 1.
Rows 9-16:
Row 9 (RS): *P8, K8; rep to end
Rows 10-16: Continue each block in its stitch as above.
Repeat Rows 1-16 for length.

Tip: If you prefer larger or smaller squares, choose a different even multiple (e.g., 6 x 6 or 10 x 10) and cast on a multiple of that stitch-count across.

Pattern notes

• All stitch counts below are multiples of 8 to match the chessboard repeat.
• Garment is worked flat in pieces and seamed: Back, Front, two Sleeves.
• Sleeves are knit as simple tubes (drop-shoulder) with no increases for a modern, slightly fitted look. If you prefer more room, increase evenly once or twice along the sleeve length to match your bicep measurement.

Stitch counts (cast-on & per half piece)

Total body stitch count (all sizes are multiples of 8):

• S: total 184 sts (back = 92, front = 92)
• M: total 192 sts (back = 96, front = 96)
• L: total 200 sts (back = 100, front = 100)
• XL: total 208 sts (back = 104, front = 104)
• XXL: total 216 sts (back = 108, front = 108)
• 3XL: total 224 sts (back = 112, front = 112)

Back

1. Using smaller needles (US 7 / 4.5 mm) CO 92 (96, 100, 104, 108, 112) sts.
2. Work 2x2 rib (K2, P2) for 2 in / 5 cm. End on WS.
3. Change to main needles (US 8 / 5.0 mm) and begin chessboard pattern across all sts, starting Row 1 of the pattern at the RS. Maintain the 8-st block alignment across the row.
4. Work until piece measures 26 (27, 27.5, 28, 28.5, 29) in / 66 (68.5, 70, 71, 72.5, 73.5) cm from cast-on, or desired length to shoulder seam. End having completed full 8-row blocks (i.e., after Row 8 or Row 16 of the repeat) so edges line up cleanly.
5. Bind off all sts loosely. Block back to measurements. Set aside.

Front

1. Work as for back through rib and into chessboard pattern until piece measures 3 in / 7.5 cm less than the back length (for neck shaping). Example: if your back is 26 in, work front to 23 in.
2. Neck shaping (crew): On next RS row, bind off center 12 (12, 14, 14, 16, 16) sts for the neck. Work each shoulder separately continuing the chessboard pattern, taking care to maintain block alignment at the neck edge—if necessary, adjust by working a few extra plain knit or purl sts at the outer edge to keep the chess squares visually aligned.
3. Work each shoulder until front total length equals back total length. Bind off shoulder sts loosely to match the back shoulder width.

Sleeves (simple tube, drop shoulder)

These are worked straight in the round or flat — below are flat instructions so the chessboard pattern is maintained easily.

1. Choose cuff cast-on as a multiple of 8. Example cuff counts used in sample: S 40, M 44, L 48, XL 52, XXL 56, 3XL 60 sts. (Adjust to fit your cuff circumference using gauge.)
2. Using smaller needles (US 7 / 4.5 mm) CO chosen cuff sts.
3. Work 2x2 rib for 2 in / 5 cm.
4. Change to main needles (US 8 / 5.0 mm) and begin chessboard pattern, aligning blocks across the row.
5. Work straight in chessboard pattern until sleeve from cuff to seam measures 18 (18.5, 19, 19.5, 20, 20.5) in / 46 (47, 48, 49.5, 51, 52) cm or your desired sleeve length.
6. Bind off all sts loosely. Make the second sleeve to match.

Assembly

1. Block pieces gently to measurements; press the chessboard texture into place but avoid stretching.
2. Seam shoulders (mattress stitch for a neat join).
3. Set sleeves into the armholes aligning the midpoint of the sleeve cap (for drop shoulder the sleeve top edge meets the shoulder seam center) and seam evenly to the body. For a true drop-shoulder, the sleeve seam will sit lower on the arm—position as desired for style.
4. Sew side seams and sleeve seams in one continuous mattress-stitch seam from cuff to hem if you prefer.

Neckband (optional tighter crew)

1. With RS facing and smaller needles (US 7 / 4.5 mm), pick up stitches evenly around the neck opening (approx 1 pick-up for every 1.5 rows of bound-off neck edge) so the total is a multiple of 4. Example pickup count will vary: typically 80-100 sts depending on size. Avoid picking up too many; you want the band to sit slightly smaller than the neck opening to lie flat.
2. Work 2x2 rib for 1 in / 2.5 cm, or 1.5 in if you prefer a taller band.
3. Bind off loosely in rib pattern. Weave in ends and block lightly to settle.

Finishing

• Weave in all ends neatly on RS side where possible, using mattress stitch to close seams securely.
• Block the finished sweater gently to measurements; this evens the chessboard texture.
• Label the garment with size and yarn if you like.

Modifications & tips

• Two-color checkerboard: Work the same pattern but knit stockinette squares in Color A and reverse-stockinette squares in Color B to create a color-check. This requires careful color-carrying or intarsia for larger blocks—recommend planning color joins at block boundaries.
• To change square size, cast on a multiple of your desired block-stitch-size (e.g., 6, 8, 10) and change the vertical block height to the same number of rows. Recalculate cast-on multiples accordingly.
• To add sleeve shaping (more room at bicep), increase 1 stitch at each end of the sleeve every 3-4 in until desired bicep circumference is reached; keep increases in areas that do not break the 8-st block pattern or add small plain stitch columns to absorb mismatches.
• Want a less boxy fit? Reduce the finished chest by 2-4 in / 5-10 cm and/or shorten body length by 1-2 in.

Troubleshooting

• If the chessboard looks vertically squashed vs. wide, your row gauge vs. stitch gauge differ; try altering needle size (smaller needles give more rows per inch, larger give fewer rows per inch) until blocks look near-square.
• If side edges of chessboard do not align, ensure you're finishing full 8-row blocks before binding off or shaping; edging can be smoothed by adding a small selvedge (slip 1 purlwise at start of each row).

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