purlJam

<pattern>

# CLOUD NINE PULLOVER
## An Oversized Drop Shoulder Sweater with Balloon Sleeves

**Design**: A luxuriously soft, relaxed pullover featuring a wide boat neckline, dropped shoulders, and romantic balloon sleeves. Worked in double-strand silk mohair for an airy, cloud-like fabric. The minimalist stockinette construction makes this an ideal project for adventurous beginners.

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## SPECIFICATIONS

**Difficulty Level**: Beginner  
**Construction**: Drop shoulder, worked flat in pieces from bottom up. Sleeves picked up and worked down.  
**Yarn Weight**: Sport (lace weight held double)  
**Sizes**: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

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## SIZES & MEASUREMENTS

**To Fit Bust**: 28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46, 48-50)"

**Finished Measurements**:
- **Bust circumference**: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56)"
- **Positive ease**: +6 to +10" (oversized fit)
- **Body length**: 22 (22.5, 23, 23.5, 24, 24.5)"
- **Armhole depth**: 10 (10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5)"
- **Sleeve length** (from underarm): 17 (17, 17.5, 17.5, 18, 18)"
- **Upper sleeve circumference** (at balloon): 18 (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)"
- **Cuff circumference**: 7 (7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5)"

---

## MATERIALS

**Yarn**: 
- Lace weight silk mohair blend, held DOUBLE throughout
- Approximately 1200 (1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200) yards total
- Sample uses 2 strands of Mohair/Silk (72% mohair, 28% silk; 229 yards/25g) held together
- 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) skeins

**Needles**:
- US 9 (5.5 mm) straight or circular needles (for flat knitting), 32" length minimum
- US 7 (4.5 mm) needles for ribbing
- Or sizes needed to obtain gauge

**Notions**:
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle for seaming
- Stitch holders or waste yarn (optional)

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## GAUGE

**18 stitches × 26 rows = 4 inches** in stockinette stitch on larger needles with yarn held double, after blocking

⚠️ **CRITICAL**: Gauge must be accurate. The loose, airy fabric is intentional - don't knit too tightly. Take time to swatch with TWO strands held together.

**To check gauge**: Cast on 24 sts with larger needles and 2 strands held together. Work in stockinette for 5". Block gently. Measure center 4" square. Adjust needle size if necessary.

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## PATTERN NOTES

**Construction Overview**:
1. Back and Front are worked separately as flat rectangles from hem to shoulder
2. Shoulders are seamed, leaving wide center opening for boat neckline
3. Sleeves are picked up along armhole edges and worked down with balloon shaping
4. Minimal finishing

**Yarn Tips**:
- Always work with 2 strands of lace weight yarn held together as one
- Wind both skeins into balls or pull from inside and outside of center-pull skein
- The fabric will bloom and become airier after blocking

**Fit Notes**:
- This sweater is designed to be very oversized and relaxed
- The dropped shoulder seam sits well down the upper arm
- Choose size based on desired ease (6-10" is recommended)
- Boat neckline is wide and may slip off shoulder - this is intentional

**Techniques Used**:
- Cast on, bind off
- Knit and purl
- Stockinette stitch
- K2, p2 ribbing
- Picking up stitches
- Seaming
- Increasing (M1L, M1R)
- Decreasing (k2tog, ssk)

---

## ABBREVIATIONS

- **CO**: cast on
- **BO**: bind off
- **k**: knit
- **p**: purl
- **st(s)**: stitch(es)
- **RS**: right side
- **WS**: wrong side
- **St st**: stockinette stitch (knit on RS, purl on WS)
- **M1L**: make 1 left (lift bar between sts from front, knit through back loop)
- **M1R**: make 1 right (lift bar between sts from back, knit through front loop)
- **k2tog**: knit 2 stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
- **ssk**: slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
- **pm**: place marker
- **sm**: slip marker

---

## PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS

### BACK

**With smaller needles and 2 strands held together**, CO 81 (90, 99, 108, 117, 126) sts.

*Math check: 81 sts ÷ 4.5 sts/inch = 18" width × 2 = 36" ✓*

**Ribbing**:
Row 1 (RS): *K2, p2; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 2 (WS): *P2, k2; repeat from * to last st, p1.

Repeat Rows 1-2 until ribbing measures 2", ending with a WS row.

**Switch to larger needles**.

**Body**:
Work in St st (knit on RS, purl on WS) until piece measures 12 (12, 12.5, 12.5, 13, 13)" from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.

*This is the underarm point. The armhole is simply the straight side edge above this point.*

**Continue in St st without shaping** until piece measures 22 (22.5, 23, 23.5, 24, 24.5)" from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.

*Armhole depth = 22 - 12 = 10" for size XS ✓*

**BO all sts loosely**.

### FRONT

Work exactly as for Back.

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### FINISHING - SHOULDERS & NECKLINE

**Block** both pieces to measurements, pinning flat and allowing mohair to relax.

**Join Shoulders**:

With RS facing, lay Front and Back together with RS touching (WS facing out).

Starting at armhole edge:
1. Seam the **first 25 (27, 29, 31, 34, 37) sts** of each shoulder using mattress stitch or backstitch. This creates a shoulder seam of approximately 5.5 (6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8)".

*Math: 25 sts ÷ 4.5 sts/inch = 5.5" ✓*

2. Leave the **center 31 (36, 41, 46, 49, 52) sts** of each piece unjoined for the boat neckline.

*Math check for XS: 25 + 31 + 25 = 81 sts ✓*
*Neck width: 31 sts ÷ 4.5 sts/inch = 6.9" × 2 (front + back) = 13.8" opening ✓*

3. Seam the remaining **25 (27, 29, 31, 34, 37) sts** on the other shoulder.

**Neckline Finish**:

The boat neckline requires no picked-up edge. Simply allow the edges to roll naturally, or work optional edging:

**Optional Simple Edge** (recommended):
With smaller needles, RS facing, and starting at shoulder seam:
- Pick up and knit 1 st in each BO st along back neck
- Pick up and knit 1 st in each BO st along front neck
- Join to work in the round if desired, work 1 round of k2, p2 rib
- BO loosely in pattern

OR leave raw edges for a deconstructed look (edges will roll slightly).

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### SLEEVES (both alike)

Sleeves are picked up along the straight side edges and worked down with balloon shaping.

**Pickup Round**:

With larger needles, RS facing, and starting at underarm point (where ribbing meets body):

Pick up and knit **49 (52, 55, 58, 61, 64) sts** evenly along the straight armhole edge from underarm to shoulder seam, pm, then pick up and knit **49 (52, 55, 58, 61, 64) sts** evenly along the other side of armhole back to underarm.

*Total: 98 (104, 110, 116, 122, 128) sts*

*Math check: Armhole depth is 10" = 65 rows for XS. Pickup ratio is approximately 3 sts for every 4 rows: 65 × 0.75 = 49 sts per side ✓*

Pm for beginning of round at underarm. Join to work in the round.

**Upper Sleeve Setup**:

Purl 1 round (creates turning ridge).

Next round: Knit all sts.

**Balloon Shaping - Increase Section**:

The upper sleeve increases to create volume.

Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: K1, M1R, knit to 1 st before marker, M1L, k1.

Repeat these 2 rounds **5 more times** (6 increase rounds total).

*New stitch count: 98 + 12 = 110 (116, 122, 128, 134, 140) sts*
*Circumference: 110 ÷ 4.5 = 24.4" for XS... WAIT, this is too large!*

**RECALCULATION NEEDED**:

For proper balloon sleeve proportions:
- Upper arm at balloon: 18 (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)" = 81 (86, 90, 95, 99, 104) sts
- Cuff: 7 (7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5)" = 32 (34, 36, 38, 41, 43) sts

Starting sts at pickup should be less. Let me recalculate:

**CORRECTED SLEEVE PICKUP**:

Pick up **36 (38, 40, 42, 44, 46) sts** along each side of armhole.
*Total: 72 (76, 80, 84, 88, 92) sts*

**Balloon Shaping - Increase Section** (CORRECTED):

Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: K1, M1R, knit to 1 st before end of round, M1L, k1. (2 sts increased)

Repeat Rounds 1-2 **four (five, five, five, five, six) more times**.

*Increase rounds: 5 (6, 6, 6