purlJam

# Cosy Circular-Yoke Pullover (Flat-Bed Machine Knit)

A beginner-friendly worsted-weight pullover with the look of a seamless circular yoke, achieved on a flat-bed standard-gauge machine using four flat panels and a one-piece decreasing yoke band. Single back seam.

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## Materials
- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran), smooth plied wool or wool blend. Approx. **900–1100 m / 1000–1200 yds** for size M.
- **Machine:** Standard gauge flat-bed (4.5 mm), e.g., Brother KH-series, Silver Reed SK280. No ribber required (mock rib used). Ribber optional for true 1×1 rib.
- **Tools:** 1-prong and 3-prong transfer tools, claw weights (×4), cast-on comb, ravel cord, waste yarn (smooth contrast), latch tool, tapestry needle.

## Gauge / Tension
- **Main tension:** T8 in stocking stitch.
- **Gauge (washed & blocked):** **22 sts × 30 rows = 10 cm / 4"**.
- **Swatch first:** Cast on 40 sts with waste yarn, knit 60 rows main yarn at T8, bind off loose. Wash, dry flat, measure central 10 cm. Adjust tension ±1 if needed.

## Size
Pattern written for **Size M (finished bust 100 cm / 39½")**. Numbers based on Size M only — beginner version.

| Measurement | cm | inches |
|---|---|---|
| Finished bust | 100 | 39½ |
| Body length (underarm to hem) | 40 | 15¾ |
| Yoke depth | 22 | 8¾ |
| Total length | 62 | 24½ |
| Sleeve length (underarm to cuff) | 42 | 16½ |
| Upper arm | 36 | 14¼ |

## Abbreviations
- **RC** – row counter
- **COL / COR** – carriage on left / right
- **MY / WY** – main yarn / waste yarn
- **T#** – tension dial setting
- **NWP / WP / HP** – non-working / working / holding position
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **k** – knit (carriage pass)
- **dec** – decrease by transferring stitch to adjacent needle and pushing emptied needle to NWP

## Pattern Notes
- All pieces start with **waste-yarn cast-on + ravel cord**, then are rehung onto the machine for a folded mock-rib hem at the end (or sewn hem at finishing).
- For a beginner-friendly cuff/hem, we knit a **mock rib (slip-stitch hem)**: knit 16 rows MY at T6, knit 1 row T10 (turning row), knit 16 rows MY at T8, then continue. Hang first MY row onto needles to form a folded tubular hem.
- The "circular yoke" effect is achieved by knitting one **continuous yoke band** that joins all four pieces, with three evenly-spaced decrease rows. It is seamed up the back to close the circle.
- Hang claw weights every 20 rows and after every decrease row.

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## 1. BACK PANEL

**Setup:** Bring **110 needles** into WP (55 L – 55 R of centre 0). COR. T8.

**Cast-on:** Waste yarn at T8, knit 10 rows ending COL. Insert ravel cord across all needles. Knit 1 row. Change to MY.

**Hem (mock rib):**
- RC 000. T6. K 16 rows. RC 016. COR.
- T10. K 1 row (turning row). RC 017. COL.
- T8. K 16 rows. RC 033. COR.
- Rehang hem: pick up first MY row loops with transfer tool and place onto corresponding needles. Pull MY firmly.

**Body:**
- Continue T8, k straight to **RC 153** (120 rows above hem = 40 cm). COR or COL — note: COR preferred for next step.

**Mark underarms** with scrap yarn at both edges on RC 153.

**Hold on waste yarn:** With COR, change to WY, k 6 rows, drop off the machine and set aside. **110 sts held.**

**Math check:** 110 sts ÷ 22 sts/10 cm = 50 cm half-bust → 100 cm total ✓. 120 rows ÷ 30 rows/10 cm = 40 cm ✓.

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## 2. FRONT PANEL

Work **exactly as Back**. End with 110 sts on waste yarn. Set aside.

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## 3. SLEEVES (make 2)

**Setup:** Bring **50 needles** into WP (25 L – 25 R of 0). COR. T8.

**Cast-on + hem:** Waste yarn 10 rows + ravel cord, change to MY.
- RC 000. T6, k 16 rows. T10, k 1 row. T8, k 16 rows. Rehang hem. RC 033. COR.

**Sleeve shaping (increases):** Increase 1 st each end every 8 rows, 15 times → 80 sts.
- At RC 033, COR. K 8 rows to RC 041, COR.
- **Increase:** Use 1-prong transfer tool to pick up the heel of the edge stitch from below and place onto the next empty needle outside the work, both ends. (Fully-fashioned-style edge increase.) Bring new needles to WP.
- Continue: increase both ends every 8 rows (RC 049, 057, 065, … through RC 153).
- After 15 increases: **80 sts** in work. RC 153.

**Math check:** 50 + (15 × 2) = 80 sts. 80 ÷ 22 × 10 = 36.4 cm upper arm ✓. 120 rows ÷ 30 × 10 = 40 cm above hem; total sleeve incl. hem = 42 cm ✓.

**Hold on waste yarn:** WY, k 6 rows, drop off. **80 sts held.** Make second sleeve identical.

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## 4. CIRCULAR YOKE (knit flat as one band)

This is where the four panels become a yoke. We rehang all four pieces side-by-side onto the bed in the order:

**Left half-Back (55) – Left Sleeve (80) – Front (110) – Right Sleeve (80) – Right half-Back (55)**

Total = **380 sts**.

### Rehanging
- Bring 380 needles into WP, centred on 0 (190 L – 190 R).
- Working from left to right, rehang each piece by picking up the last MY row (just below the WY) and placing each stitch onto a needle. **Pull out WY** as you go.
- Bed layout from left to right:
  - Needles 190–136 L: Back left-half (55 sts)
  - Needles 135 L – 56 L: Left Sleeve (80 sts)
  - Needles 55 L – 55 R: Front (110 sts)
  - Needles 56 R – 135 R: Right Sleeve (80 sts)
  - Needles 136 R – 190 R: Back right-half (55 sts)
- Hang claw weights across the entire bed (at least 6).
- COR. RC 000 (reset).

### Yoke rows

**T8. K 16 rows straight.** RC 016. COR.

**Decrease Round 1 (380 → 304 sts):** Decrease 1 st in every 5 sts across.
- With COR, use the 2-prong / 3-prong transfer tool: transfer every 5th st onto its neighbour and push emptied needle to NWP. Work right-to-left across all 380 needles.
- Result: 76 decreases, **304 sts** remaining in WP.
- K 1 row to settle. RC 017. COL.

**K 24 rows straight** at T8. RC 041. COR or COL — should be COR (24 rows brings carriage back to COR if started COL after dec). Confirm: COL at RC 017 + 24 = RC 041, COR. ✓

**Decrease Round 2 (304 → 228 sts):** Decrease 1 st in every 4 sts across.
- Transfer every 4th st onto neighbour, push empty needles to NWP.
- 76 decreases, **228 sts** remaining.
- K 1 row. RC 042. COL.

**K 18 rows straight** at T8. RC 060. COL → COR.

**Decrease Round 3 (228 → 114 sts):** Decrease every other st (halve).
- Transfer every 2nd st onto its neighbour, push empty needles to NWP.
- 114 decreases, **114 sts** remaining.
- K 1 row. RC 061. COL.

**K 4 rows** at T8. RC 065.

**Total yoke depth:** 65 rows ÷ 30 × 10 = **21.7 cm ≈ 22 cm** ✓.

**Math check:** 380 → 304 (×0.8) → 228 (×0.75) → 114 (×0.5). Final 114 sts ÷ 22 × 10 = 51.8 cm neckline circumference (relaxed) — fits comfortably over head ✓.

### Neckband
- Change to T5. K 12 rows. RC 077.
- T10. K 1 row (turning row). RC 078.
- T5. K 12 rows. RC 090.
- T10. K 1 row.
- **Bind off loosely** with latch tool: bring all sts forward, latch-tool bind off across, drawing each st through the next. Keep loose — must stretch over head.

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## 5. FINISHING

1. **Steam-block all seams flat** on the wrong side using a damp cloth and warm iron — do NOT press creases.
2. **Sew back seam:** Mattress stitch up the centre back from hem to neckband edge, joining the two half-Back panels and continuing through the entire yoke band.
3. **Underarm seams:** Sew sleeve seam from cuff up to underarm marker. Close any small gap at the underarm join with a few duplicate stitches.
4. **Fold neckband** at the T10 turning row to inside and slip-stitch the bound-off edge to the first row of the neckband on the WS.
5. **Weave in all ends** on WS using tapestry needle. Pay special attention to the rehang points at the yoke join — anchor with a few extra stitches.
6. **Wash gently** in lukewarm water with wool wash, roll in towel, lay flat to dry. Block to measurements using blocking pins/wires. The yoke decreases will settle into smooth, circular-looking rounds after blocking.

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## Quick Reference – RC Checkpoints

| Piece | RC milestones |
|---|---|
| Back / Front | 000 cast-on → 033 hem done → 153 hold on WY |
| Sleeve | 000 → 033 hem → inc every 8 rows from 041 to 153 → hold |
| Yoke | 000 rehang → 016 dec 1 → 041 dec 2 → 060 dec 3 → 065 → 090 neckband → bind off |

**Final st counts:** Back 110, Front 110, Sleeve 80 ×2, Yoke join 380, after dec 1: 304, dec 2: 228, dec 3: 114, neckband 114 sts bound off. ✓

Enjoy your cosy yoke pullover!