Navy Membrane Raglan Pullover

A seamless top-down raglan with a centered MATLAB-inspired membrane logo

A dark navy pullover worked in the round from the neck down, with classic raglan diagonals and a crew neck. The front chest carries a colorwork motif of the familiar L-shaped MATLAB membrane (the MathWorks logo look): a draped, saddle-shaped surface in cool-to-warm spectrum colors, centered on the body. Intermediate knitters who are comfortable with increases, German short rows, and stranded colorwork will find this a satisfying, try-on-as-you-go project.

MATLAB® and the membrane logo are trademarks of The MathWorks, Inc. This is an unofficial fan interpretation for personal use.

Skill level: Intermediate

Sizes

S (M, L, XL, 2XL) to fit chest 34–36 (38–40, 42–44, 46–48, 50–52)" / 86.5–91.5 (96.5–101.5, 106.5–112, 117–122, 127–132) cm.

Shown with about 2½–4½" / 6.5–11.5 cm positive ease. Choose a size 2–4" / 5–10 cm larger than your actual chest.

Finished measurements (after blocking)

• Chest: 38½ (42½, 46½, 50½, 54½)" / 98 (108, 118, 128, 138.5) cm
• Yoke depth at front raglan (neckband to underarm): 8 (8½, 9½, 10½, 11½)" / 20.5 (21.5, 24, 26.5, 29) cm
• Body length from underarm (including hem): 16 (16½, 17, 17½, 18)" / 40.5 (42, 43, 44.5, 45.5) cm
• Upper arm: 13½ (14¾, 16½, 18, 19½)" / 34.5 (37.5, 42, 45.5, 49.5) cm
• Sleeve length from underarm (including cuff): 19 (19½, 19½, 20, 20)" / 48.5 (49.5, 49.5, 51, 51) cm

Yarn

Worsted weight wool or wool-blend (about 220 yd / 201 m per 100 g).

MC (dark blue / navy): 1100 (1250, 1450, 1600, 1800) yd / 1005 (1145, 1325, 1465, 1645) m; 5 (6, 7, 8, 9) skeins.

Motif colors (small amounts): about 25 yd / 23 m each of cyan (or bright blue), green, yellow, orange, and red — the cool-to-warm spectrum of the classic MATLAB membrane. A scrap of very dark blue or black is optional for shadow.

Sample yarn: Cascade 220 (100% wool; 220 yd / 201 m per 100 g) in Navy (MC), plus Cyan, Christmas Green, Goldenrod, Pumpkin, and Red.

Needles

• US 6 / 4 mm: 16" / 40 cm circular, 32" / 80 cm circular, and DPNs (or a long circular for magic loop) for neckband, hem, and cuffs
• US 8 / 5 mm: 16" / 40 cm circular, 32" / 80 cm circular, and DPNs (or magic loop) for yoke, body, and sleeves

Adjust needle size to obtain gauge.

Notions

• 6 stitch markers (4 raglan, 1 unique BOR, 1 center front)
• Waste yarn or extra cables for holding sleeve stitches
• Tapestry needle
• Optional bobbins for motif colors

Gauge

20 stitches and 26 rounds = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on larger needles, blocked.

Check gauge. A difference of 1 stitch over 4" / 10 cm changes chest circumference by about 2" / 5 cm.

Notes

• Construction is full-circumference crew neck with German short rows (Method 1). Cast on the entire neck, join, work the neckband, then raise the back only with German short rows. Do not cast on extra front-neck stitches after the short rows.
• Raglan increases are worked every other round (8 stitches). On a few rounds, extra body-side increases (compound raglan) add width to the front and back without oversizing the sleeves.
• The MATLAB-inspired motif is worked in stranded colorwork on the front only, centered with the center-front marker. The back remains MC. If a separate chart panel is supplied with this pattern, follow it for color placement; the written instructions below still work if you knit from a printed MATLAB membrane image as a visual guide.
• Catch floats every 5 stitches. Do not carry contrast colors across the back.
• Try the yoke on before separating the sleeves. You may work extra even rounds for a deeper armhole; do not add extra increase rounds unless you also want more circumference.

Abbreviations (US)

BOR — beginning of round CC — contrast color CO — cast on dec — decrease DS — double stitch (German short row) inc — increase k — knit k2tog — knit 2 together (right-leaning dec) m — marker M1L — make 1 left (lift strand between sts from front to back, knit through back loop) M1R — make 1 right (lift strand between sts from back to front, knit through front loop) MC — main color p — purl pm — place marker rnd(s) — round(s) RS — right side sm — slip marker ssk — slip, slip, knit (left-leaning dec) st(s) — stitch(es) St st — stockinette stitch (knit every rnd in the round) WS — wrong side

Special techniques

German short row (DS): At the turning point, turn the work. Slip the first stitch purlwise with yarn in front. Pull the working yarn up and over the right needle to the back so the stitch sits as two legs on the needle (a double stitch). On a following row or round, knit (or purl) both legs together as one stitch.

Raglan Inc Rnd (8 sts): *Knit to marker, M1L, sm, M1R; repeat from * 3 more times, knit to end of round.

Compound Inc Rnd (12 sts): Work as for Raglan Inc Rnd, and work one additional make-one on the body side of each of the 4 raglan markers (M1L if the body stitches sit just before that marker, M1R if the body stitches sit just after it). Result: +4 Front, +4 Back, +2 each Sleeve.

Neckband

With MC and smaller 16" / 40 cm circular needle, using a stretchy method (long-tail or German twisted), CO 80 (84, 88, 92, 96) sts. Join in the round, being careful not to twist, and pm for BOR.

Rib rnd: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Work Rib rnd until neckband measures 1¼ (1¼, 1½, 1½, 1½)" / 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) cm.

Change to larger needles. Knit 1 rnd.

Place section markers

The BOR marker is the start of the Back. On the next round, place the remaining markers as you knit:

Knit 16 (17, 17, 18, 18) (half of Back), pm for center back if you like (optional), knit 16 (17, 17, 18, 18) to complete Back, pm (Back / Right Sleeve raglan), knit 8 (8, 10, 10, 12) Right Sleeve, pm, knit 16 (17, 17, 18, 18), pm for center front, knit 16 (17, 17, 18, 18) to complete Front, pm, knit 8 (8, 10, 10, 12) Left Sleeve, slip BOR marker.

Section counts: Back 32 (34, 34, 36, 36), Right Sleeve 8 (8, 10, 10, 12), Front 32 (34, 34, 36, 36), Left Sleeve 8 (8, 10, 10, 12). Total 80 (84, 88, 92, 96) ✓.

German short rows (raise the back only)

Work short rows over the Back stitches only. Do not cast on extra front stitches.

Short Row 1 (RS): From BOR, knit across Back to 2 sts before the Back / Right-Sleeve marker, turn.

Short Row 2 (WS): DS, purl to 2 sts before BOR (i.e., 2 sts before the Left-Sleeve / Back marker), turn.

Short Row 3: DS, knit to 2 sts before the previous DS, turn.

Short Row 4: DS, purl to 2 sts before the previous DS, turn.

Repeat Short Rows 3–4 another 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) times. You now have 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) double stitches on each side of the Back.

Resume the round (RS): DS, knit to BOR, working each DS you meet as one stitch (knit both legs together). Knit one complete round, working every remaining DS as one stitch. Front stitch count is unchanged.

Yoke

Work raglan increases every other round. On the listed rounds, work a Compound Inc Rnd instead of a Raglan Inc Rnd so the body keeps up with the target chest without oversizing the sleeves.

Inc sequence: Work 1 Raglan (or Compound) Inc Rnd, then 1 even knit rnd. That pair is one “inc step.”

Work 26 (28, 31, 34, 37) inc steps, using a Compound Inc Rnd on the following inc steps only (all others are Raglan Inc Rnds):

• S: steps 9 and 18 — 2 compound steps
• M: steps 7, 14, and 21 — 3 compound steps
• L: steps 5, 11, 16, 22, and 28 — 5 compound steps
• XL: steps 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 — 5 compound steps
• 2XL: steps 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 — 7 compound steps

Count checks

• After Inc Step 1 (Raglan): 80 + 8 = 88 (84 + 8 = 92, 88 + 8 = 96, 92 + 8 = 100, 96 + 8 = 104) sts ✓
• After all yoke increases:
  • Front: 32 (34, 34, 36, 36) + 2×26 (28, 31, 34, 37) + 2×2 (3, 5, 5, 7) = 88 (96, 106, 114, 124) ✓
  • Each sleeve: 8 (8, 10, 10, 12) + 2×26 (28, 31, 34, 37) = 60 (64, 72, 78, 86) ✓
  • Back: same as Front
  • Total: 80 (84, 88, 92, 96) + 8×26 (28, 31, 34, 37) + 4×2 (3, 5, 5, 7) = 296 (320, 356, 384, 420) ✓

Work even in St st (if needed) until the front raglan line, measured from the top of the neckband, is 8 (8½, 9½, 10½, 11½)" / 20.5 (21.5, 24, 26.5, 29) cm. Try on. The underarm should sit comfortably; extra even rounds are fine.

Separate body and sleeves

Knit across Back 88 (96, 106, 114, 124) sts, place the next 60 (64, 72, 78, 86) Right Sleeve sts on waste yarn, using a knitted or backward-loop cast-on, CO 8 (10, 10, 12, 12) underarm sts, knit across Front 88 (96, 106, 114, 124) sts, place the next 60 (64, 72, 78, 86) Left Sleeve sts on waste yarn, CO 8 (10, 10, 12, 12) underarm sts. BOR is now at the start of the Back (left underarm).

Body: 88 + 8 + 88 + 8 = 192 (96 + 10 + 96 + 10 = 212, 106 + 10 + 106 + 10 = 232, 114 + 12 + 114 + 12 = 252, 124 + 12 + 124 + 12 = 272) sts ✓.

You may place a removable marker at the center of the front underarm-to-underarm span if you prefer it to the original center-front marker; the logo is aligned to the visual chest center.

Body

With MC, work even in St st until the body measures 1 (1, 1½, 1½, 2)" / 2.5 (2.5, 4, 4, 5) cm from the underarm CO.

MATLAB membrane motif (front only)

Begin the centered chest motif on the Front stitches.

The motif is the classic MATLAB L-shaped membrane: a draped, saddle-like surface that reads as a folded “L,” shaded in a smooth spectrum from cyan through green and yellow into orange and red, sitting on the dark blue field. Place it on the upper chest, horizontally centered on the center-front marker. Intended visual size is about 6–8" / 15–20.5 cm wide and 5–7" / 12.5–18 cm tall — large enough to read as a logo, not a yoke all-over pattern.

If a chart panel is provided with this pattern: On every round, knit MC to the center front, work the chart stitches astride the center-front marker (half the motif to the right of center, half to the left, as the chart is drawn), then MC to end of round. Read chart rows from right to left (you are in the round). Use MC for background squares. Limit each round to two or three active colors when possible. Catch floats every 5 sts. Do not strand CC across the Back.

If no chart is in hand: Using a clear image of the MATLAB membrane as a visual reference, work a centered stranded (or small-area intarsia) motif of that shape and coloring over the middle of the Front for the height given above. Keep the Back in MC. When the motif is complete, break CC.

After the motif, continue with MC only.

Work even until the body measures 13½ (14, 14½, 15, 15½)" / 34.5 (35.5, 37, 38, 39.5) cm from the underarm, or 2½" / 6.5 cm less than the desired total length.

Hem

Change to smaller 32" / 80 cm needle.

Rib rnd: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Work ribbing for 2½" / 6.5 cm. Bind off loosely in rib (a larger needle or sewn bind-off keeps the hem from drawing in too hard).

Sleeves

Work both sleeves the same.

Return 60 (64, 72, 78, 86) held sleeve sts to larger DPNs (or magic loop). With MC and RS facing, beginning at the center of the underarm CO, pick up and knit 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) sts along the first half of the underarm, pick up 1 st in the gap, knit the sleeve sts, pick up 1 st in the gap, pick up and knit 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) sts along the remaining underarm. Pm for BOR at center underarm.

70 (76, 84, 92, 100) sts on the needle.

Next rnd (dec gaps): Knit, decreasing 1 st at each gap (k2tog or ssk) — 68 (74, 82, 90, 98) sts ✓. 68 / 5 = 13.6" (74 / 5 = 14.8", 82 / 5 = 16.4", 90 / 5 = 18", 98 / 5 = 19.6") upper arm.

Knit 6 rnds even.

Dec Rnd: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (2 sts dec).

Work a Dec Rnd every 7th (6th, 6th, 5th, 5th) round 14 (15, 17, 19, 21) times — 40 (44, 48, 52, 56) sts remain. Check: 68 − 2×14 = 40 (74 − 2×15 = 44, 82 − 2×17 = 48, 90 − 2×19 = 52, 98 − 2×21 = 56) ✓.

Work even until the sleeve measures 16½ (17, 17, 17½, 17½)" / 42 (43, 43, 44.5, 44.5) cm from the underarm.

Cuff

Change to smaller needles.

Work k1, p1 ribbing for 2½" / 6.5 cm. Bind off loosely in rib.

Finishing

Weave in all ends, closing any small underarm gaps with the tail.

Wet-block the sweater to the finished measurements. Pin the raglan lines straight and the chest motif flat and centered; do not overstretch the ribbing.

If any membrane shading looks sparse after blocking, you may refine edges or highlights with duplicate stitch in the same CC yarns.

Motif color note

Work the membrane as a single centered pictorial, not a repeating Fair Isle band. Typical coloring: MC navy as the field; the raised “ridge” of the L-shaped surface running cyan → green → yellow; the descending slope warming through orange into red; optional deeper navy in the folds. Keep contrast floats only behind the motif width so the back of the sweater stays smooth navy.