purlJam

<pattern>
# PANDA INTARSIA CREW-NECK SWEATER

This beginner-friendly pattern uses simple geometric shapes to create a professional-looking garment. The construction is a "Drop Shoulder" style, meaning there is no complex armhole shaping required.

**Difficulty Level:** Beginner
**Terminology:** UK English (UK dc = US sc)
**Construction:** Worked in flat panels and sewn together.

### 1. MATERIALS
*   **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Size 4) acrylic or wool blend.
    *   **Main Colour (MC):** Orange (approx. 1,000 - 1,200 metres)
    *   **Contrast Colour 1 (CC1):** White (approx. 150 metres for panda and stripes)
    *   **Contrast Colour 2 (CC2):** Black (approx. 100 metres for panda details)
*   **Hooks:** 
    *   5.0mm (Main hook)
    *   4.0mm (For ribbing)
*   **Notions:** 
    *   Yarn needle for assembly
    *   Stitch markers
    *   Measuring tape

### 2. TENSION (GAUGE)
14 sts x 16 rows = 10cm (4") in UK dc using 5.0mm hook.
*Note: Always check your tension. If your piece is too small, use a larger hook; if too large, use a smaller hook.*

### 3. ABBREVIATIONS
*   **ch:** chain
*   **st(s):** stitch(es)
*   **dc:** double crochet (US single crochet)
*   **htr:** half treble crochet (US half double crochet)
*   **blo:** back loop only
*   **MC:** Main Colour (Orange)
*   **CC1:** Contrast Colour 1 (White)
*   **CC2:** Contrast Colour 2 (Black)
*   **RS:** Right Side
*   **WS:** Wrong Side

---

### 4. THE PATTERN

#### BACK PANEL
**Using 4.0mm hook and MC (Orange):**
1.  **Foundation:** Ch 11.
2.  **Ribbing Row 1:** Dc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, turn. [10 sts]
3.  **Ribbing Row 2-78:** Ch 1, dc in blo across, turn. 
4.  Rotate ribbing to work along the long edge.

**Change to 5.0mm hook:**
1.  **Row 1 (RS):** Ch 1, work 78 dc evenly across the ends of the ribbing rows. [78 sts]
2.  **Row 2-96:** Ch 1, dc in each st across, turn.
3.  Fasten off, leaving a long tail for shoulder sewing. Total length should be approx. 60cm.

#### FRONT PANEL
**Using 4.0mm hook and MC (Orange):**
1.  Work Ribbing exactly as for the Back Panel. [78 sts along the edge]

**Change to 5.0mm hook:**
1.  **Rows 1-20:** Ch 1, dc in each st across, turn. [78 sts]
2.  **Row 21 (Start Chart A):** 
    *   Work 19 dc in MC.
    *   Work Row 1 of **Chart A** (40 sts).
    *   Work 19 dc in MC, turn.
3.  **Rows 22-60:** Continue following Chart A for the centre 40 stitches, while keeping the 19 stitches on either side in MC.
4.  **Rows 61-88:** Ch 1, dc in MC across all 78 sts, turn.
5.  **Neckline Shaping:** 
    *   **Row 89:** Ch 1, 28 dc, turn (leaving remaining sts unworked).
    *   **Row 90-96:** Ch 1, dc in each st across, turn. [28 sts]
    *   Fasten off.
    *   Skip central 22 sts on Row 88 for the neck. Join MC to the next st.
    *   **Row 89-96:** Ch 1, 28 dc, turn. [28 sts]
    *   Fasten off.

#### SLEEVES (Make 2)
**Using 4.0mm hook and MC (Orange):**
1.  **Foundation:** Ch 11.
2.  **Ribbing Rows 1-36:** Work dc in blo ribbing. [36 rows]
3.  Rotate to work along long edge.

**Change to 5.0mm hook:**
1.  **Row 1 (RS):** Ch 1, work 36 dc across ribbing, turn. [36 sts]
2.  **Row 2 (Inc):** Ch 1, 2 dc in first st, dc until 1 st remains, 2 dc in last st, turn. [38 sts]
3.  **Rows 3-10:** Repeat Row 2 every 4th row until you have 50 sts.
4.  **Row 11-20 (White Stripe):** **Change to CC1 (White)**. Ch 1, dc in each st across.
5.  **Row 21-Finish:** **Change to MC (Orange)**. Continue working dc, increasing at the edges every 4th row until the sleeve measures 45cm or desired length and you have approx. 60 sts.
6.  Fasten off.

---

### 5. CHARTS SECTION (REQUIRED)

**CHART A: Panda Motif (40 sts x 40 rows)**
*How to read:* Start at Row 1 (Bottom Right). RS rows (odd) are read Right to Left. WS rows (even) are read Left to Right.

**Key:**
□ = MC (Orange)
○ = CC1 (White)
● = CC2 (Black)

```
40: □□□□●●●●□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□●●●●□□□□
39: □□□●●●●●●□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□●●●●●●□□□
38: □□●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●□□
37: □□●●●●●●●●○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ●●●●●●●●□□
36: □□●●●●●●○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○●●●●●●□□
35: □□□●●●●○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○●●●●□□□
34: □□□□○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□□□□
33: □□□○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□□□
32: □□○○○○○○●●●○○○○○○○○○○○○●●●○○○○○○□□
31: □○○○○○○●●●●●○○○○○○○○○○●●●●●○○○○○○□
30: □○○○○○●●●●●●●○○○○○○○○●●●●●●●○○○○○□
29: □○○○○○●●●●●●●○○○○○○○○●●●●●●●○○○○○□
28: □○○○○○○●●●●●○○○○○○○○○○●●●●●○○○○○○□
27: □○○○○○○○○●●●○○○○○○○○○○○○●●●○○○○○○○○□
26: □○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○●●○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□
25: □○○○○○○○○○○○○○●●●●○○○○○○○○○○○○○□
24: □○○○○○○○○○○○○○○●●○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□
23: □○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□
22: □○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□
21: □□○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○□□
... Rows 6-20 (White body with black arms at edges) ...
05: □□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□
04: □□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□
03: □□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□
02: □□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□
01: □□□□□□□□●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●□□□□□□□□
```
*(Note to maker: Use CC2 Black for the ears (Rows 37-40), the eyes (Rows 27-32), the nose (Rows 24-26), and the bottom body/paws (Rows 1-10). Use CC1 White for the main face and chest area.)*

---

### 6. ASSEMBLY

1.  **Block Pieces:** Pin your panels to size and steam lightly or spray with water and let dry. This is essential for Intarsia to flatten the colour changes.
2.  **Shoulders:** With RS facing together, sew the front shoulder sections (28 sts each) to the back panel using a whip stitch or mattress stitch.
3.  **Sleeves:** Find the centre of the sleeve top. Match it to the shoulder seam. Pin the sleeve flat against the side of the panels and sew.
4.  **Sides and Sleeves:** Sew from the cuff, up the arm, and down the side of the body in one continuous seam.
5.  **Neckline:** 
    *   Using 4.0mm hook, join MC at the shoulder seam. 
    *   Work dc evenly around the neck opening. 
    *   **Rnd 2-5:** Work htr in blo to create a ribbed texture.
    *   Fasten off and weave in all ends.

### 7. CONSTRUCTION TIPS
*   **Intarsia:** Do not carry the yarn. Use a separate ball (or bobbin) of orange for the left side and right side of the panda.
*   **Colour Changes:** Change colour on the last pull-through of the previous stitch to keep lines sharp.
*   **Stripe:** When changing to the white stripe on the sleeve, ensure you don't pull the yarn too tight, or the sleeve will lose its stretch.