Knit a sleeve-to-sleeve brioche sweater with this pattern by @iratirita, Katia Designers Awards 6 finalist

Last week we introduced the Butterfly Sweater by @ileradebu, a finalist of our creative competition, Katia Designers Awards 6. Thanks to this design contest, we discover new talent and passionate designers like @iratirita. Irati Ugarteburu took part with two designs and was a finalist and winner in two categories. In this post, we share the pattern for her finalist design: the Itsaso Sweater, a seaside-inspired sweater knit with a combination of Katia Azteca and Katia Merino Aran. Discover Irati’s knitting life and knit this beautiful sleeve-to-sleeve sweater with brioche details. 

@iratirita, Katia Designers Awards 6 finalist 

Hi! I’m Irati. I started to knit at school when I was 9 or 10 years old, during crafts class. At the time, I knit a couple of shapeless scarves and left it there. A few years ago, I started watching crochet tutorials to make garments and I was hooked. I soon realized that I love knitting more. I signed up to a course given by @solesilbando to keep busy in the afternoons. Since then, I haven’t stopped. I love knitting hats and sweaters. And lately, I knit garments for my friends’ babies. I knit because it’s entertaining and relaxing. 

Itsaso, a sleeve-to-sleeve sweater 

My design for Katia Designers Awards is a sleeve-to-sleeve sweater knit with Katia Merino Aran and Katia Azteca. Its name, Itsaso, means sea in Basque. That’s the reason for the color choice and the brioche wave on the sleeves. A few years ago, I knit a sweater designed by @sionaland with a sleeve-to-sleeve structure and I loved it. Then, I was lucky enough to do one of Nancy Marchant’s courses. I thought that a beautiful sweater could come out of combining both concepts, and here it is. 

 

Free Itsaso Sweater pattern

Sizes or Measurements 

Woman: a) Single size 

• Front/back width: a) 60 cm 
• Total length: a) 60 cm 
• Neckline length: a) 38 cm 
• Sleeve length: a) 51 cm 
• Cuff length: a) 25 cm 

Materials 

• Katia Merino Aran color 57 (night blue): a) 5 balls 
• Katia Azteca color 7878 (pastel-violet-green): a) 3 balls 
• 5-mm circular knitting needles 
• Tapestry needle 
• Stitch markers 
• Scissors 

Stitches and techniques 

• Knit 
• Purl
• Garter stitch knit all stitches and rounds 
• 2×2 rib *knit 2 stitches and purl 2 stitches*, repeat ** to end of round
  

Gauge 

With 5-mm needles in garter stitch, 1 r in each yarn 

15 sts x 16 rows = 10 x 10 cm or 4 x 4” 

 

Instructions 

This sweater is knit sleeve-to-sleeve. The sleeves are knit in the round, then the stitches needed for the front and back are cast on and knit flat. Separate front and back to create the neck opening. Front and back are joined again to knit the other shoulder and, finally, the sleeve is knit in the round. To end, pick up stitches at the neckline and hem to work the ribbing. 

 

Abbreviations 

• BOR – beginning of the round 
• Brk – brioche knit 
• Brkyobrk – increase. Knit 1 stitch without dropping it, yarn over, and knit into the same stitch again. Where there was 1 stitch now there are 3.
• BrLsl dec – brioche left slant decrease. Slip the first brioche stitch (the stitch and its yarn over) to the right-hand needle knitwise, knit together the next two stitches (with its yarn over). Pass the slipped stitch over. 
• Brp – brioche purl.
• BrRsl dec – brioche right slant decrease. Slip the first brioche stitch (the stitch and its yarn over) to the right-hand needle knitwise, knit the next brioche stitch. Pass the slipped stitch over. Slip the stitch to the left-hand needle and pass over the next brioche stitch (with the yarn over). 
• CC – contrast color
• k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
• m – marker 
• m1L – make 1 left increase. Pick up the strand between 2 stitches, place on the left-hand needle from front to back, and knit through the back loop.
• m1R – make 1 right increase. Pick up the strand between 2 stitches, place on the left-hand needle from back to front, and knit through the front loop.
• MC – main color 
• pm – place marker 
• R and r(s) – row(s)/round(s) 
• RS – right side 
• sl1yo – slip 1 stitch with yarn over 
• ssk – slip 1 stitch, slip another stitch, knit both together by inserting the left-hand needle through the front loop.
• WS – wrong side 

Notes 

MC: Katia Merino Aran color 57 (night blue) 

CC: Katia Azteca color 7878 (pastel-violet-green) 

 

Sleeve 

Cast on 48 sts using MC. 

Work 2×2 rib for 54 rs. 

From now on, every r has 2 passes, 1 in each color. 

R0-MC: k19, pm to mark beginning of brioche, **k1, sl1yo* 3 times, k1, m1L, *k1, sl1yo* 3 times, k1, pm to mark end of brioche, k to end of r. 

R0-CC: p to m, *sl1yo, brp* 7 times, sl1yo, p to end of r. 

R1-MC: k to m, work chart A, sl1yo, work chart B, k to end of r. 

R1-CC: p to m, work chart A, brp, work chart B, p to end of r. 

R2-MC: rep R1-MC. 

R2-CC: rep R1-CC. 

R3-MC (inc): k1, M1L, k to m, work chart A, sl1yo, work chart B, k to last st, m1R, k1. 

R3-CC: rep R1-CC. 

Rep R1-MC to R3-CC 10 times in total. [69 sts] Cut CC. 

 

Body 

Now work flat. Work 2 passes on each side; at the end of the first, slip the stitches to the other needle without turning the work. 

Cast on body sts: 

R0-MC (RS): k to m, work chart A, sl1yo, work chart B, k to end of r, cast on 47 sts. Turn the work. 

R0-CC (WS): k to m, work chart B, brk, work chart A, k to end of r, cast on 47 sts. Don’t turn the work. 

Shoulders: 

R1-MC (WS): p to m, work chart B, sl1yo, work chart A, p to end of r. Turn. 

R1-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, brp, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R2-MC (RS): k to m, work chart A, sl1yo, work chart B, k to end of r. Turn. 

R2-CC (WS): k to m, work chart B, brk, work chart A, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep these 2 rs until the body measures 5 cm. 

R3-MC (WS): p to m, work chart B, p1, m1L, work chart A, p to end of r. Turn. 

R3-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, p2, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R4-MC (RS): k to m, work chart A, k2, work chart B, k to end of r. Turn. 

R4-CC (WS): k to m, work chart B, k2, work chart A, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R5-MC (WS): p to m, work chart B, p2, work chart A, p to end of r. Turn. 

R5-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, p2, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R4 and R5 until the body measures 10 cm. End on R5-MC to have both colors on the same side. 

 

Front 

Separate front and back and continue working the front. 

R0-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, p1. Leave the rest of the sts for the back on hold. Slip, don’t turn. 

R1-MC (RS): k to 3 sts before m, k2tog, k1, work chart A, k1. Turn. 

R1-CC (WS): k1, work chart A, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R2-MC (WS): p1, work chart A, p to end of r. Turn. 

R2-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, p1. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R1 and R2 8 times in total. 

R3-MC (RS): k to m, work chart A, k1. Turn. 

R3-CC (WS): k1, work chart A, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R4-MC (WS): p1, work chart A, p to end of r. Turn. 

R4-CC (RS): p to m, work chart A, p1. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R3 and R4 for 10 cm. 

R5-MC (RS): k to m, work chart B, k1. Turn. 

R5-CC (WS): k1, work chart B, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R6-MC (WS): p1, work chart B, p to end of r. Turn. 

R6-CC (RS): p to m, work chart B, p1. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R5 and R6 for 10 cm. 

R7-MC (RS): k to 1 st before m, m1L, k1, work chart B, k1. Turn. 

R7-CC (WS): k1, work chart B, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R8-MC (WS): p1, work chart B, p to end of r. Turn. 

R8-CC (RS): p to m, work chart B, p1. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R7 and R8 7 times in total. 

Rep R7-MC once more. Cut yarns. 

 

Back 

Start to work the back from the neckline on the RS. 

R0-CC (RS): p1, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R1-MC (RS): k1, work chart B, k1, ssk, k to end of r. Turn. 

R1-CC (WS): k to m, work chart B, k1. Slip, don’t turn. 

R2-MC (WS): p to m, work chart B, p1. Turn. 

R2-CC (RS): p1, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R1 and R2 8 times in total. 

R3-MC (RS): k1, work chart B, k to end of r. Turn. 

R3-CC (WS): k to m, work chart B, k1. Slip, don’t turn. 

R4-MC (WS): p to m, work chart B, p1. Turn. 

R4-CC (RS): p1, work chart B, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R3 and R4 for 10 cm. 

R5-MC (RS): k1, work chart A, k to end of r. Turn. 

R5-CC (WS): k to m, work chart A, k1. Slip, don’t turn. 

R6-MC (WS): p to m, work chart A, p1. Turn. 

R6-CC (RS): p1, work chart A, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R5 and R6 for 10 cm. 

R7-MC (RS): k1, work chart A, k1, m1R, k to end of r. Turn. 

R7-CC (WS): k to m, work chart A, k1. Slip, don’t turn. 

R8-MC (WS): p to m, work chart A, p1. Turn. 

R8-CC (RS): p1, work chart A, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R7 and R8 7 times in total. 

Rep R7-MC once more. Yarn will be on the hem side. 

Join front and back to work both pieces together. 

R1-CC (WS): k to m, work chart A, k2, work chart B, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R1-MC (WS): p to m, work chart A, p2, work chart B, p to end of r. Turn. 

R2-CC (RS): p to m, work chart B, p2, work chart A, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R2-MC (RS): k to m, work chart B, k2, work chart A, k to end of r. Turn. 

Rep R1 and R2 for 5 cm. End on R1-CC. 

R3-MC (WS): p to m, work chart A, k2tog, work chart B, p to end of r. Turn. 

R3-CC (RS): p to m, work chart B, p1, work chart A, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R4-MC (RS): k to m, work chart B, sl1yo, work chart A, k to end of r. Turn. 

R4-CC (WS): k to m, work chart A, brk, work chart B, k to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

R5-MC (WS): p to m, work chart A, sl1yo, work chart B, p to end of r. Turn. 

R5-CC (RS): p to m, work chart B, brp, work chart A, p to end of r. Slip, don’t turn. 

Rep R4 and R5 for 5 cm. End on R5-MC. 

R6-CC (RS): bind off 47 sts, p to m, work chart B, brp, work chart A, p to last 47 sts, bind off 47 sts. Cut yarns. 

 

Sleeve 

Go back to working the remaining stitches in the round. 

R1-MC (dec): k1, ssk, k to m, work chart B, sl1yo, work chart A, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 

R1-CC: p to m, work chart B, brp, work chart A, p to end of r. 

R2-MC: k to m, work chart B, sl1yo, work chart A, k to end of r. 

R2-CC: rep R1-CC. 

R3-MC: rep R2-MC. 

R3-CC: rep R1-CC. 

Rep R1-MC to R3-CC 10 times in total. 

Rep R3-MC once more. Cut CC. 

Work 54 rs in 2×2 rib. 

Sew the sides of the body. 

 

Neckline 

Pick up 64 sts from the back for the neckline, pm, pick up 64 sts from the front for the neckline, place BOR m. Work in the round. 

R1 and R2: (k3, *p2, k2*, rep ** to 3 sts before m, k3), rep () once more. 

R3 (dec): (k1, k2tog, *p2, k2*, rep ** to 3 sts before m, ssk, k1), rep () once more. 

R4: (k2, *p2, k2*, rep ** to 2 sts before m, k2), rep () once more. 

R5 (dec): (k2tog, *p2, k2*, rep ** to 2 sts before m, ssk, k1), rep () once more. 

R6 and R7: k1, *p2, k2*, rep ** to last st, k1. 

Bind off all stitches. 

 

Hem 

Pick up 184 sts from the back and front. Work in the round. 

Work 2×2 rib for 14 rs. 

Bind off sts. 

Weave in ends. 

 

You can also be a Katia Designer! 

Do you feel inspired after learning about Irati’s story and want to share your talent for design? Then, keep an eye on upcoming blog posts. Soon we’ll announce the seventh edition of the Katia Designers Awards with new challenges, super prizes, and surprises that will make you say Wow!😉