Let me tell you about the midnight Garden Pullover

I loved making a million motif swatches for KnitOvation (maybe a slight exaggeration, but it doesn’t feel like it!) but did you see there are also patterns in the book? I designed three projects that are meant to help knitters explore how exactly to add colourwork to your knitting. I want to tell you more about each project and what makes them special, so in this post I’m going to talk to you about the sweater, Midnight Garden.

Andrea is standing in a grand patio with big concrete pillars. She’s wearing a round yoke sweater with flowers and leaves cascading around her shoulders in rich shades of grey and gold.

About the Sweater

Midnight Garden is a top-down yoke sweater designed to be a template that you can use to create a custom piece just for you or someone special! The book explains the sweater’s construction, including how to apply colourwork to the yoke. There’s even a blank wedge chart so you can fill it with your own colourwork ideas! Of course it’s fun sweater to make just as it’s written, especially if you’re new to yoke sweater construction, but it’s designed with modifications in mind, so you can make it your own!

It’s worked in the round, so yay no seams! The pattern was intended to be approachable for most knitters, though if you’re new to colourwork or sweaters, it’ll be a good project to stretch your skills.

Some of the details I love are:

A relatively-snug, but not too high neckline. It’s shaped with short rows in the back to keep the front lower than the back.
That I-cord neck band is so lovely for a clean pop of colour, though you could, of course, use the main colour if you prefer. I also experimented with a ribbed neckband, finished with a tubular bind-off and it came a close second, so that’s another modification that could be worth trying if you want something more substantial.
Speaking of tubular bind-offs, I used the technique for the cuffs and hem so they look super clean as well!

The fit is intended to be relaxed and cozy, so I didn’t include waist shaping. If you like shaping, though, the plain Stockinette body makes a great blank canvas for shaping however suits your style and preferences. (Here’s a blog post about adding waist shaping to my Dissent Cardigan, but the same principles apply to a pullover.)

The sweater has 13 sizes from 33-69”/84-175 cm chest circumferences and the pattern is split in two separate set of instructions, one for the smaller size range and one for the larger size range, to make it easier to follow.

About the yarn

I chose The Farmer’s Daughter Pishkun for my samples and it is such a dream to knit with and to wear! First off, it’s one of the softest yarns I’ve ever used. (Evidence: My mom who only likes cashmere, wears a snug cowl made with this stuff and adores it.) But it’s also very spongy, bouncy and lofty! I find the fabric keeps its shape really well, making it perfect for seamless sweaters. Plus, those semi-solid colours create a velvet-like look that I cannot get over. It’s so lovely in those bold florals!

If you’re looking to substitute, I suggest finding a heavy DK weight or light worsted weight wool that’s not too slippery (so it doesn’t sag over time.) The gauge is 22 sts = 4”/10 cm in Stockinette, so find something that looks good and has a tiny bit of drape at that gauge.

Closeup view of a smiling model in a cozy beige sweater with bold red florals around the yoke.

Technical Specs

Sizes & Finished Measurements

Sizes
A (B, C, D, E) [F, G, H, I] (J, K, L, M)

Chest circumference:
33 (36, 39, 42.25, 45) [48, 51, 54.25, 57] (60, 63, 66.25, 69)"/
84 (91.5, 99, 107.5, 114.5) [122, 129.5, 138, 145] (152.5, 160, 168.5, 175.5) cm

Shown here in size A (golden colorwork) modeled on me with 2” (5 cm) positive ease and below on a model with 1” (2.5 cm) negative ease, and size E (crimson colorwork) modeled with 3.5” (9 cm) positive ease.

Yarn
DK-weight yarn in 2 colors.

Main Color (MC):
1021 (1102, 1188, 1210, 1227) [1302, 1348, 1454, 1572] (1655, 1749, 1859, 1959) yd/
934 (1008, 1086, 1106, 1122) [1190, 1233, 1329, 1438] (1513, 1599, 1699, 1791) m

Contrast Color (CC)
113 (119, 119, 132, 144) [150, 159, 173, 187] (194, 201, 216, 223) yd/
103 (109, 109, 120, 132) [137, 146, 158, 171] (178, 184, 197, 204) m

Shown here in The Farmer’s Daughter Pishkun (100% Montana & Wyoming Rambouillet; 255 yd 233 m/31⁄2 oz 100 g):

Main Color: 5 (5, 5, 5, 5) [6, 6, 6, 7] (7, 7, 8, 8) skeins; Contrast Color: 1 skein.

Sample Size A - Main Color: Castle Rock;
Contrast Color: Werther’s OG.

Sample Size E - Main Color: Elk Antler;
Contrast Color: Boyland.

Blocked Gauge
Gauge measurement should be taken after blocking.

22 stitches and 28 rounds = 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch using smaller needle.

22 stitches and 26 rounds = 4” (10 cm) in colorwork stitch pattern using larger needle. colorwork)

27 stitches and 32 rounds = 4” (10 cm) in ribbing using smaller needle.

Needles & Notions
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.

Stockinette stitch and ribbing: U.S. size 6 (4 mm): 32” (80 cm) circular needle, 16”(40 cm) circular needle, and set double- pointed needles, or preferred small-circumference needle such as a long circular needle for Magic Loop method.

Colorwork: U.S. size 8 (5 mm): 32” (80 cm) circular needle.

Markers (m), tapestry needle, waste yarn, and spare circular needle the same size or smaller than your Stockinette stitch gauge needle.

Skills
I consider this an intermediate level pattern. Techniques used include shaping in colourwork, working colourwork from charted instructions, applied I-cord, and tubular bind-off.

Ravelry project button

Get the Pattern

Midnight Garden and the other two patterns are only available as part of KnitOvation. Here are a bunch of buying options so you can get it however works for you! It’s available from lots of small book and yarn shops or as an ebook! Thanks for your support and don’t forget it would make a lovely gift for the knitters in your life!