Kristen TenDyke is a prolific knitwear designer, best known for her creative ways of making seamless sweater knitting patterns—she’s written two books on the subject and released many beautiful garment patterns that require very little finishing. Her latest pattern release is the Homa Sweater, for which she used Berroco Remix® in the cheery Buttercup color. In addition to keeping the sewing to a minimum, Kristen aims to design with yarns that are eco-friendly, and the 100% recycled fibers used in Remix fit the bill perfectly. I asked Kristen to talk a bit about the ingenious construction of Homa—read on for more about the sweater as well as a chance to win your own PDF of the pattern!
From Kristen:
One of the things I really love about knitting is the experience of watching a piece come together out of nothing. Starting with a simple cast-on somewhere in the sweater, then seeing it grow and form into something I can wear is fascinating to me. However, at some point, I got bored with knitting sweaters using the same-old types of construction—back, front, sleeves, sew-them-up… or even seamless yokes and raglans, bottom-up or top-down. So, in comes Homa—knit using Berroco’s Remix yarn. It’s a top-down pullover, but the construction is entirely unique, which I think makes it a whole lot of fun to knit.

Here is how it’s made:
The upper body begins with a regular cast-on at the center of the left front. The left front neck is increased, then the left front stitches are placed onto a stitch holder. The left back begins with a provisional cast-on. A few rows are worked even, then the back neck is increased.
There are some stitches cast on for the top of the shoulder. The back and front stitches are joined and worked together, back and forth in rows with some decreases to shape the top of the shoulder.
When the shoulder shaping is completed, the upper body measures half of your body’s measurement across your shoulders, from the cast-on stitches to the needle. Now things get a little more interesting.
At this point, your body starts to curve over your shoulder and at your underarm. For a comfortable and flattering fit, Homa has shaping for your underarm and shoulder, to match the shape of your body.
The armhole shaping is worked next, to lengthen the selvedge edges, so the measurement around your bust will fit without adding any more length at the top of your shoulder. To do this, a few simple short-rows are worked at the front selvedge edge, and then at the back selvedge edge.
Then the sleeve cap is knit to lengthen the center of the shoulder without adding length to the selvedge edges. This is done with some more short-rows.
Once the cap shaping is completed, a few stitches are cast on for the underarm, and the sleeve is slipped onto double-pointed needles and worked in the round to the cuff.
The right back stitches are picked up from the provisional cast-on on the left back, some neck increases are worked and the stitches are held while the right front is knit. Then the shoulder armhole, cap and sleeve are all worked in the same manner as for the left side of the upper body.
At this point it’s fun to try on your sweater, and see how the shoulders fit before continuing with the lower body.
The lower body stitches are picked up evenly around the lower edge of the upper body, and knit in the lace pattern from the top-down, making it easy to adjust the length of the body to match your body.
There are some neckband stitches that are picked up and bound off, then that’s it! Your sweater is done! If you have some yarn left over—like I did—knit up a matching beret, using the Rasa pattern.
Both the Homa and Rasa patterns include written and charted lace pattern instructions. Homa has thorough, in-depth instructions for all steps, including the short-rows, and a detailed schematic.
I suggest using Berroco’s Remix yarn for these projects for so many reasons: It’s super soft to knit with, comfy-cozy to wear, and it’s easy on your wallet! Plus it’s made from recycled materials! Read more about Remix in the review I wrote.
What do you think? Are you ready to tackle seamless knitting with a great-looking sweater such as Homa? Kristen graciously offered one copy of the pattern for a giveaway here on the blog—all you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know which color of Berroco Remix you’d use to knit this pattern! There’s twenty colors to choose from in this subtly tweedy yarn. I’ll draw a winner on Friday, May 6, so leave your comment before 12:01 am EST!
-AP
Patina, gorgeous mix of tweedy color!
Probably olive or eggplant, but the lace looks great in buttercup, especially over a white tee.
I have made several gifts for babies using old jeans…I think it is my favorite.but this is one of the few yarns I know where I like ALL the color choices…
Love this!! I can’t wait to try it!! 🙂
Periwinkle is the perfect color for me! I love the pattern!
Poppy!! Love the color.
Periwinkle or Mist – love both of these new shades of this great yarn!
I love this top. I think I’d make it in either Periwinkle or Ocean.
This delightful summery sweater would look darling in Strawberry!
I like 3985 Merlot. Very pretty color.
So hard to choose just one, but I think if I had to go for just one, it would be Ocean 🙂
What an interesting construction – thanks for highlighting it! I’d love this in birch to go with all my coloring summer skirts.
I use Cameo Pink. It’s a nice shade of pink that I can wear!
This would be beautiful and something I could wear every day if knit in the Old Jeans colorway of Remix!
I think I would use the Buttercup! Looks great!
Interesting design! I want to give it a try. Thanks Kristen.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Eggplant all the way- it’s so pretty!
I’d love it in Olive!
For Homa I’d use Cameo Pink. Lots of great colors to choose from!
I like Brown sugar! Thanks for the review. This seems like some very interesting sweater construction. I would love to try it out!!!
I think Old Jeans would go great with my jeans.
I would use dungaree!
I would use periwinkle…what a great, new color!
i love seamless knitting!
It’s so hard to choose but it would have to be ocean or mist or smoke or buttercup or …
Gorgeous pattern! I think I’d want to knit it in Smoke, it would go with everything. Thank you for this opportunity!
Seamless is AWESOME. Love this pattern
Old jeans or periwinkle. Both are pretty. Love the pattern as well
seamless is great, love to knit it up in a teal blue
I would like to knit this lovely top in a brown sugar colour.
Olive ..I think it would look lovely and summery .. This shade goues with a lot .
Not an easy choice since all of the colors are beautiful. Eggplant and Strawberry ate both calling to me.
Old jeans!
I’d have to go with mist — I love all the colors blending together!
I love Strawberry and think it would look terrific in this pattern.
very beautiful . i think it is difficult for beginners.