With summer winding down, I’m scheming about what to knit next for a fall sweater. The pattern Bly, which launched in Knitbits back in February, is one of my favorite designs from the last year—so versatile and wearable! Knit seamlessly from the top down, there is minimal finishing to do at the end. I designed this pattern to show off the fabulous new marled shades Berroco Indigo that launched with the spring 2016 collection. I love Indigo for cool evenings in the spring, summer, and early fall, but for cooler months I need something a little cozier. This week I’m talking about my top picks for yarn substitutions for Bly.
Berroco Ginkgo is a silk wool blend with a two-tone effect that echoes the marl. This yarn is next-to-skin soft and perfect if you want to dress your knits up a bit—I’m day-dreaming about the shades Amber, Moonstone, or Pewter, but they’re all good!
If you like the idea of a wool-silk blend but your wardrobe preferences tend to be more casual, Berroco Artisan is a dreamy sweater yarn. The fibers have been given a good hard twist which results in a hard-wearing, textural 2-ply that has all the softness of silk with a more rustic appearance. This yarn is dip-dyed for a tonal effect so I do recommend working from 2 skeins and alternating every couple rows to avoid pooling.
And then there is Ultra Alpaca—you can’t go wrong with a classic. Our beloved work horse yarn, a blend of 50/50 highland wool and alpaca, is available in 75 shades, 100g hanks. There is a reason this yarn has been around for 10 years now.
Click here to see more patterns using Berroco Indigo, or here for more free patterns. Or sign up here for the Knitbits newsletter and have the weekly free patterns delivered right to your email inbox.
-Amy C
Pretty!
Looks like a ice, simple design. Further investigation needed.
This is a sweater I need, looks like a good all-around garment…off to find out more on Rav. Thanks!
Amy, I am having trouble with this pattern. Double checked errata, but it has not solved my problem. I put your pattern on Excel and did all the calculations, and have found that the pattern reaches 308 stitches for the size 43.5″ finished bust at row 57. That leaves me with 36 stitches (two neck and two raglan increase rows) unworked. I have double checked the PDF, my copy, and the transcription to Excel until I am blue in the face.
What on earth am I doing wrong? This is SO UNLIKE ME! I’m very good at puzzles, so this has me completely baffled.
Love the pattern and would so appreciate any feed back you can give me.
Thank you for your time and attention to my query.
MJ, the SKEINdinavian
Thanks for your question- I am forwarding your question to patternsupport@berroco.com for assistance. I’m not sure where the row 57 number is coming from but there is a problem with the pattern they will be able to help you and get the necessary errata available ASAP.
Working on the Bly cardigan and cannot understand the instruction as below :
Rep Raglan Inc Row every RS row 6(7-7-7-7-7-7) times more, every 4th row 10(8-6-5-3-1-1)times, themn every RS row 0(4-9-12-17-21-24)times more-AT THE SAME TIME repaet the Neck Shaping every 4th row 9(10-11-10-11-10-13)times more, then every RS row 8(7-6-9-8-10-7)times more
NEED HELP to explain what to do.
Thank you very very much!
Hi Linda,
This has you working the shoulder of the cardigan and the neck at the same time. We have a blog post about working parts of a garment at the same time that may be helpful: At the same time. If you need additional clarification, please email us at patternsupport@berroco.com (be sure to mention that you’re knitting Bly if you send an email).
OMG….I am having the exact same problem.! I don’t understand how you can to a raglan increase seven times and then every 4th row (in my case ‘5’). I understand the structure, but these instructions are very unclear and I really need some detail/guidance.
Hi Vicki,
Please email us at patternsupport@berroco.com with any questions! We try to keep all of our questions in one place so we can keep track of them. Thanks!
Hello loving knitting this pattern but have got completely stuck where the pattern asks for you to divide for the sleeve and cast on 8 sts backward loop which I have done but how do I then cast on another 8st on the other side of the sleeve? tried normal cast on method but it leaves 8sts cast on but then knitted as I go back on myself to knit across the back sts….sorry to be a pain! Ruth
Hi Ruth! Please email us at patternsupport@berroco.com for assistance with the pattern.
Thank you!!
Lovely cardigan but terribly written pattern, I find these instructions particularly confusing
‘p. 2, bottom of left column:
Rep Raglan Inc Row every RS row 6(7-7-7-7-7-7) times more, every 4th row 10(8-6-5-3-1-1) times, then every RS row 0(4-9-12-17-21-24) times more. At the same time repeat the neck shaping every 4th row every 9(10-1110-11-10-13) times more, then every RS row 8(7-6-98-10-7) times more – 248(264-280-308-328-348-372) sts, 39(42-45-49-52-55-58) sts for each front; 48(5052-58-62-66-72) sts for each sleeve; 74(80-86-94-100106-112) sts for back]. Work 1 WS row. ‘
Think I will have to frog it – shame.
Hi Maurren, if you’re having trouble with a pattern, you can email us at patternsupport@berroco.com. We also have a blog post to help you understand the “At the same time” instructions, which is a quite common phrasing in knitting patterns, as you have to work the raglan shaping at the same time you work the neck shaping. https://blog.berroco.com/2010/02/23/at-the-same-time/
HI there,thank you for your response, I do understand the ‘at the same time’ terminology, I am particularly baffled by ‘every 4th row every 9 rows’ since the pattern doesn’t specify numbered rows, what do you consider to be the 4th row?
many thanks
Hello again! Every 4th row means exactly what it sounds like. For example, if you’re supposed to work a decrease row “every 4th row”, you would work that decrease row, then work three rows in pattern (meaning, if you’re working in stockinette stitch and the decrease row is on the right side, you would work the decrease row on one right side row, work one purl row, work one knit row, then work one purl row—that’s four rows completed). And then you’d work the decrease row again on the right side.
We have another blog that may be of some help—one of our former coworkers did a post that demonstrates how she wrote out the rows to help her keep track of them: https://blog.berroco.com/2015/10/21/emily-explains-how-do-i-do-keep-track-of-multiple-instructions/