The Rose Leaves Sweater, Free Pattern

The inspiration

Fancy knit patterns have made a strong comeback in recent years.

During the 2020 lockdown, inspired by my first experience with wide-ribbed sweaters, I wanted to create my own design.

As a beginner, I opted for something very simple. My basic idea was to have a repeated pattern that would gradually enlarge from the neckline to the body. I'm a big fan of raglan sleeves, and a pattern of this kind allows you to keep the comfort of raglan without looking too relaxed.

I wanted a pattern that stopped at mid-body, finishing in ribbing to add complexity and modern visual appeal (see the type of sweaters that inspired me elsewhere, here at Sezane). I went even further by creating a "scale" pattern that extends the entire length.

Given the trend of balloon and puffed sleeves on the body, that's the shape I based my creation on.

Now that you know what inspired me, you can discover the Rose Leaves model!

Inspiration pull feuille de rose chez sezane

The Adaptation

For adaptations:

Here are all the instructions to reproduce this model in the same size as mine, which is an M/L, with finished dimensions of 53cm/20.9in wide and 59cm/23.2in high. If you want to modify it to fit your measurements, proceed as follows:

To widen or reduce width, adjust the number of pattern repeats. The model is based on a basic pattern repeated 14 times in width. It measures 5cm/2in at its base and widens to 14cm/5.5in at its widest, 30cm/11.8in lower. Add or reduce as needed to achieve your measurements.
To increase or decrease height, you can adjust the number of rib rows for minor adjustments. Otherwise, you can add/reduce the number of repeats for each pattern. Make a sample to fine-tune this part.

As this pattern can be a little complex to understand, I made a video to help you start:

https://youtu.be/EuLdK7NJxm8

There's also a more complete explanation in french you can view with captions :

https://youtu.be/Znaavz3y_kU

The Pattern

The model is made in top-down rounds with raglan sleeves. It is intended to be puffy at the chest, body, and sleeves, and tight at the wrists and hem.

Material: Approx. 1400m/1531 yards of brushed alpaca knitted with double yarn. To substitute, I recommend choosing a fluffy material like angora or mohair, always doubling the yarn.

Needles: Circular and double-pointed needles 6mm/US10 and 4.5mm/US7 or equivalents to achieve the correct gauge.

Gauge: 10X10 cm = 14 stitches X 14 rows

Finished Size: 53cm/20.9in wide, 59cm/23.2in high for the body. 85cm/33.5in for the sleeves.

Abbreviations: See the diagram

The Instructions

Don't forget that if you're having difficulty, the pattern is available as a video tutorial on my YouTube channel, Terrifiknits!

The PDF version of the pattern is available for download at the bottom of the page!

Cast on 82 stitches with two strands of brushed alpaca using circular needles 4.5mm/US7.
Knit 1/1 ribbing for 8 rounds.
Switch to 6mm/US10 needles and knit one row in stockinette while increasing 30 stitches evenly = 112st
Continue following the pattern, separating two patterns with a ladder stitch (see diagram below). Complete 14 pattern repeats and ladder stitches in width (4 for the front, 3 for each arm, and 4 for the back).
When 5 of the 6 patterns in height have been completed, start gradually replacing the pattern with shaker rib stitch.
After those 5 repeats, separate the body from the sleeves by placing the 3-width patterns corresponding to each sleeve on holders. 108 stitches for the body and 54 for each sleeve.
Join the 4-width patterns of the front and the 4-width patterns of the back for the body.
Continue knitting for 22cm/8.7in or about 15 rounds.
Switch to 4.5mm/US7 needles and knit 5cm/2in of 1/1 ribbing, approximately 11 rounds.
Bind off the body.
Pick up each sleeve and continue for about 36cm/14.2in or about 56 rounds.
Switch to 4.5mm/US7 needles and knit 10cm/4in of 1/1 ribbing, approximately 22 rounds.
Bind off the sleeves.
Weave in ends and block.

And there you have it, a superb homemade fancy sweater perfect for adding a romantic touch to your outfits!

Don't forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok with the hashtags #terrifiknits and #RoseLeavesSweater or #PullRoseLeaves once you've finished, or add this project to your Ravelry list! I can't wait to see your version!