On this page you’ll find tips and tutorials for all the techniques used in the On the Ocean pattern! I review the following topics on this page:

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Picking a Size

In the pattern, I suggest picking a size whose finished circumference is 6-12″ larger than your actual bust circumference, depending on your desired fit. For some people however, using the upper torso instead of the full bust may be a better starting point (click here to read more about this as well as other general info regarding ease and picking a size).

For reference, I’m wearing size 3 which gives me just under 12″ of positive ease at the bust (so at the very high end). I could have gone with a size 2 which would have given me approx. 7″ of positive ease at the bust, but I wanted extra room down at the hem. My hips are much wider than my bust (my bust is around 33.5″ but my hips are 40″), so if I wanted that super drapey, roomy fit down at the hips area as well, then size 3 really provided that for me.

But really either of those 2 sizes could have been good options based on my measurements, so it definitely comes down to the type of fit you might prefer!

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Yarn Options

The pattern calls for worsted-weight yarn and the gauge is 17 stitches & 27 rounds = 4″ in stockinette stitch. I used Sea Isle by Plymouth Yarns, a cotton/merino blend in a chainette construction. It’s an excellent choice for this pattern because the blend works so well in multiple seasons (so it’s a great transitional piece), and the chainette-construction keeps it feeling light and airy (learn more about the benefits of chainette yarns here).

Like my experience with many chainette yarns, I often have to use a larger size needle in order to attain gauge. For example, in a typical worsted-weight, in order to get a stitch gauge of 17 stitches = 4″, you would likely be on either a US 8 or US 9 needle. But in Sea Isle, I was on a US 10! But everyone’s personal tension may be different and you may find that you need to be a US 8 or 9 to get the same gauge, so it’s important to swatch, measure, block your swatch and re-measure! Check out the gauge section below for more important gauge and swatching tips.

If you’re interested in using Plymouth Sea Isle

Below are some current places you can find it online (but also check with your own local yarn shop!):

• Heavenly Yarns (Maine): https://www.fiberofmaine.com/products/sea-isle-cotton-by-plymouth-yarn
• Wool & Company (Illionis): https://www.woolandcompany.com/collections/plymouth-sea-isle-cotton
• Darn Knit Anyway (Minnesota): https://www.darnknitanyway.com/shop/Yarn/Yarn-by-Weight/WorstedAran/p/Sea-Isle-x88540673.htm
• Paradise Fibers (Washington): https://paradisefibers.com/products/plymouth-sea-isle-worsted-yarn
• Knit, Knot and Natter (New Jersey): https://www.knitknotnatter.com/sea-isle-cotton.html

Interested in other yarn ideas?

Looking for yarn substitute ideas/inspiration? Here are some some other ideas I think could work well:

• Cascade Cantata
• Isager Alpaca 3
• Berroco Remix
• Stolen Stitches Nua Worsted
• Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus
• Woolfolk Stra
• Berroco Gianna (for self-striping/gradient)
• Berroco Bozzolo
• Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok (wool option)
• Berroco Ultra Alpaca (wool option)

Work stripes, change the stripes or omit them!

Although the original sample shows stripes, you can omit them if you prefer! And actually, if you scroll down a bit, I show an in-progress one-color version (where I modified the neck a bit). Or, you can decide you’d rather have thinner stripes, or more colors – you really can treat this piece as your own creative canvas!

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Swatching & Gauge

On the Ocean has a gauge of 17 stitches & 27 rounds = 4″/10 cm in stockinette stitch in the round. Because everyone’s tension can be a little bit different, it’s important to swatch before you start so you know what needles you should be using with your chosen yarn and personal tension. There are 2 important points I want to make about swatching and gauge when it comes to this sweater:

1. Swatch in the round

First, you should swatch in the round because the body circumference of this piece is knit in the round and that is what the finished measurements are based upon. So when it comes to matching the pattern gauge (17 sts & 27 rnds = 4″), you should aim to match this gauge when working in the round. If you are new to swatching in the round, you can check out my tutorial here.

Helpful tip: Because part of the garment is knit flat (the armhole depth sections), if your flat gauge tends to be looser than your in the round gauge, then you may want to do this: When working those flat portions (the armhole depth), work your WS rows with 1 needle size smaller. Not sure if your flat gauge is looser? When swatching, include an area where you work flat so you can compare.

2. Working stripes? Test them in your swatch

If you are going to work stripes, then I highly recommend that you work a stripe or two in your swatch as well. Why? To make sure your colors don’t bleed. Every yarn can be a little different and due to different dying methods, it’s wise to test out your colors just to make sure there aren’t any issues.

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What to do if your stitch gauge is off

If you can’t get exactly 17 stitches = 4″, or prefer your stitch gauge slightly tighter or slightly looser (say 16-18 sts = 4″), there are a couple of options you could consider in order to make sizing adjustments. But first, it’s important to understand what your finished measurement will be at your particular gauge so you can assess whether or not you even need to make a modification. To do this:

• Step 1: Go to page 5 of the pattern, 2nd column, and at the end of the “Underarm Shaping” section, you’ll find a stitch count listed (in blue italic).
• Step 2: For the size you were planning on making, take the number listed here for that size, multiple it by 2, and then divide it by your per inch stitch gauge. This is what the finished circumference will be of that size at your particular gauge.

You may find that the finished circumference at your gauge, although different than what the pattern is, will totally work for you! If that’s the case, then just proceed with no modifications.

But, if the sizing is not quite right and you want to consider modifications, here are 2 options you can consider:

Option 1: Knit a different size to accommodate your particular gauge

To see if following the instructions for a different size will provide you with a finished measurement closer to your desired size, you will do a little math similiar to what you did in steps 1 & 2 above. But do the calculation for a size or two smaller (if your gauge is looser) or a size or two larger (if your gauge is tighter). You may find that the numbers for a size or two smaller or larger provide the exact perfect measurement for you at your particular gauge!

If you do this (knitting a different size to accommodate your unique gauge), here’s an important thin you need to keep in mind: Whenever a length measurement is given (so number of inches/cm) – for example, when knitting the armhole depth – refer to the measurement listed for the pattern size that is closest to what you’ll end up with.

For example, if you wanted the finished measurement of size 3 but your gauge was tighter so you’re knitting size 4, when you see a measurement listed you should refer to that number of inches/cm listed for the size 3 (not size 4).

Option 2: Adjust the width as you go

The great thing with top-down designs is that it allows you to try it on as you go, so this provides you with a bit of flexibility when it comes to modifying the size. In On the Ocean, the width of the garment is created in Yoke Shaping Sections 1-3. So if you want to alter the width/circumference at all, you’ll want to do it in this area – specifically, Yoke Shaping Sections 2 or 3.

So as you progress in section 2 and/or 3 of the yoke shaping, you can try it on (or just transfer the stitches to a holder so you can measure the width flat) and see if you want to omit or add increase rounds in order to adjust the width. Just keep in mind that it’s a drop-should piece so the overall width is meant to fall further down on your arm, so before working the Front/Back Separation, you’ll want to make sure the width covers the top of your shoulder and falls down the top of your arm (refer again to the section below about trying-on as you go).

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What to do if your row gauge is off

If you can’t get the exact same row gauge as listed in the pattern (27 rounds = 4″/10 cm), that’s ok! Where you can accommodate things is in the armhole depth where you can follow the measurement listed instead of the exact number of rows. That will be the easiest option without having to make drastic changes.

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Neck alteration (for a closer fit)

Due to the construction/shape of this piece, the neckline wears similar to a boatneck. I tried to ensure that it’s not as wide as a typical boatneck (and there are short rows to lower the front a bit), but if you prefer more neck coverage, an easy modification you can do is to omit the ribbing and instead work in plain stockinette stitch in the round for around 3″ (or desired height) – this will give a bit more of a mock-neck look. What does this look like? Take a look at my prototype below (note: for this prototype, I’ve omitted the stripes):

For a side-by-side comparison, here’s photos with both neck styles (both in-progress, so no sleeves), both laying flat as well as modeled on me:

In the above mock-neck version, I used the smaller needle just like I did with the ribbing. So another option for a looser look would be to not go down a needle size (perhaps a good option if using a wool yarn, or something that doesn’t have as much drape). Once I completed the neck, I followed the pattern exactly as written, moving on to the “Shaping Setup” section.

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Short row neck shaping

After working the initial ribbing, you’ll begin the neck shaping while at the same time working some German short rows to lower the front neckline. If you are new to German short rows, I highly recommend that you first check out my beginners tutorial about them here.

As it relates to neck shaping, another tutorial that will be helpful to review is the one I created for my sweater pattern The Downbeat. Important difference though: The Downbeat has raglan shaping whereas On the Ocean has drop-shoulder shaping – so there are less markers involved in this design. But I still think the tutorial video is helpful to get a visual of the steps involved, just keep in mind that the exact shaping part of the instructions will be different. Click here to watch the video lesson.

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Starting the stripes

The pattern will instruct you to begin the stripe sequence starting in the “Yoke Shaping Section 2” section. When starting, I have a note in the pattern that suggests switching colors a few stitches in from the BOR marker (not the first stitch after the BOR). The reason for this is because the BOR is after the shoulder “seam” (it’s not a real seam, but looks like one), and since there’s a risk of the fabric having some inconsistencies around the spot where you switch colors, it’s best to have that “switch area” be away from the shoulder line, a little further into the back.

Check out the photo below for a visual of I worked this process:

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Keeping track of the stripe sequence

The stripe sequence is as follows: 4 rounds/rows with CC, 10 rounds/rows with MC. If you’re not familiar with how to count rows in your knitting, here are some tips/visuals.

A stitch looks like the letter “v”. In the photo below, the red “v’s” show how to count each row under the needle. Plus the loop on the needle counts as a row. So in the photo below, 2 rows have already been knit and the 3rd row is currently being worked on:

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

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Carrying yarns as you go

You don’t have to cut the yarn each time you switch colors! You can instead carry the colors up as you work. Typically I recommend carrying yarn every 2-3 rounds. If you are new to carrying yarn, check out this great video from Knit Purl Hunter: https://youtu.be/HPGFrdqQR8Q?si=ZikJt2frEE1fHse7

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Trying on as you go

One of the great things about top-down knitting is that it allows you to try it on as you go. With On the Ocean, I highly recommend trying on at a couple of points to ensure that the neck opening is working well for you as well as the armhole depth. You may also want to do this for deciding on overall garment length.

In all these scenarios, it’s important to understand that your garment may grow after blocking, so you’re trying-on to get a general idea. It’s also why it’s important to measure your swatch before blocking and then again after so that you can have an idea of how much your fabric will grow (or not grow) with blocking.

When to try on

At any point (or multiple points) while working your yoke, you can transfer your stitches to a holder and try it on. I think the easiest time to do this is after the yoke shaping, right after the Back/Front Separation (right before the Front Armhole Depth). The reason this is the easiest is because at this point, half the stitches have already been transferring onto a holder (your Back sts), and so you can easily try it on while your Front stitches are on the needles (note: if you’re unable to stretch out the Front stitches on the needle completely, then you can transfer half of them onto an extra circ).

Below is a picture of me trying it on at exactly this point:

This allowed me to confirm that I liked how the neck opening felt and I could proceed with the armhole depth. If I wasn’t happy with the neck (it was really tight or really loose), then at least I hadn’t gotten too too far and I could consider re-doing with a modified neck or making some other kind of adjustments (if this happens to you and you need help, just reach out to me!).

Another point where I think it’s good to try on is after the Front Armhole Depth, to double check how the armhole depth feels to you. In the below photo I’m trying-on again at this point:

If you feel like you need more depth, you can just continue working more rows (just keeping track of how many extra so you can replicate on the Back). And if it feels way too deep to you (and you don’t want that relaxed a look at your upper arm), you can take some rows out (again, making note of how many so you can replicate on the Back).

Another area you may want to try it on is before working the bottom hem ribbing to double check the overall length. Because of how deep the yoke depth is, your underarm to hem measurement will likely be shorter than in other garments, so it’s important to assess your overall garment length when deciding when to end the body (before working the bottom ribbing).

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Front/Back Separation

Below are some photos to help you visualize the steps involved in the Front/Back Separation section of the pattern.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

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Measuring Yoke Depth

In the Front Armhole Depth section, it says to work a certain number of rows, or until total yoke depth (from top of shoulder at neck edge straight down) measures a certain number of inches. If your row gauge differed from that listed in the pattern, it’s a good idea to measure this and make sure you have approximately the same measurement as that listed in the pattern. Below is a visual of how you do this measurement:

 

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Tips on working the body

In the body section, you’ll just be working in Stockinette stitch in the round, keeping the stripe sequence as established, until 1″ less than desired length (since the ribbing length is 1″).

Deciding on length:

Length can be so subjective! So although a garment length is suggested for each size in the pattern (again, based upon overall garment measurement from top of shoulder down), based upon your own torso length, you may likely want to alter this length. To decide what length this should be, you can a) Try on the sweater, using stitch holder cords or b) Find a sweater in your closer that you love the length of, measure it from shoulder (at neck edge) down to the hem – this is your target garment length. Then, measuring similar to the visualize up above, work the body until you reach that target garment length.

One key tip:

If you are working stripes, I personally think it looks best if you end after working between 3-9 rounds with the MC (so in essence, your last CC stripe is 3-9 rounds above the end). So just keep this in mind as you are determining your final length. As an example, in the below sample I have ended the body after working 5 rnds with the MC and then I began the hem ribbing:

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Tips on Working the Sleeves

Needle options:

Although the sleeves are very relaxed, because there are decreases made, a 16″ circular will be too small, unless you are working sizes 6-9. If you are, then instead of DPNs or magic loop, you can indeed use a 16″.

For sizes 1-5, you likely could start on a 16″ circular, but after a couple of decrease rounds, it will likely feel too tight and you’ll need to switch to either DPN’s or use the magic loop technique with your 32″ circular. For video tutorials of this, you can refer to my lessons below (they’re for a different design but similar construction and techniques):

• Sleeves with Magic Loop
• Sleeves with DPN’s (note: pattern shown here is a raglan, so there are underarm stitches – unlike On the Ocean – but otherwise the technique of using DPN’s is similar).

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Technique Tutorials

Below are other technique used in this pattern: