Bandonacci by Frank H. Jernigan

Beyond the Pattern

The idea for this sweater began with a simple design challenge. I wanted to create a series of vertical bands descending from one shoulder down the front, each with a different width and length. The widths follow the opening numbers of the Fibonacci sequence 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 stitches, which naturally led to the mash-up name: Bandonacci.

After some research and experimentation for working intarsia in the round, I’m delighted with how this design came together, and I hope you enjoy knitting and wearing Bandonacci as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Size

XS (S, M, L, 1X) [2X, 3X, 4X, 5X]

Finished Measurements

Chest: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46) [50, 54, 58, 62]
Length: 22 (22.5, 23, 23.5, 24) [24.5, 25, 25.5, 26]

Materials

Juniper Moon Farm MOONSHINE (197yds/180m, 100g/3.52oz, 40% Alpaca, 40% Wool, 20% Silk): 4 (5, 5, 6, 7) [8, 8, 9, 10] hanks #67 Honeycomb (MC) and 1 hank #09 Swimming Pool (CC)
Size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles in length to accommodate sts and dpns, or preferred needles for small circumference knitting, or two sizes smaller than gauge needles
Size 7 (4.5mm) circular needles in length to accommodate sts and dpns, or preferred needles for small circumference knitting, or size needed to obtain gauge
Size E-4 (3.5mm) crochet hook
Stitch markers
Waste yarn (WY)
Tapestry needle

Gauge

In St st, using larger needles, 20 sts & 28 rnds = 4”/10cm. To save time, take time to check gauge.

Abbreviations

w&t—Wrap and turn, used for working a short row. To pick up the wrap: On a knit row/rnd, pu the wrap from the front with the right needle and knit it with the st it wraps. On a purl row/rnd, pu the wrap through the back loop with the right needle and purl it with the st it wraps.
M1R—Make 1 Right: Insert left needle, back to front, under the strand bet the st just worked and the next st. Knit the strand through the front loop to twist it.
M1Rp —Make 1 Right purl: Insert left needle, back to front, under the strand bet the st just worked and the next st. Purl the strand through the front loop to twist it.
M1L—Make 1 Left: Insert left needle, front to back, under the strand bet the st just worked and the next st. Knit the strand through the back loop to twist it.
M1Lp—Make 1 Left purl: Insert left needle, front to back, under the strand bet the st just worked and the next st. Purl the strand through the back loop to twist it.
BOR—Beginning of Round.

Special Techniques

Crochet Provisional Cast On

This cast on is used at the underarm so that area is seamless. See this video demonstrating how to cast on the stitches and pick them up later to work in the opposite direction.

Intarsia in the Round

See this video for “Intarsia ITR instructions for the Bandonacci sweater,” created for this pattern.

Stranded Colorwork in Intarsia

With MC, knit or purl to 1 st before first CC st of stranded colorwork pat. Trap the CC by crossing it over the MC thread before the final MC st is worked. Drop the MC and pick up the CC, passing it over the MC to beg working the stranded colorwork. Work the final CC st of the part. Pick up the MC from under the CC to cont the non-stranded section. Or see this video.

Invisible Ribbed Bind Off (or Kitchener Bind Off)

See this video demonstrating this technique.

Construction Notes

This crew-neck sweater, worked from the top down, starts by casting on stitches for the left and right back shoulders. After working a few rows, stitches are cast on to join the shoulders and form the back of the neck, then the back is knitted flat for a few more rows. Stitches are then picked up in the cast-on edges to work the right and left front shoulders, which are ultimately joined and stitches cast on to complete the front neckline. As the neck shaping is worked, stitches are picked up along the selvedge edges of the shoulders for the sleeve caps. Sleeve caps are worked simultaneously with the body until the end of the sleeve openings. Once the sleeve caps are completed, the sleeve stitches are put on holders while the rest of the body is knit. Then the sleeve stitches are worked down to the wrists.

DESIGNER NOTE—The design is worked as intarsia in the round using one side of the single band on the back as the Intarsia BOR. The four or five bands that are started on the right front shoulder may be worked either as “stranded colorwork for intarsia” using a single strand of CC yarn (see Special Techniques) or as individual bands of intarsia, each with a separate strand. Later, the “sleeve cap BOR” is established, separate from the Intarsia BOR, to serve as the reference point for shaping the sleeve caps.

Back Shoulders

Using larger needles, MC, and long-tail cast on, CO 14 (17, 19, 22, 24) [27, 29, 32, 34] sts for the back Right Shoulder. With second strand of yarn, CO the same number of sts for the back Left Shoulder. Both back shoulders are worked at the same time.

Row 1 (RS): K4 (6, 7, 8, 10) [11, 12, 14, 14] sts then, using a length of CC measuring 17 (17, 17, 18, 18) [18, 19, 19, 19] yards, k5 in CC, start a new strand of MC and knit to end. Knit to end of Right Shoulder using MC.

Row 2 (WS): Purl to end of Right Shoulder. Maintaining the 5-st intarsia pat on Left Shoulder, p5 (6, 6, 7, 8) [9, 10, 11, 11], w&t, knit to neck edge. On Right Shoulder, k5 (6, 6, 7, 8) [9, 10, 11, 11], w&t, purl to neck edge. On Left Shoulder, p10 (12, 12, 14, 16) [18, 20, 22, 22], picking up wrap, w&t, knit to neck edge. On Right Shoulder, k10 (12, 12, 14, 16) [18, 20, 22, 22], picking up wrap, w&t, purl to neck edge. On Left Shoulder purl in pat to end, picking up wrap.

Row 3: Knit in pat to end, picking up wrap on Right Shoulder.
Row 4: Purl in pat to end.
Break yarn on back Right Shoulder, leaving tail long enough to weave in.

Cont working with yarn on back Left Shoulder.
Row 5: Knit in pat to neck edge, then turn work to WS and, using cable cast on, CO 24 (26, 28, 31, 33) [36, 38, 40, 43] sts and join to Right Shoulder; knit to end—52 (60, 66, 75, 81) [90, 96, 104, 111] sts.
Work 4 (4, 4, 8, 8) [8, 10, 10, 12] rows in St st.

Break MC yarn on right shoulder, leaving tail long enough to weave in.
A a total of 9 (9, 9, 13, 13) [13, 15, 15, 17] rows have been worked from the CO edge.

Front Shoulders

With WS facing, MC, and CO edge of Left Shoulder at the top, using the needle emerging from the sweater’s left side below and a separate strand of yarn for each front piece, pu pwise and purl 14 (17, 19, 22, 24) [27, 29, 32, 34] sts from the middle of each st of the CO row—14 (17, 19, 22, 24) [27, 29, 32, 34] sts on each shoulder. Both front shoulders are worked at the same time.

DESIGNER NOTE—The pattern is started but not completed before reaching the end of the CO stitches. As the neck is shaped and new stitches are added to the shoulder, the pattern as established continues until all bands of CC have been added.

Row 1 (RS): On Right Front Shoulder, k3, beg working the Bands Chart starting with column 20 (20, 20, 20, 31) [31, 31, 31, 31]. On Left Front Shoulder, knit to end.

Row 2 (WS): Purl to end of Left Front. On Right Front, cont pat as est, p5 (6, 6, 7, 8) [9, 10, 11, 11], w&t, knit to neck edge. On Left Front, k5 (6, 6, 7, 8) [9, 10, 11, 11], w&t, purl to neck edge. On Right Front, p10 (12, 12, 14, 16) [18, 20, 22, 22], picking up wrap, w&t, knit to neck edge. On Left Front, k10 (12, 12, 14, 16) [18, 20, 22, 22], picking up wrap, w&t, purl to neck edge. On Right Front purl to end, picking up wrap.

Row 3: Knit to end, picking up wrap on Left Shoulder.
Row 4: Purl to end.

DESIGNER NOTE—The neck shaping begins at this point and continues until the final cast-on stitches at the bottom of the neck join the two fronts and knitting across the front begins. At that point, the shoulder fronts will be also completed, stitches will be picked up along the tops of the shoulder caps, and the rows will begin to go all around the sleeves, joining the front and the back, and work in the round will begin.

Front Neck Shaping

Row 1 (Right Shoulder): Knit in pat to 2 sts before neck edge, M1R, k2; (Left Shoulder) k2, M1L, knit to end.
Row 2 (Left Shoulder): Purl to 2 sts before neck edge, M1Lp, p2; (Right Shoulder) p2, M1Rp, purl in pat to end.

Rep these last 2 rows – (–, – 1, 1) [1, 2, 2, 3] more times—16 (19, 21, 26, 28) [31, 35, 38, 42] sts on each side.

Complete Neck Shaping and Begin Sleeve Caps

CO Row 1 (Right Shoulder): Knit in pat to neck edge, turn work to WS and, using cable cast on, CO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) [3, 3, 3, 3] sts; (Left Shoulder): knit to end.

CO Row 2 (Left Shoulder): Purl to neck edge, turn work to RS and CO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) [3, 3, 3, 3] sts; (Right Shoulder): purl in pat to end.
Break yarn on left shoulder—18 (21, 23, 29, 31) [34, 38, 41, 45] sts on each side.

CO Row 3 (Right Shoulder): Knit in pat to neck edge, turn work to WS and, using cable cast on, CO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) [3, 3, 3, 3] sts, reverse direction and purl to 2 sts before end, p2tog, place sleeve cap BOR marker. Do not turn work. Continuing around the shoulder, pu and purl 10 (11, 12, 15, 16) [17, 18, 20, 22] sts evenly across the selvedge edge, pm, ssp, purl in pat across back to 2 sts before the end, p2tog, pm, pu and purl 10 (11, 12, 15, 16) [17, 18, 20, 22] sts evenly across the selvedge edge, pm, ssp, purl to end, turn work to RS and, using cable cast on, CO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) [3, 3, 3, 3] sts—19 (22, 24, 31, 33) [36, 40, 43, 47] sts on each side of front, 50 (58, 64, 73, 79) [88, 94, 102, 109] sts on back, 10 (11, 12, 15, 16) [17, 18, 20, 22] sts between sleeve markers.

CO Row 4: Reverse direction and knit in pat around to right neck edge, turn work to WS and, using cable cast on, CO 12 (14, 16, 11, 13) [16, 14, 16, 15] sts, join to the other side of the neck. Continuing on RS, knit to marker, sm, M1L, knit to marker, M1R, sm, knit to band on back left shoulder, place Intarsia BOR marker. Break the working strand of MC, leaving tail long enough to weave in and, using the second strand of MC that was left there, reverse direction, manipulating the strands as required by intarsia in the rnd.
Purl to 1 st before marker, M1Lp, p1, sm, M1Rp, purl to marker, M1Lp, sm, p1, M1Rp. Purl in pat across front to marker, sm, M1Rp, purl to marker, M1Lp, sm, purl to Intarsia BOR marker, working CC band as required by intarsia in the rnd. Reverse directions trapping MC as required by intarsia in the rnd, knit to 1 st before marker, M1R, k1, sm M1L, knit to marker, M1R, sm, k1, M1L—52 (60, 66, 75, 81) [90, 96, 104, 111] sts each on front and back, 14 (15, 16, 19, 20) [21, 22, 24, 26] sts between sleeve markers.

Sleeve Cap Shaping

DESIGNER NOTE—At this point there is an Intarsia BOR marker on the back left shoulder and a sleeve cap BOR marker on the right front shoulder. The sleeve cap shaping begins with the sleeve cap BOR marker on the right front shoulder. Because intarsia requires alternating RS rows and WS rows, the sleeve cap shaping works increases on the WS as well as on the RS. Work the following increases when indicated, depending on whether you are working a RS or a WS row. Starting with knitting across the front, the garment is worked to the Intarsia BOR marker on the back left shoulder and back to the front, crossing the left sleeve cap twice, using two rows of the sleep cap shaping instructions on the left sleeve cap. Then the right sleeve cap is crossed twice as the row is purled to the Intarsia BOR and then knitted back to the sleeve cap BOR marker, working those same two rows on the right sleeve cap.

Important—The following Increase instructions are describing HOW to work the increases referred to in the instructions below. They are not intended to be worked as part of your pattern. Beg the Sleeve Cap Shaping with the first shaping rnd below:

Sleeve Cap Increase Rnd (WS): Work in pat to marker, sm, M1Rp, purl to next marker, M1Lp, sm, cont in pat.
Sleeve Cap Increase Rnd (RS): Work in pat to marker, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, cont in part.
Bulleted list ends

Shape the sleeve caps as foll:

Work an Inc Rnd every 2nd rnd 3 (2, 1, 4, 3) [4, 4, 4, 4] times—20 (19, 18, 27, 26) [29, 30, 32, 34] sts bet sleeve markers.
Work an Inc Rnd every 3rd rnd 0 (1, 2, 1, 2) [2, 3, 4, 4] times—20 (21, 22, 29, 30) [33, 36, 40, 42] sts bet sleeve markers.
Work an Inc Rnd every 5th rnd 3 times—26 (27, 28, 35, 36) [39, 42, 46, 48] sts bet sleeve markers.
Work an Inc Rnd every 3rd rnd 0 (1, 3, 1, 3) [3, 3, 4, 5] times—26 (29, 34, 37, 42) [45, 48, 54, 58] sts bet sleeve markers.
Work an Inc Rnd every 2nd rnd, 2 (2, 1, 3, 2) [4, 4, 4, 4] times. Since the final inc occurs on the first pass across the sleeve cap, complete the pair of rows for sizes XS (S, – L, –) [–, 3X, 4X, –] by working a non-inc pass across each sleeve cap—30 (33, 36, 43, 46) [53, 56, 62, 66] sts bet sleeve markers.

Increases on Body and Sleeve Caps

Next Rnd: Starting at BOR marker, knit in pat across front to 1 st before sleeve marker, M1R, k1, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, k1, M1L, knit to Intarsia BOR marker, reverse direction, purl to 1 st before sleeve marker, M1Lp, p1, sm, M1Rp, purl to next marker, M1Lp, sm, p1, M1Rp.

Next Rnd: Purl in pat across front to 1 st before sleeve marker, M1Lp, p1, sm, M1LRp, purl to next marker, M1Lp, sm, p1, M1Rp, purl across back to Intarsia BOR marker, reverse direction, knit to 1 st before sleeve marker, M1R, k1, sm, M1L, knit to next marker, M1R, sm, k1, M1L.

Rep the above 2 rnds 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) [4, 4, 4, 5] more times—42 (45, 52, 59, 66) [73, 76, 82, 90] sts bet sleeve markers, 64 (72, 82, 91, 101) [110, 116, 124, 135] sts on front and back between markers.

Separate Sleeves from Body

Knit in pat across front to sleeve marker, rm, transfer 42 (45, 52, 59, 66) [73, 76, 82, 90] sleeve sts to WY, CO 11 (13, 13, 14, 14) [15, 19, 21, 20] sts onto left needle using provisional crochet CO and knit the CO sts, rm, knit to Intarsia BOR marker, reverse direction, purl around left shoulder and work in pat across front to sleeve cap marker, rm, transfer next 42 (45, 52, 59, 66) [73, 76, 82, 90] sleeve sts to WY, CO 11 (13, 13, 14, 14) [15, 19, 21, 20] sts onto left needle using provisional crochet CO and purl the CO sts, rm, purl to intarsia BOR, reverse direction, knit to front—150 (170, 190, 210, 230) [250, 270, 290, 310] sts on needles.

Body

Cont in pat, terminating the 1-st wide band in the next row by simply working across in MC. Then terminate 1 additional band, in order from thinnest to widest, every 21 (20, 19, 18, 13) [12, 11, 10, 10] rnds. On these rnds, move the location of the trapped CC to be 1 st from the first rem band as bands are removed. When the final band is terminated, also terminate the band on the back when it is reached on the next knit rnd.

Knit every rnd in MC until the sweater is 2″ less than desired length.

Waist Ribbing

Using smaller size needles, knit 1 rnd while working k2tog decs spaced evenly around 14 (16, 18, 20, 20) [22, 24, 26, 28] times—136 (154, 172, 190, 210) [228, 246, 264, 282] sts.

Work K1P1 ribbing until ribbing measures 2”.
BO using Invisible Ribbed BO, or BO in pat.

Sleeves

Transfer the provisional CO sts from the underarm onto the larger needle, placing a BOR marker in the middle of these sts. There will be 1 more than sts CO—12 (14, 14, 15, 15) [16, 20, 22, 21] sts. Pm and transfer all the other sleeve sts held on WY onto the needle, pm, join in the rnd, and sl sts from left needle to the right needle up to the BOR marker—54 (59, 66, 74, 81) [89, 96, 104, 111] sts.

Next Rnd: Start a new strand of yarn at the BOR marker and knit to 1 st before first marker, rm, k2tog, knit to 1 st before next marker, rm, ssk, knit to end—52 (57, 64, 72, 79) [87, 94, 102, 109] sts.
Knit 7 rnds.

Sleeve Shaping

Sizes XS (S, M, L, –) [2X, 3X, 4X, 5X] Only

Rnd 1: Knit to last 2 sts, ssk.
Rnd 2: K1, k2tog, knit to end.
Knit 11 (9, 8, 6, –) [5, 4, 4, 3] rnds.
Rep these 13 (11, 10, 8, –) [7, 6, 6, 5] rnds 3 (4, 2, 10, –) [1, 13, 2, 21] more times—44 (47, 58, 50, –) [83, 66, 96, 65] sts.

All Sizes

Rnd 1: Knit to last 2 sts, ssk.
Rnd 2: K1, k2tog, knit to end.
Knit 10 (8, 7, 5, 5) [4, 3, 3, 2] rnds.
Rep these 12 (10, 9, 7, 7) [6, 5, 5, 4] rnds 2 (3, 7, 2, 15) [16, 6, 20, 3] more times —38 (39, 42, 44, 47) [49, 52, 54, 57] sts.

Cuff

Using smaller needles, knit 1 rnd while working k2tog decs spaced evenly around 4 (3, 4, 4, 5) [5, 4, 4, 5] times—34 (36, 38, 40, 42) [44, 48, 50, 52] sts.

Work K1P1 ribbing until cuff measures 2”.
BO using Invisible Ribbed BO, or BO in pat.

Rep for second sleeve.

Neckband

With dpns and MC and starting at the left shoulder, pu and knit an even number of sts around neck, pm, and join to knit in the rnd.
Work K1P1 ribbing for 7 rnds or 1”.

BO using Invisible Ribbed BO or BO in pat.

Weave in ends and block.

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