Pattern · Garment · Confident knitter
Seamed Aran sweater: cables, honeycomb and a swatch that tells the truth
An Aran sweater is a panel layout problem more than a knitting problem. This pattern sets out the centre panel arrangement, the cable interval, and the swatch discipline that stops the finished chest coming out 8 cm wider than planned.
Published Abbreviation C4F / C4B
- Vknit
- -purl
At a glance
- YarnWorsted wool, 190 m / 100 g, non-superwash
- Needles4.5 mm straight or circular, 4.0 mm for ribbing
- Gauge18 sts x 24 rows = 10 cm across the cable panel, relaxed
- ConstructionFlat, four pieces, seamed shoulders and sides
Working chart
| Step | Round / row | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| Swatch the cable panel itself, not a plain square Cables pull in 10-20%; a plain stocking-stitch swatch will lie to you. | - | - |
| Back: cast on 106 sts, work k2p2 rib for 7 cm Ribbing on a needle two sizes smaller than the body. | 1-18 | 106 |
| Set up the centre panel: 2 purl, C4F panel, 2 purl, honeycomb, 2 purl, C4B panel Purl columns between panels act as hinges. | 19 | 106 |
| Work to the armhole, crossing cables every 8th row 111 rows at 24 rows per 10 cm is 46 cm to the armhole. | 20-130 | 106 |
| Shape armholes: bind off 6 sts each side, then decrease every other row Ten decrease rows take the back from 106 to 86. | 131-140 | 86 |
| Shoulders: three-needle bind-off 26 sts each side, leave 34 for the neck Slope the shoulders with short rows over the last 12 rows. | 141-160 | 34 |
Measurements
| To fit chest | Finished chest | Back length |
|---|---|---|
| 91-97 cm | 106 cm | 66 cm |
| 102-107 cm | 116 cm | 68 cm |
| 112-117 cm | 126 cm | 70 cm |
| 122-127 cm | 136 cm | 71 cm |
Yarn and yardage
| Size | Metres | 100 g balls |
|---|---|---|
| 91-97 cm | 1350 m | 8 |
| 102-107 cm | 1520 m | 9 |
| 112-117 cm | 1710 m | 9 |
| 122-127 cm | 1900 m | 10 |
Panel layout
A traditional Aran centre panel is symmetric about the middle of the back and front. For a 106-stitch back at this gauge, the centre 34 stitches carry the honeycomb, flanked by a 4-stitch cable on each side, with 2 purl stitches between every panel.
Everything outside the centre 34 stitches is worked in reverse stocking stitch or a simple 2x2 rope, otherwise the panel count grows until the cable work swallows the whole garment and the design stops reading.
Cable interval
Cross every eighth row for a rope that reads as a firm, close cable, or every twelfth for a longer, more relaxed line. Whichever you pick, count rows rather than measuring: a cable crossing at 7 or 9 rows instead of 8 is the most visible error on an Aran garment.
Row counters help but a cable chart with a sliding marker is more reliable. If you do lose count, look at the fabric: the distance from the last crossing tells you which row you are on within one or two.
The swatch that matters
Swatch the centre panel over at least 15 cm so it includes two full cable repeats, then measure relaxed and flat. On worsted at 4.5 mm a cabled panel measures about 18 stitches per 10 cm against 22 for plain stocking stitch - a 18% difference that turns a 116 cm planned chest into 132 cm.
Wash and block the swatch before measuring, because non-superwash wool relaxes noticeably in the first wash. Measuring off the needles is the second most common way an Aran sweater comes out the wrong size.
Seaming and finishing
Seam the shoulders with a three-needle bind-off for a firm line that will not stretch under the weight of the sleeves, and use mattress stitch for the side and sleeve seams. Set-in sleeves are worked flat and seamed around the armhole, matching the armhole decreases to the sleeve cap decreases one for one.
Pick up the neckband on the smaller needle - usually 106 to 116 stitches for a crew neck at this gauge - and work 4 cm of k2p2 rib before a sewn bind-off. A standard bind-off in rib has no stretch and the neck will not go over the head.