Close-up of a person wearing a beige patterned sweater with embroidery, beige pants, and a glimpse of a hand near the pocket. The background shows an outdoor landscape with land and water under a partly cloudy sky.
A woman standing outdoors in a dry, grassy field with mountains in the background, wearing a brown sweater and beige pants, looking into the distance during sunset.
Woman standing outdoors in a desert landscape with mountains, covering her face with her hands, wearing a cream-colored sweater with colorful knit patterned sleeves and rings on her fingers.
A woman in a coral sweater and black torn jeans standing outdoors in a desert landscape with rock formations at sunset, wearing a black hat and jewelry.
A woman with long curly hair standing outdoors in a natural landscape with hills and sparse vegetation, wearing a beige sweater with patterned sleeves and gray pants, looking off into the distance with windblown hair.

Desert Days Sweater

THIS SWEATER FEATURES just a touch of colorwork on the lower sleeves—a little pop of interest on an otherwise straightforward piece. Knits, purls, and slipped stitches that form a textured, abstract motif inspired by desert landscapes. While most rounds use traditional two-color stranded colorwork, a few are actually mosaic-style: one color is worked while the other is carried by slipping stitches from the previous round.

The result? A motif that’s textural, engaging, and (I think!) really fun to knit. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

P.S. If you happen to be a stockinette lover, I’ve included alternative instructions for a simple, solid-color sleeve!

  • Design: The Desert Days Sweater is a circular yoke pullover with a slightly relaxed fit, designed for both comfort and style. Worked in a single color, the sweater features subtle details like a twisted rib collar and hem, both finished with a rolled edge. The sleeves follow a classic tapered shape with a faux seam. For the lower sleeve, you have two options: keep it simple with plain stockinette or add visual interest with stranded colorwork. This optional colorwork motif blends knits, purls, and slipped stitches to create a textured, abstract design inspired by desert landscapes. The neckline can be finished with an optional decorative crochet reinforcement.

    Construction: This sweater is knit seamlessly from the top down in the round. It begins with a cast-on at the top of the neckband, followed by short rows to shape the back neck for a comfortable fit. Invisible lifted increases shape the yoke gradually and cleanly. Once the yoke is complete, sleeve stitches are placed on hold while the body is knit. The sleeves are then returned to the needles and finished in the round. The lower sleeves offer an optional stranded colorwork section, adding texture and visual interest. The neckband can also be finished with an optional decorative crochet reinforcement for added structure and a polished look.

    Fit: This garment is designed to fit with 1 to 5 in. (2.5 to 12.5 cm) of positive ease in the body. To pick the best size for you, measure your upper bust circumference and add your preferred ease of between 1 to 5 in. (2.5 to 12.5 cm). Make the size with a finished chest circumference closest to that number. If you are unfamiliar with choosing garment size based on your upper bust measurement, One Wild Designs has a great blog post about this.

    Stitch Patterns: The colorwork stitch pattern in this sweater is only charted, so you should be confident in your chart reading skills—or be open to learning!

  • SIZES
    (1, 2, 3)(4, 5, 6)(7, 8, 9)

    FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
    Finished Chest Circumference
    (35.75, 39.5, 44.25)(48.75, 53.25, 57.25)(61.75, 66.25, 70.75) in.
    (89.5, 99, 110.5)(122, 133, 143)(154.5, 165.5, 177) cm

    Finished Upper Arm Circumference
    (9.75, 10.25, 10.75)(11.25, 11.75, 12.25)(12.75, 13.5, 13.75) in.
    (24.5, 25.5, 27)(28, 29.5, 30.5)(32, 34, 34.5) cm

    This sweater is intended to be worn 1 to 5 in. (2.5 to 12.5 cm) of positive ease in the body. See the note above on fit for more information about choosing the right size for you!

  • YARN
    This sweater can be knit with or without colorwork on the sleeves, depending on your preference. For the colorwork version, you will need a main color (MC) and two contrast colors (CC1 and CC2). For the solid version, only a single color is required. The amount of MC yarn needed is the same for both versions.

    Sport Weight
    Cropped Length
    MC: (290, 320, 360)(395, 435, 480)(520, 580, 630) g/(950, 1050, 1180)(1295, 1425, 1575)(1705, 1900, 2065) yds or (870, 960, 1080)(1185, 1305, 1440)(1560, 1735, 1890) m
    Full Length
    MC: (335, 370, 415)(460, 505, 555)(600, 660, 720) g/ (1100, 1215, 1360)(1510, 1655, 1820)(1970, 2165, 2360) yds or (1005, 1110, 1245)(1380, 1515, 1665)(1800, 1980, 2160) m
    Cropped and Full Length
    CC1: (15, 20, 20)(25, 25, 30)(30, 35, 35) g/ (50, 65, 65)(80, 80, 100)(100, 115, 115) yds or (45, 60, 60)(75, 75, 90)(90, 105, 105) m
    CC2: (15, 15, 15)(20, 20, 20)(25, 25, 30) g/ (50, 50, 50)(65, 65, 65)(80, 80, 100) yds or (45, 45, 45)(60, 60, 60)(75, 75, 90) m

    SUGGESTED YARN
    Lavender Lune Organic Merino (100 g/328 yds (300 m)) – 100% non-superwash organic Merino
    Cropped Length
    MC: (3, 4, 4)(4, 5, 5)(6, 6, 7) skeins
    Full Length
    MC: (4, 4, 5)(5, 6, 6)(6, 7, 8) skeins
    Cropped and Full Length
    CC1: 1 skein
    CC2: 1 skein

    The colorwork sample sweater is knit in the colorways Antler (MC), Timber (CC1), and Flannel (CC2).

    The solid color sample sweater pictured in this pattern is knit from Stone Wool Delaine Merino (50 g/190 yds (174 m)) – 100% American Delaine Merino in the colorway Root (MC).

  • Needle A (body and sleeves): US 5 (3.75 mm)
    Needle B (ribbing): US 3 (3.25 mm)

    For each needle size, you will need 24 in. (60 cm) to 50 in. (125 cm) circular needles, depending on the finished chest circumference of your chosen size and your preferred needles for smaller circumference knitting (i.e., magic loop, short circular needles, or double-pointed needles).

  • Measure gauge on Needle A in the round, after blocking.

    21 sts and 33 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stockinette
    21 sts and 33 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stranded colorwork

  • German twisted cast-on, German short rows, stranded & mosaic colorwork, backwards loop cast‑on, picking up stitches, chart reading, tubular bind-off

Purchase the Desert Days Sweater pattern on Ravelry