Chainmail Sweater (March) by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Chainmail Sweater (March)

Summary  A sweater using a Travelling-Stitch to create less angular color patterns.

Additional Information

Gauge: 5 sts to 1" measured over stocking-st.  6 sts to 1" measured over pattern, which pulls in.

Size: 40" around

Materials: In 1-ply "Homespun," or knitting worsted, 4 4oz skeins Light (Lt), 2 skeins Dark (DK), 1 skein Medium (Med) color.  Light and Medium should harmonize, but Dark not necessarily.  1 16", 1 24" circular needles of a size to give you correct GAUGE.

There is additional information regarding the amount of yarn needed for a sweater and what to do when/if you run short, as well combining color-blending and texture-difference as inspired by the Bohus tradition.

Chart included for Travelling-Stitch.

Elizabeth Zimmermann's elaboration on the Chainmail Sweater

Regular ski-sweater and Fair Isle color-patterns are beautiful and fascinating, and rewarding to execute, but they are sometimes rather angular, as their diagonals slope in a series of small steps.  They eye compensates for this; it is a knitting convention, and a handsome one.  Why, though, should it be the end of the road for knitters who wish to give their patterns a more flowing line?


Flowing lines are commonly seen in textured knitting-patterns, and particularly in Travelling-Stitch, typical of Aran designs.  Shall we make a colored Travelling-Stitch on a differently-colored background?  We shall.