Wash's Sweater
Circular (Gansey) Version
Last updated: 10 January 2009
by Don Yarman
Wash's Sweater (aka Big Damn Sweater
and The Washburne) is a project of "Big Damn
Knitters, " the Ravelry group for fans of the TV series Firefly
and the spin-off movie Serenity.
The goal was to recreate a sweater worn by the character Wash in two of
the series episodes -- "Out of Gas" and "The Message."
Variations of the cable pattern were created by Laura Wilson-Martos and
Margaret (Maggs) Kailhofer. Maggs' pattern in particular
provided
the basis for this pattern. (See notes at end for links to
their
work).
SIZE
Pattern is written to fit men's
size 42 long. For alternate sizes, add or subtract stitches
from the
sweater's Double Moss Stitch panels. Body and sleeves can be
knit
longer or shorter as desired.
Chest: 41-43 in.
Body length: 27 in.
Sleeve length: 24.5 in.
MATERIALS
- Aran or heavy worsted wool in a neutral color; about 1,350
yards.
- 1 24 in or longer US #10 (5.75mm) circular needle
- 1 set of US #10 (5.75mm) double pointed needles
- 1 16 in US #10 (5.75mm) circular needle
- 1 16 in US #8 (5 mm) circular needle
GAUGE
16 sts/22 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch on larger needles
15 sts/25 rows = 4" in double moss stitch on larger needles
PATTERN NOTES
Legend & Techniques:
Charts for Double Moss Stitch and Rope Cable are on the last page.
Serenity Cable (Chart B) is published separately at http://www.yarmando.com/serenity_cable.pdf.
Double Moss Stitch (Worked over an even number of sts)
Rows 1-2: [k2, p2] to end of section.
Rows 3-4: [p2, k2] to end of section.
Rep rows 1-4.
Rope Cable (see also Chart A below)
Rows 1-2 (RS): p2, k6, p2
Row 3: p2, c3 over 3 right, p2
Rows 4-8: p2, k6, p2
Serenity Cable (see Chart B, http://www.yarmando.com/serenity_cable.pdf)
Except on those even numbered rows highlighted below where there are
cable crossings, work stitches of all even rows as they present
themselves, knitting the knit stitches and
purling the purl stitches.
Row 1 (RS): p11, k6, p11
Row 2 (WS): p11, c3 over 3 right, p11
Row 3: p11, k6, p11
Row 5: p10, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p10
Row 7: p9, c3 over 1 right p, p2, c3 over 1 left p, p9
Row 9: p8, c3 over 1 right p, p4, c3 over 1 left p, p8
Row 11: p7, c3 over 1 right p, p6, c3 over 1 left p, p7
Row 13: p6, c3 over 1 right p, p8, c3 over 1 left p, p6
Row 15: p5, c3 over 1 right p, p10, c3 over 1 left p, p5
Row 17: p4, c3 over 1 right p, p12, c3 over 1 left p, p4
Row 19: p3, c3 over 1 right p, p14, c3 over 1 left p, p3
Row 21: p3, k3, p16, k3, p3
Row 23: p3, k3, p16, k3, p3
Row 25: p3, c3 over 1 left p, p14, c3 over 1 right p, p3
Row 27: p4, c3 over 1 left p, p2, k3, p2, k3, p2, c3 over 1 right p, p4
Row 29: p5, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p2, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p5
Row 31: p6, k6, p4, k6, p6
Row 32: p6, c3 over 3 left, p4, c3 over 3 right, p6
Row 33: p6, k6, p4, k6, p6
Row 35: p5, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p2, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p5
Row 37: p4, c3 over 1 right p, p2, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p2, c3 over 1 left p, p4
Row 39: p4, k3, p4, k6, p4, k3, p4
Row 40: p4, k3, p4, c3 over 3 right, p4, k3, p4
Row 41: p4, k3, p4, k6, p4, k3, p4
Row 43: p4, c3 over 1 left p, p2, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p2, c3 over 1 right p, p4
Row 45: p5, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p2, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p5
Row 47: p6, k6, p4, k6, p6
Row 48: p6, c3 over 3 right, p4, c3 over 3 left, p6
Row 49: p6, k6, p4, k6, p6
Row 51: p5, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p2, c3 over 1 right p, c3 over 1 left p, p5
Row 53: p4, c3 over 1 right p, p12, c3 over 1 left p, p4
Row 55: p3, c3 over 1 right p, p14, c3 over 1 left p, p3
Row 57: p3, k3, p16, k3, p3
Row 59: p3, k3, p16, k3, p3
Row 61: p3, c3 over 1 left p, p14, c3 over 1 right p, p3
Row 63: p4, c3 over 1 left p, p12, c3 over 1 right p, p4
Row 65: p5, c3 over 1 left p, p10, c3 over 1 right p, p5
Row 67: p6, c3 over 1 left p, p8, c3 over 1 right p, p6
Row 69: p7, c3 over 1 left p, p6, c3 over 1 right p, p7
Row 71: p8, c3 over 1 left p, p4, c3 over 1 right p, p8
Row 73: p9, c3 over 1 left p, p2, c3 over 1 right p, p9
Row 75: p10, c3 over 1 left p, c3 over 1 right p, p10
DIRECTIONS
Body
With 5.75 mm (US 10) circular needles at least 24 in long, CO 164
sts. Join in the round, place marker for beginning of round,
and
knit Twisted Rib (*k1tbl, p1; rep from *) for 3 inches. In
last
round of rib, increase 20 sts evenly around (184 sts).
In the round, all rows are RS, and the charts are read right to left.
Establish pattern as follows: *Work Double Moss Stitch over
44
sts; work Rope Cable (Chart A) over the next 10 sts; work Serenity
Cable (Chart B) over the next 28 sts; repeat Rope Cable over the next
10 sts. Repeat from * to complete round.
Continue in pattern as set until body reaches the desired length to the
underarm, or about 9 inches shy of the total desired length of your
finished sweater (about 18 inches on a 42-long sweater). End
after an even round.
You will now begin to work the front and back sections of the sweater
separately. Break your yarn, leaving enough tail to weave in
later. Put the front half of your sweater on a string
holder. (Note: to this point, our rounds began
before the
double moss stitch panel, but the sleeves should be centered within the
double moss sections. So your string should be holding 22 sts
of
double moss pattern, one Rope Cable, the Serenity Cable, a second Rope
Cable, and another 22 sts of double moss.)
Back
Beginning at right side of back, join yarn and continue in pattern as
set, but you will now turn at the end of the back and work the even
numbered rows on the WS. Work for 9 inches; the original
sweater
appears to end after row 66 of the second repeat of the Serenity Cable
(Chart B). Slip all back stitches to a string holder.
Front
Return front stitches to your needles, and work as you did the back,
stopping 12 rows short of the length of the back; on the original
sweater, that appears to be after the second repeat of row 54 on the
Serenity Cable (Chart B).
Shape Front Neck
Keeping continuity, work 41 sts; place the next 14 sts on a holder;
turn, leaving the remaining sts on a spare needle. Continue
with
the pattern as far as possible while shaping left side of neck as
follows--
Cast off 1 stitch of the neck's edge at beginning of the next and
following alternating rows. Continue until 35 stitches remain
(12
rows). Put these left shoulder stitches on a holder.
With RS facing, rejoin yarn to sts of right side of neck. Keeping
continuity, work 2 rows in patt without shaping, then complete as left
side, casting off 1 st of the neck's edge on alternate rows until 35
sts remain.
Turn your work inside out. Join the 35 front shoulder sts
with 35
corresponding sts on the back by casting them off together in
three-needle bind-off. Repeat for other shoulder.
26 back
sts should remain on a holder, as well as the 14 sts at the front of
the neck.
Sleeves
With US #10 double pointed needles, CO 44 sts. Join into
round,
place marker, and work twisted rib pattern as body until cuff measures
3 inches. In last round of ribbing, increase 4 sts evenly in
round (48 sts total).
Establish pattern as follows: work Rope Cable (Chart A) over
the
next 10 sts; work Serenity Cable (Chart B) over the next 28 sts; repeat
Rope Cable over the next 10 sts.
Continue in patt as set, rep all rows of each chart, and inc 1 st at
beginning and end of 6th and every foll 6th rounds, working all inc sts
into Double Moss Stitch, until there are 76 sts (less for a tighter
sleeve, more for a fuller sleeve). When sleeve is big enough,
change to 16” circular needle.
Continue in patt without shaping until sleeve is desired length.
Pattern Note: on the original sweater, the cables appear to end after
the second repeat of row 40 on the Serenity Cable (Chart B).
This
is followed by 2-3 inches of reverse stockinette instead of the cables
to lengthen the sleeve.
Turn sleeve inside out and set it aside for a moment. With a
separate ball of yarn, pick up 76 stitches around the sleeve opening on
the body, starting at the lowest point of the underarm. Turn
body
inside out, and join the sleeve stitches to these armhole stitches with
3-needle bind-off. Watch tension carefully so that your
sleeve
seam isn't too tight or too loose.
Repeat for second sleeve.
Neckband
With RS facing and US #8 circular or double pointed needles, beg at
back neck holder. Join yarn and knit 26 sts from holder; pick
up
and knit 17 sts from left neck edge; knit 14 stitches from front neck
holder; pick up and knit 17 sts from right neck edge (74 sts
total). Work twisted rib (k1tbl, p1) for 3 inches.
Fold
neckband in half to WS and sew in place.
SOURCES
Whedon, Joss, and Minear, Tim (Executive Producers).
2002. Firefly [Television series]. Beverly Hills:
Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation.
Kailhofer,
Margaret. 2008. "Big Damn
Sweater
Pattern." Maggs Creations. Retrieved September 4,
2008,
from http://www.maggscreations.com/bigdamnsweater.html.
Wilson-Martos,
Laura. 2008.
"Washburne." Dizzy Blonde Designs. Retrieved
September 4, 2008, from http://lauramartos.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/cable-guy/.
Starmore,
Alice. 1996. Aran
Knitting. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, Inc.
Zimmerman, Elizabeth. 1981. Knitting
Workshop. Pittsville, WI: Schoolhouse Press.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Don Yarman lives in Columbus, OH, where he mostly knits socks while
watching too much TV. His partner wishes he spent more time
giving foot massages and less time knitting. Email comments
to
yarmando [at] gmail [dot] com.
Don licenses this work under a Creative
Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Feel free to use for non-commercial purposes, and if you adapt it,
please give credit and share with others.
