Matsudo Pullover

One of the great laments of Those Who Knit for Men is that they (men) only want 'boring' sweaters; they must be blue, black, or grey in plain stockinette, and maaaaybe they can have a stripe across the chest or something. The Matsudo pullover is one of my offerings to appease all parties involved.

Pattern: Matsudo Pullover (my own)

Yarn: Fibra Natura Sensational (Superwash Merino Wool 100%), shown in 'Ultra Violet'

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in sizes US6 & US8

The search & experiments that led me to the texture pattern you see in the Osmundiale Beanie & Wristers (shown below) also yielded this subtly textured patterns stitch. As with the texture in the Osmundiale set, this one uses basic increases & decreases to manipulate the "grain" of the fabric. One of the things I like so much about this texture is that it's super subtle. From a distance, one might think this is just another pullover. With closer inspection, however, you can really appreciate the gentle visual shifts that are created by the way the knit stitches lay.

All in all, it makes for a very wearable pullover (in 7 sizes, from a finished chest measurement of 33" to a finished chest of 57") that is still interesting to knit, as the pattern shifts regularly throughout the body to create the "meandering" effect of the stripes. This meandering was reminiscent (for me) of the spiraling branches of the Curly Willow (Salix matsudana, named for Sadahisa Matsudo, and so was this pullover, albeit a bit more indirectly).

Matsudo Pullover

This pattern will be available soon wherever you find Universal Yarns (distributors of Fibra Natura, which you can also buy on their website). Naturally, Ravelry members can also buy & download this pattern from my Ravelry Store, and anyone can buy & download the pattern right here by clicking the button above. Thanks again to my friend Melissa Diaz for modeling for me, and to my roommate Yimka for modeling for me at the last-minute!