Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

Finished Sweater Size
41" body circ
37" waist circ
22" length
20" long sleeves from underarm

This pullover uses steeks at the underarms and center front. I hand sewed mine. You can machine sew them or crochet them - your choice.


This pullover is worked on 204 sts for a 41" finished circ, based on a colorwork gauge of 5 sts and 6.75 rnds/1" (2.5 cm). I'll be plotting several sizes, from about 36" to 48" circ for the pattern, which I'll write up and publish later.

So, for now, if you need another size than that which I knit, the stitch repeat of the checkerboard lower edge is 6 sts and the repeat of the main colorwork pattern is 3 sts. My size has 68 reps of the main 3-st pattern around = 34 reps each front and back.

4 hanks each Briggs & Little's new Softspun wool yarn (240 yds/4 oz hanks) in Cream and Wedgewood (blue).

I have a little here and will be getting more soon. Let me know if you're interested in particular colors. They also have a navy, black, red and mauvey rose - not shown on their site yet. I'll post a pic soon.

There are 2 upsides to a Fana, besides its ethnic charm! - it's lighter in weight than an allover-stranded garment. I used just about 23 ozs. of yarn for this sweater (12 ozs blue and 11 ozs cream), and it's a quicker knit than an allover stranded sweater, thanks to all those plain Stockinette rnds.

As I generally add 10% to the ounces I use in any design, to allow for knitter differences, even in this size sweater, I'd recommend getting 4 hanks of each color. I squeaked by with the blue, using just a few yards of the 4th hank, which I wouldn't have needed, if I hadn't of worked that last knit rnd in the garter stitch border (see below!)

If you need to figure out how much yarn you'll need for your size, here's how I figure it:
My sweater is 22" long and 41" around = 902 sq. ins. + 50% for the sleeves = 1353 sq ins.

I used 11 ozs of cream, so 1353 sq ins ÷ 11 ozs cream = 123 sq ins per oz for cream.

I used 12 ozs blue, so 1353 sq ins ÷ 12 oz blue = 112.75 sq ins per oz for blue.

So, to determine the amount of yarn *you* need, multiply your circ (for example 46") x your length (for example 24") = 1104 sq ins plus 50% for the sleeves = 1656 sq ins.

Now divide by 123 sq ins/oz for cream = 13.46 ozs cream. At 4 ozs/hank = 4 hanks cream needed *in this yarn*.

Divide by 112.75 sq ins/oz for blue = 14.68 ozs blue. At 4 ozs/hank = 4 hanks blue needed *in this yarn*.

If using 2 other colors, use the cream #'s for the lighter of your 2 colors, and the blue #'s for the darker of the 2 colors.

5 sts and 6.75 rnds/1" in stranded pattern with size 7 (4.5 mm) ndls, and 5 sts and 7 rnds = 1" in Stockinette. CO at least 4" worth of sts to work a gauge swatch.

Yes, the gauge isn't nearly square as is *typical* in colorwork patterns, BUT, as a Fana is only about 1/3 colorwork and 2/3 plain solid-color stockinette, we aren't likely to get that nearly-square gauge.

16" and 29-31" ckns, size 7 (4.5 mm) or size to give gauge
Stitch markers
Fingering to DK wt yarn - for steeks. I used sock reinforcement, which is about lace weight and sturdy - less than 1 spool used
Tapestry needle

If your flat and circular gauges vary, do as Meg Swansen does and bring your yarn around the back of your swatch, leaving a loose loop and knit the next row, again, from the RS. Be sure to leave a few extra sts at beg and end of row, as these will always be loose and should NOT be counted for gauge.

approx = approximately
BO = bind off
circ = circumference
ckn = circular needle
CO = cast on
k2tog = knit 2 sts together
ndl(s) = needle(s)
M1 = make 1 st by placing a twisted loop onto the right-hand ndl
patt = pattern
rem = remains/remaining
ssk = slip 2 sts, separately, knitwise, then knit them together from this position. Alternately, you can slip 1 st knitwise, slip the next st purlwise, then knit them together from this position.
st(s) = stitch(es)


I began with a garter stitch border, which, as Priscilla Gibson-Roberts says in Knitting in The Old Way, is the border on the best of the best Fana sweaters.

But as my garter stitch gauge is 4.5 sts/1", NOT 5 sts/1", as in the colorwork, instead of using a smaller sized ndl to get the 5 sts/1", I will CO less sts. I want the same 40.75" circ for the bottom, so it doesn't take in.


If your garter stitch gauge is looser than your colorwork gauge, as mine is, you'll need to CO about 10% less sts for the edge, then inc to the full count for the body of the sweater.

At 4.5 sts/1, that gives me 184 sts to work in the garter stitch. I worked 2 ridges plus a knit rnd.

I should have left off the last knit rnd and just began the checks after a purl rnd, which looks neater. I did this on the neck and sleeves on this blue and white sweater and will do so on the black and red sample to come next.

On the last rnd, increase up to 204 sts (approx. p9, M1).

Note: I'm working it in the round, as it's a pullover, so that means purling every other rnd, to create garter stitch. If this displeases you, then work the border flat (knitting every row) and seam it later.


Now, I've broken into k3 cream, k3 blue checks, worked for 3 rnds, then the colors are switched position for 3 rnds, then switched back again for 3 rnds. (See chart A.)


Many Fanas have more *rows* of checks going on, but I didn't want a very deeply checked border, as I will use it later at the neck, and I like a design element to be reflected elsewhere in a design, for balance, though if you like a deeper checked border both at the hem and at the neck, feel free to do so.

If your garter stitch edge wants to flip up once you begin the checkerboard, don't fret. Mine was tamed with a few puffs of the steam iron, for the photo. This isn't necessary to do with your sweater, as the bath it will get, when done, will take care of the flip.

To delineate the checked border from the main pattern, I've inserted a garter ridge. So, with blue, knit 1 rnd, purl 1 rnd.


Now, work 8 rnds of chart B = approx 3.25" from the CO edge.

I setup the rep with 1 cream, 1 blue, 1 cream, instead of 1 blue, 2 cream, or 2 cream, 1 blue, because, with the even # of reps around the body (68 reps, with 34 reps each on front and back), when I'm ready to divide for the v-neck, I will have 17 whole reps on each side of the v-neck, perfectly mirror-imaged.

On your last rnd, insert a marker at the side seam. For me, that means after st # 102. If you prefer coilless pins, then place the pin *between* st #102 and #103.

Coming - part 2: Waist Shaping

Labels: Fana, KAL