Knit a boat-neck raglan pullover sweater

Finishing
Weave in any loose ends with the tapestry needle.

Assembly
To achieve its "deconstructed" look, this pullover is worn with the purl side facing outward. Work all seams with a 1/4"/6 mm seam allowance showing on the outside of the piece.

Place the Front and Back pieces together with the knit sides facing each other. With the tapestry needle and yarn, backstitch the side seams together. You may find it helpful to pin the two pieces together first.

Fold the Sleeves with the knit sides facing each other. With the tapestry needle and yarn, sew together the sleeve seams using backstitch. With the purl sides facing out, pin the Sleeves into the shoulder seams. Make sure you pin the Sleeves evenly to avoid any bunching or stretching.

With the tapestry needle and yarn, backstitch the Sleeves to the shoulder seams.

Dyeing
In a large stainless steel bowl or sink, dissolve all the powdered dye in the package in cold water with 1/4 cup (59 mL) salt. Make sure to use stainless steel. If you spill the dye on any porcelain or tile, use a bleach cleanser to remove stains.

To achieve a faded effect with the dyeing process, dip the garment in the dye 1"/2.5 cm at a time.

Dip approximately 1"/2.5 cm of each Sleeve in the dye. After you dip the Sleeves in the dye, rinse them under water for approximately 2 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water.

Dip approximately 2"/5 cm of each Sleeve into the dye. Rinse in cold water again for approximately 2 minutes and squeeze out the excess water.

Repeat the process, dipping the Sleeves approximately 3"/7.5 cm into the dye this time.

Repeat this gradual dyeing process for the bottom hem of the pullover. Make sure you rinse all the edges thoroughly so that no excess dye remains and bleeds into the rest of the sweater. As you wear and wash the sweater over time, the dye will fade gradually – I love that worn look. Hang the garment on a hanger to dry overnight before wearing.

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Excerpted from Suss Design Essentials, copyright 2007 by Suss Cousins. Excerpted with permission from Potter Craft, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.