There's nothing worse than the hot blaze of summer and some big, half-finished wool thing draped across your lap. It's a recipe for sticky palms, itchy arms and certain crankiness. Put it away! Whatever it is, wait until fall!

Linen is a blessing for the year-round knitter who doesn't happen to have a masochistic penchant for alpaca at the beach. I love how cool and dry Louet's Euroflax Linen feels, to knit and to wear! This is a sweater that's truly for summer.

This project also includes a new tutorial for short rows. So, if you've never tackled short rows before, this may a good time. We've made the steps so simple, you'll wonder why you ever hesitated! --Whitney

• 4-5 skeins of Louet's Euroflax Linen , 100% linen. 36 inch chest and bigger probably need 5 skeins. This color is called French Blue.
• Needle size depends on the size of the finished tunic (please see the "Gauge and Finished Size" section of the pattern below.) For 6.5 stitches to the inch, I used a US #4 needle. In whatever needle size you decide, you will need a 24 inch circular needle and a 16 inch circular needle one size smaller.
• 4 stitch holders

Gauge and Finished Size

The gauge depends on what size garment you want to make. Luckily, linen is beautiful at lots of different gauges!

For a finished chest size of 32 inches: 7 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

For a finished chest size of 34.5 inches: 6.5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

For a finished chest size of 37.25 inches: 6 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

For a finished chest size of 40.75 inches: 5.5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

For a finished chest size of 44.75 inches: 5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

(The tunic shown here was knit at 6.5 stitches to the inch and is 29 inches from shoulder to hem.) 

Picot Hem

Using a Provisional Cast On, cast 276 stitches onto the larger needle. Place a marker and join for working in the round, being very careful to not twist the stitches.

Knit 6 rounds.

Next round: *K2tog, yo, repeat from * to end of round.

Knit 6 rounds.

Use a circular needle smaller than the one you are knitting with to pick up the cast on stitches (see the Provisional Cast On Tutorial).

Fold the hem up so the wrong sides are facing each other. Holding the two left needles parallel to each other, knit 1 stitch from the front needle together with 1 stitch from the back needle. Repeat to the end of the round.

Body

Next round: Knit 138, place a different colored marker, knit to end of round.

Knit 10 rounds, ending the last round 3 stitches before the end of the round. Ssk, k1. (275 stitches)

Next round: K2, k2tog, knit to 3 stitches before next marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k2, k2tog, knit to end of round. (272 stitches)

Repeat the last 11 rounds 12 more times. (224 stitches)

Knit 2 rounds.

Knit 7, place last 13 stitches on a holder (removing marker).

Knit to 7 stitches past next marker, place last 13 stitches on a holder (removing marker).

Knit to end of round. Place the next 99 stitches (after the 13 stitches on hold) onto holders or scrap yarn.

You should have 13 stitches on hold, then 99 stitches on hold, then 13 stitches on hold, then 99 stitches on the needle ready to work.

Back

Note: This section will be worked back and forth, rather than in the round. ie Knit one row, turn the work, purl one row, turn the work, etc.

Next row: Purl.

Next row: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, ssk, k1. (97 stitches)

Repeat the last 2 rows 3 more times. (91 stitches)

Purl 1 row.

Decrease row: K12, [k2 tog, k3] 13 times, k2tog, k12. (77 stitches)

Next row: Purl.

Next row: Knit.

Repeat last 2 rows 13 more times (armhole measures 6 inches).

Purl 1 row.

Next row: K25, bind off 27, k24.

Back Left Shoulder

Note #1: The "left shoulder" is as if you were wearing the garment, not as you're looking at it.

Note #2: You will work back and forth on only the 25 stitches of the left shoulder for this section, allowing the other 25 stitches of the right shoulder to just hang out on the needle.

Row 1: Turn the work and purl the 25 stitches of the left shoulder.

Row 2: Bind off 3, knit to end. (22 stitches)

Row 3 and every odd numbered row: Purl.

Rows 4 and 6: Bind off 2, knit to end. (18 stitches)

Row 8: K1, k2tog, knit to end. (17 stitches)

Row 10: K1, k2tog, k11 (there are 13 stitches on the right needle and 3 stitches on the left needle), wrap and turn. (For help with this, please link to the "Wrap and Turn on the Knit Side" section of our Short Rows Tutorial.)

Row 12: K1, k2tog, k7 (9 stitches on right needle and 6 on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 14: K1, k2tog, k3 (5 stitches on right needle and 9 on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 16: K2, (12 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 18: Knit to end, picking up wraps as you get to them. (Please see the "Picking up the Wraps on the Knit Side" section of the Short Rows Tutorial for help.) (14 stitches)

Row 19: Purl.

Cut a the yarn, and put the 14 left shoulder stitches on a holder.

Back Right Shoulder

Row 1: With new yarn and the right side facing you, knit the 25 stitches of the right shoulder.

Row 2: Bind off 3, purl to end. (22 stitches)

Row 3 and every odd numbered row: Knit.

Rows 4 and 6: Bind off 2, purl to end. (18 stitches)

Row 8: P1, p2tog, purl to end. (17 stitches)

Row 10: P1, p2tog, p11 (there are 13 stitches on the right needle and 3 stitches on the left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 12: P1, p2tog, p7 (9 stitches on right needle and 6 on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 14: P1, p2tog, p3 (5 stitches on right needle and 9 on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 16: P2, (12 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 18: Purl to end, picking up wraps as you get to them. (14 stitches)

Row 19: Knit.

Cut a generous tail (about 18 inches long) and put the 14 right shoulder stitches on a holder.

Front

Put the 99 stitches that have been on hold onto a needle.

Row 1: With the wrong side facing, join new yarn and purl a row.

Row 2: (Decrease Row) K1, k2tog, k8, [k2tog, k3] 15 times, k2tog, k8, ssk, k1. (81 stitches)

Row 3: Purl.

Row 4: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, ssk, k1. (79 stitches)

Repeat the last 2 rows 2 more times. (75 stitches) 

Next row: Purl.

next row: Knit.

Repeat the last 2 rows until piece measures 3 inches from the Decrease Row (Row 2).

Purl 1 row.

Next row: K33, bind off 9, k32.

Front Right Shoulder

Row 1: Turn the work and purl the 33 stitches of the right shoulder.

Row 2: Bind off 3, knit to end. (30 stitches)

Row 3 and every odd numbered row: Purl.

Row 4: Bind off 3, knit to end. (27 stitches)

Rows 6-10: Bind off 2, knit to end. (21 stitches)

Rows 12-24: K1, k2tog, k to end. (14 stitches)

Row 26: K11, (3 stitches on the left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 28: K8, (6 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 30: K5, (9 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 32: K2, (12 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 34: Knit to end, picking up wraps as you get to them. (14 stitches)

Row 35: Purl.

Cut a tail.

With wrong sides facing, use the Kitchener Stitch to graft the right front shoulder to the right back shoulder. Use the long tail from the back shoulder as the sewing yarn.

Front Left Shoulder

Row 1: With new yarn and the right side facing you, knit the 33 stitches of the left shoulder.

Row 2: Bind off 3, purl to end. (30 stitches)

Row 3 and every odd numbered row: Knit.

Row 4: Bind off 3, purl to end. (27 stitches)

Rows 6-10: Bind off 2, purl to end. (21 stitches)

Rows 12-24: P1, p2tog, purl to end. (14 stitches)

Row 26: P11, (3 stitches on the left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 28: P8, (6 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 30: P5, (9 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 32: P2, (12 stitches on left needle), wrap and turn.

Row 34: Purl, picking up wraps as you get to them. (14 stitches)

Row 35: Knit.

Cut a generous tail (about 18 inches long) and use it to Kitchener Stitch the front left shoulder to the back left shoulder.

Neckband

Pick up 21 stitches across the center bound off stitches; pick up 20 stitches to the top of the left shoulder; 24 stitches to the beginning of the front center bound off stitches, 8 across the bound off stitches; 24 to the top of the right shoulder; and 20 to the end. (117 stitches, give or take a couple.)

Place a marker and purl 1 round.

Next round: Knit.

Next round: Purl.

Next round: Knit.

Next round: Bind off in purl.

Seams

This is Elizabeth Zimmerman's method of creating false side seams for garments knit in the round. I don't normally bother, but in this case the heavy drape of the linen can cause the hem line to droop on the sides. False seams help control that problem.

Slip 6 stitches from the underarm holder to another holder or needle. Allow the 7th stitch to drop all the way down the garment to 1 stitch above the hemline.

With a crochet hook, pick up all the stitches again, first taking 1 thread...

then taking 2 threads. 

Alternate the whole way up the seam, grabbing 1 thread, then 2. When you get to the top, put all 13 stitches back on the holder. It should look like this.

Do the same thing to the other side. 

Armhole Edges

With the smaller needle, start picking up stitches to the left of the underarm holder. Pick up 31 stitches to the top of the shoulder and 31 more stitches down to the underarm.

Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round. Purl the 13 stitches from the holder. (75 stitches)

Purl to the end of the round.

Next round: Knit.

Next round: Purl.

Next round: Knit.

Next round: Bind off in purl. 

Do the same to the other armhole. 

Weave in all those ends!

And finally, Euroflax linen gets softer and softer the more you wash it, so you can just put your finished tunic in the washing machine and dryer to even out the stitches and to start the softening process!