Queen's Gambit Sleeveless Sweater - Knitting Pattern

Discover Queen’s Gambit, a knitting pattern for a graphic, colorful sweater with large checks. Using the intarsia technique, play with four colors to create a unique pattern and customize your sweater to your liking. An ideal project to explore color combinations and use up the yarn sleeping in your stash!

The PDF pattern is available in French and English (FR & EN).

Main characteristics

• Design: large-check sweater
• Format: digital PDF knitting pattern
• Languages: French and English
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL and 6XL

  • 84 - 94 - 104 - 114 - 124 - 134 - 144 - 154 - 164 - 174 cm circ. / 9cm of positive ease

• Construction: worked from the bottom up, with circular needles
• Pattern: large checks created in intarsia
• Gauge: 15 stitches × 21 rows for 10 × 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 6 mm needles
• Recommended skill level: beginner to intermediate

Materials needed

To knit your Queen’s Gambit sweater, you will need:

• 6 mm circular needles with an 80 cm cable
• 4.5 mm circular needles with 80 cm and 40 cm cables
• Two stitch markers
• A tape measure
• Small scissors
• A tapestry needle
• Bobbins to organize the different colors

Techniques used

The Queen’s Gambit pattern uses several knitting techniques:

• Stockinette stitch and 1/1 ribbing
• Intarsia to create the large-check pattern
• Decreases: SSK (slip, slip, knit) and knit two together
• Tubular bind-off and classic bind-off
• Three-needle bind-off for the shoulders
• Picking up stitches
• Invisible seaming

You can find some tutorials to help you here

This design is particularly interesting for practicing intarsia and learning to manage multiple colors within a single project. To make color changes easier and avoid long floats on the wrong side, we recommend preparing several small balls for each color.

Which yarn should you choose for Queen’s Gambit?

The model shown is knitted with Baby Alpaca Blend Copenhagen Fibers by Hobbii, a yarn composed of 50% alpaca, 35% cotton, and 15% merino wool, with a yardage of 110 m per 50 g.

Queen’s Gambit is also an ideal project for using up your yarn stash! Its large-check pattern allows you to play with colors and make the most of leftover balls from previous projects. It’s the perfect opportunity to mix shades, create original combinations, and breathe new life into the yarn you already have.

Four colors are planned for the pattern. You can use the colors of the model or imagine your own palette, from neutral tones to vibrant colors, or even softer combinations.

When choosing your yarns, make sure to prioritize yarns that are compatible in terms of thickness, texture, and drape. Knit a gauge swatch with the 6 mm needles to verify that you achieve 15 stitches and 21 rows for 10 × 10 cm in stockinette stitch.

The quantities required depend on the chosen size and the distribution of the colors. Check the yardage or ball count table indicated in the pattern before starting.

Construction of the sweater and finishing

The Queen’s Gambit sweater is worked from the bottom up. The hem is first worked in the round, then the body is worked flat to facilitate managing the color changes in intarsia.

At the armholes, the work is divided to form the back and the front. The shoulders are joined using a three-needle bind-off, while the collar and armholes are worked in the round by picking up stitches directly from the knitting.

The instructions are designed for circular construction of the hem, followed by flat work for the body. Working the entire piece flat is also possible by separating the back and front.

A checkered sweater to customize as you wish

With its large color blocks, Queen’s Gambit revisits the checkered sweater in a modern and creative version. Choose four colors that match your wardrobe, create a bold contrast, or compose a harmonious palette from your yarn stash.

Each combination gives the design a different personality. You get a handmade, original, and timeless knitted sweater to wear throughout the cooler seasons.

What does the Queen’s Gambit knitting pattern contain?

The digital PDF pattern contains the instructions necessary to make the sweater, size information, material and yarn details, as well as explanations of the techniques used to construct and assemble the piece.

It is available in French and English, allowing you to follow the instructions in the language of your choice.

This is a digital knitting pattern: the finished sweater and yarn are not included.

Start your next knitting project

Are you looking for a sweater knitting pattern that combines graphic patterns, color play, and creativity? Queen’s Gambit invites you to experiment with intarsia and transform your yarn balls into a large-check sweater that reflects your style.

Choose your four colors, prepare your circular needles, and bring your next knitting project to life with Queen’s Gambit.

Want to discover our other patterns? It’s right here