Here's to Dreaming by Rachel Illsley

Here's to Dreaming

Knitting
December 2025
Aran (8 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette
US 8 - 5.0 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
896 - 1635 yards (819 - 1495 m)
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
English
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

Here’s to Dreaming is an elegantly simple classic: a top-down compound raglan, offering a relaxing, easy knit with a great fit, creating a wardrobe staple that can be worn and enjoyed for years to come.

CONSTRUCTION
This garment is worked top-down, mostly in the round. The neckhole is cast on and initially worked flat, then joined in the round. A compound (modified) raglan construction is used to shape the yoke. Once armscye depth is reached, body and sleeve stitches are separated and each worked in the round. Both are finished with 2x2 ribbing. Stitches around the neckhole are picked up and worked in 2x2 ribbing in the round to form the neckband.

SIZING GUIDE
This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 4+” / 10+ cm at the chest circumference.
Finished Garment Chest Circumference:
33.5 (39.25, 41.5, 44.75, 48.75) (53.5, 57.5, 60.75, 64.75, 68.75)“
84 (98, 104, 112, 122) (134, 144, 152, 162, 172) cm

SAMPLE
The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 5, giving the wearer 11.75” / 29.5 cm of positive ease at the chest. Sleeves have been worked in size 4. To suit personal preferences, an extra 2” / 5 cm of depth has been added to the yoke, and an extra 2” / 5 cm of length has been added to the body and sleeve length.

GAUGE
Using 5 mm / US size 8 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 20 stitches over 24 rounds in stockinette stitch, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.
Neckband, waistband and cuff circumferences assume you are working 6 sts per 1” / 2.5 cm.

YARN
The sample has been worked using King Cole’s Firefly Aran weight yarn (200 m / 219 yds per 100 g) in colourway Harlequin Beetle.

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)
819 (900, 963, 1032, 1113) (1189, 1293, 1348, 1444, 1495) metres
896 (985, 1053, 1129, 1217) (1301, 1415, 1475, 1580, 1636) yards
409 (450, 481, 516, 556) (595, 647, 674, 722, 748) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS
4 mm / US size 6 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
5 mm / US size 8 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
5 markers, including 1 for BOR
scrap yarn
tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED
-long tail cast on
-working flat
-joining and working in the round
-working 2x2 ribbing
-working left and right make one increases
-cable cast on
-working a repeating pattern of decreases
-decreasing using K2tog and SSK
-standard bind off