Adding a third piece to an outfit - either a jacket or cardigan - instantly makes you look more polished and pulled together. (And as a knitter, my preference is obviously for the latter.) In warmer weather, a short cardi with sleeves also does the job of covering up the upper arms. Mine have always been beefy, but add the effects of gravity to middle age, and I do the world a favor by hiding them from view. (The exception to this is 85 degree plus weather, when I can barely stand to wear the tank, let along the third layer. But at that temp, I figure the world is more distracted by everyone else's exposed flesh than mine.) So, let's review some good options for knitters:
Wispy is one super popular pattern. And, I can see why. It's a quick, fun multi-directional knit. You start with a shrug worked horizontally from sleeve to sleeve. Then you pick up around the circumference and work ribbing. Most of the stitches are bound off, but one side continues on to make the skirt. So, it's a lovely design, but not for me. Why? The angle of the shrug section, as well as the reverse angled skirt draw visual focus to the bust. This is fine if you are an A-cup waif like the model. But, on a well-endowed person, it's a lot of attention. (Unless that's the kind of attention you are looking for.)
More to my taste is the hot new pattern,
Gyre, by the genius designer, Norah Gaughan. You'll find it in the Spring 2014 issue of Interweave Knits. This is another fun knit, especially for the shawl knitters, because it is essentially a circular shawl. The center of the shawl is located at the nape of the neck, with openings created for armholes as you work your way outward. With its longer length, this design is a little more of a statement than just a throw-it-over-a-tank-and-capris piece, but, oh, what a gorgeous statement it makes!
There are lots more good options for a summer third piece cardi, so I'll continue posting on them this week.
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