My New Favorite: Modified Swing Cardi

Drape Front Cardigan
from Noro Silk Garden
copyright sixth & spring

Last week two of my designs were published in the Noro Silk Garden 20th Anniversary book from Sixth & Spring, the book publishing arm of Vogue Knitting Magazine.  I am very excited about the cardigan, because it's a new shape which is very flattering.  It is also a modular design, so it is joined-as-you-go with no seams to sew at the end.  The knitting is rather simple, as the angled front pieces are just simple rectangles with no shaping.

The key to this design is the shaping of the back piece.  It begins with a narrow bottom edge and increases rapidly up to the armhole.  That armhole is extra-wide as it incorporates both the back and the front armhole bind-off stitches.  To add some interest, I changed texture across the upper back and carried that down the front shoulder piece.  Did I mention that the back continues over the front and decreases down to two stitches in width at the front armhole depth?  Or that you then attach the tip of the piece to the point of the armhole bind-off?

It gets a little more straightforward from here.  After connecting the points, the stitches for each arm are picked up and knit in the round to the cuff.  Then the front are worked by pickup up stitches along the edge from the side neck down to the back hem and working a big rectangle.  The cardi is finished with a little continuous ribbing along the upper edge of the rectangle and back neck.


Have I confused you?  The design and construction are non-traditional, but not difficult in execution.  And, the result is a flattering sweater.  The angled edge forces the front piece into a deep v-neck, which is a slimming line.  The overlap of the front pieces also helps disguise any wobbly bits in the tummy area.





I love the design lines so much, I've also worked this shape into one of my reinvented sweaters.  The base is a man's cashmere cardigan with the front pieces worked in a slip stitch pattern using recycled cashmere yarn.  It is the center piece of my Thrifty Knitter/Sweater Reinvention class.

Plaid Your Own Way

Mad for Plaid by HerdingCats

Last week the front page of Ravelry featured a knitted pattern close to my heart - plaid.  And, among the many beautiful recently finished projects, I was thrilled to see one of my own designs, Savoye, reinterpreted by HerdingCats.

By reinterpreted I mean that she took the plaid patterning from Savoye and put it onto a set-in sleeve sweater.  The change up in sleeve makes the sweater much more fitted and creates a trim look.  I chose the original drop shoulder to not only simplify the knitting, but because it is more of the fashion moment.

Savoye Pullover
From Knitscene Spring 2016
copyright Good Folk Photography

HerdingCats used Amy Herzog's CustomFit program to create the pattern for her sweater, and it worked great to form a beautifully-fitting sweater.  The drawback of CustomFit is that it creates a limited number of basic shapes.  However, by overlaying the windowpane plaid pattern over the simple sweater, HerdingCats made her own great mash-up.

Free Pattern: Etherial Plaid Scarf

MATERIALS

Rowan Kidsilk Haze; 70% super kid mohair, 30% silk; 210m/25g; 2 balls in one color(A) and 1 ball in a second color(B).

U.S. size 10 needle

4 bobbins, tapestry needle

GAUGE

Approximately 15 sts and 17 rows over 10 cm/4 in with two strands of yarn held together

NOTES:

• Scarf is worked with 2 strands of yarn held together throughout.  The changing composition of those 2 strands is what creates the plaid pattern.

• The four yarns which form the vertical stripes are wound onto bobbins to keep tangling to a minimum.  The two yarns which create the horizontal bands may be knit from the ball.

• When changing yarns, work in the intarsia method, where the yarns twist around each other to prevent holes. 

DIRECTIONS

Prepare Bobbins

Wind 2 bobbins each with colors A & B.  As a bobbin empties, refill with more of the same color. 

Scarf

With two strands of A (one from bobbin, one from ball), cast on 32 sts.

Row 1 (RS):  Continuing with the 2 strands of A, k1, p1, k6, drop strand of A on bobbin and join in 1 strand of B on bobbin, k8, drop strand of B and join in a new strand of A on bobbin, k8, drop strand of A on bobbin and join in a new strand of B on bobbin, k6, p1, k1.

Row 2 (WS):  With 1 strand each of A & B, k1, p7, drop strand of B and pick up strand of A, p8, drop strand of A on bobbin and pick up strand of B, p8, drop strand of B and pick up strand of A, p7, k1.

Rows 3, 5 & 7: Repeat Row 1

Rows 4, 6 & 8:  Repeat Row 2

Row 9:  Cut strand of A from ball and join in a strand of B from ball.  With 1 strand of A (from bobbin) & B, k1, p1, k6, drop strand of A on bobbin

and join in 1 strand of B strand of A on bobbin, k8, drop strand of A on bobbin and join in a new strand of B on bobbin, k6, p1, k1.

Row 10:  With 2 strands each of B, k1, p7, drop strand of B and pick up strand of A, p8, drop strand of A on bobbin and pick up strand of B, p8, drop strand of B and pick up strand of A, p7, k1.

Rows 11, 13, 15:  Repeat Row 1

Rows 12, 14, 16:  Repeat Row 2

Repeat Rows 1 – 16 for pattern.  Continue until scarf measures 72”, or you run out of the color B.  Weave in ends.

Finishing

Fringe:  For one color fringe, cut 248 12” pieces of yarn.  For two color fringe, cut 120 12” pieces of A yarn and 128 strands of B.  (Note: two-color fringe will require a second ball of B.)

Using a lark’s head knot, add 4 strands of yarn per bound off/cast on stitch on both ends.  For two color fringe, match the fringe to the vertical stripe.  

Note:  If the edges of your scarf curl in, you can work a few rows of single crochet to prevent the roll.