Perfect beach cardigan ...
I've just made the perfect beach cardigan for covering up with as the evenings get a bit chillier. It's still lightweight and airy, which makes it perfect for summer evenings and dining al fresco as the sun sets over the bay. It feels casual enough to pull on over a bikini if you want to cover up on the beach - hence the name!
And it's knit in my wonderful own-label double knitting bamboo in the aptly-named colourway: Sandy Beach. This pattern makes a generously sized cardigan that will measure 48cm or 19" from arm pit to arm pit with the wool un-stretched. If you'd like it a bit smaller or larger you can adjust it by adding more / removing some pattern repeats. The pattern will repeat over 6 stitches and four rows. I used 570 g of wool, which totals 12, 50g balls of double knitting bamboo yarn, which totals about 1,200 metres of yarn. This yarn knits to a tension of 22 stitches x 28 rows on a 10cm x 10cm square in stocking stitch.
Just read on for the pattern:
I always start with the biggest pattern piece, and in this case that's the back.
The back
Using 3.75 mm/ UK size 9/ US size 5 needles cast on 98 stitches.
Row 1: K1 *yfwd, k2, k2 tog, k2*. Repeat from * to * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2: purl
Row 3: K1, *k2, k2 tog, k2, yfwd*. Repeat from * to * to last stitch, k1.
Row 4: purl.
Repeat rows 1 to 4 until work measures 38 cm/ 14". On my tension this was after I'd completed 96 rows.
Shape the armholes
1. Working on a right-side row (Row 97 on my tension): Cast off 6 stitches and knit to the end of the row in pattern. You should finish this row with 92 stitches on the needles.
2. Wrong-side row (Row 98 on my tension): Cast off 6 stitches and purl to the end of the row. You should finish this row with 86 stitches on the needles.
Carry on working in pattern until work measures 60 cm/ 23.5" and shape the neck
Shape the neck and the right back;
1. Working on a right-side row (Row 159 on my tension): work 25 stitches in pattern, k1. Cast off 22 stitches. Work 25 stitches in pattern and k1. You will now have two sides, each of which has 26 stitches.
Each side is now worked separately, and the live wool will be on the back right-hand side.
Shape the right back:
Work 7 rows in pattern, and cast off on a right side row.
Shape the left back:
Join the wool, and work 7 rows in pattern to match the right side. Cast off on a right side row, and you're done.
Front left side
Cast on 50 stitches.
Work in pattern as for the front until your work measures 38 cm/ 14". It's a good idea to keep an accurate row count, so you'll know to match the number of rows both front and back so that they come out exactly the same size. On my work I completed 97 rows before starting to shape the armholes and the V-opening in the centre.
1. Row 98 (on my tension) cast off 6 stitches and purl to the end of the row. By the end of this row you will have 44 stitches on the needles.
2. Work row 99 in pattern with no stitch decreases.
3. On Rows 100, 102, 104, 106, 108 and 110, all wrong-side purl rows, continue the armhole shaping by casting off 1 stitch at the beginning of each of these rows, and carrying on to the end of the row in purl.
4. At the same time shape the V-neck by casting off one stitch every 6th row, starting on row 103, i.e. you will start rows 103, 109, 115, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 151, 157, 163 and 169 by casting off one stitch and working the remaining stitches in pattern.
3. Work row 170 in pattern. By this stage there will be a total of 26 stitches on the needles.
4. Cast off knit-wise.
Front right side:
Cast on 50 stitches.
Work in pattern as for the front left side until your work measures 38 cm/ 14". As I've said it's a good idea to keep an accurate row count, so you'll know to match the number of rows both front and back so that they come out exactly the same size. On my work I completed 96 rows before starting to shape the armholes and the V-opening in the centre.
Shape the armholes starting on a right-side row:
1. Row 97 (on my tension) cast off 6 stitches and purl to the end of the row. By the end of this row you will have 44 stitches on the needles.
2. Work row 98 in pattern with no stitch decreases.
3. On Rows 99, 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109, all right-side knit rows, continue the armhole shaping by casting off 1 stitch at the beginning of each of these rows, and carrying on to the end of the row in pattern.
4. At the same time shape the V-neck by casting off one stitch every 6th row, starting on row 102, i.e. you will start rows 102, 108, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 156, 162 and 168 by casting off one stitch and working the remaining stitches in pattern.
3. Work rows 169 and 170 in pattern. By this stage there will be a total of 26 stitches on the needles.
4. Cast off knit-wise.
The sleeves (both the same)
These are knit in the round from the shoulder down.
With the right side facing, and starting at the middle of the bottom armpit, where the side seams join cast on 122 stitches evenly all the way round using a 2 stitch i-cord bind on. This gives a slightly raised binding all the way round the arm hole.
Cast off the 2 stitches of the i-cord and join the bind-on stitches to knit on circular needles.
Rows 1 to 8 : knit 1, work in pattern row 1 to last stitch, knit 1.
Remember that when knitting in the round the even-numbered rows will be simple knit rows, and not purl rows as was the case when we were working on the flat.
Row 9: K3, K2 tog. [carry on in pattern row 1 to last 2 stitches: K2 tog. This will leave 120 stitches.
Row 10 and all following even rows: knit.
Row 11: K 2 tog, K2 tog, K2, yfwd. Carry on in pattern row 3 to last 6 stitches: K2, K2 tog. K2. (118 stitches)
Row 13: K1, K2 tog, K2. Carry on in pattern row 1 to last 5 stitches: K2 K2 tog, K1 (116 stitches)
Row 15: K2 tog, K 2 tog, yfwd. Carry on in pattern row 3 to last 4 stitches: K2, K 2 tog (114 stitches)
Row 17: K2 tog, K1. Carry on in pattern row 1 to last 3 stitches: K1, K2 tog (112 stitches)
Row 19: K 2 tog. Carry on in pattern row 3 to last 2 stitches: K2 tog (110 stitches)
Row 21: K1, K2, K2 tog, K2. Carry on in pattern row 1 to last 7 stitches: K2, K2 tog, K2 tog, K1 (108 stitches)
Rows 11 to 21 give the stitch patterns for the arm shaping. Carry on repeating these rows until the arm feels a comfortable width for your own lower arm: i.e.
Row 23: as Row 11. (106 stitches)
Row 25: as Row 13 (104 stitches)
Row 27: as Row 15 (102 stitches)
Row 29: as Row 17 (100 stitches)
Row 31: as Row 19 (98 stitches)
Row 33: as Row 21 (96 stitches)
Row 35: as Row 11 (94 stitches)
etc. etc.
I kept decreasing until I had 38 stitches on my needles (at the end of row 91. Then I kept working in pattern with no further stitch decreases until row 110 at which point I cast off. My arms measured 46 cm / 18" from the i-cord bind on to the cuff, which gave me a bracelet length sleeve, but you can carry on if you'd rather have a longer sleeve until you get it the perfect length for you. You should also check the fit of the sleeve width after row 79, when you will have 50 stitches, and after row 85 when you will have 44 stitches to see whether those sizes better fit your arm. Just try it on and see how it fits. I've chosen these rows to stop decreasing at as they will give you an easy to remember K1 pattern to last stitch, K1 row that you can work easily rather than having to remember to pick up the 6 stitch pattern repeat part way through.
Cast off knit-wise when you've got a sleeve that's perfect for your arm.
Sew the front pieces to the back with shoulder and side seams.
Shape the front button/ button-hole bands and shawl collar as follows:
Using 3.25 mm circular needles with a 60 cm or 80 cm cord, and with the right side facing you pick up 75 stitches along the front right hand side, 49 stitches along the front right hand V, 25 stitches across the back of the neck, 49 stitches along the front left hand V and 75 stitches down the left front.
You will have a total of 273 stitches on your needles. For this reason, even though the collar is worked back and forth on the flat, it's better to use circular needles with a fairly long cord to accommodate the total stitch count comfortably.
Work in seed stitch i.e. k1, p1 all the way across the row for 5 rows.
Work five button holes to go on the front right hand side as follows:
Row 6: k1, p1 to last 75 stitch section: k1, k2tog, yarn forward (yfwd), k1, work the next 16 stitches in seed stitch, (i.e. with 20 worked stitches on the right needle) k2tog, yfwd, k1, work the next 15 stitches in seed stitch (i.e. with 38 worked stitches on the right needle) k2tog, yfwd, k1, work the next 15 stitches in seed stitch (i.e. with 56 worked stitches on the right needle) k2tog, yfwd, k1, work the next 11 stitches in seed stitch (i.e. with 70 worked stitches on the right needle) k2tog, yfwd, k1, k2.
Rows 7 to 11: work in seed stitch.
Row 12: cast off 75 stitches in k1, p1 seed stitch on the button side of the front band. Carry on in seed stitch to the end of the row. There will now be 198 stitches on the needles.
Row 13: cast off 75 stitches in k1, p1 seed stitch on the button-hole side of the front band. Carry on in seed stitch to the end of the row. There will now be 123 stitches on the needles.
You have now finished the button and button-hole bands.
Shape the shawl collar.
Rows 14 to 19: work in k1, p1 seed stitch.
Row 20 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 2 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 21 (right-side row): work across row until only 2 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 22 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 4 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 23 (right-side row): work across row until only 4 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 24 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 6 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 25 (right-side row): work across row until only 6 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 26 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 8 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 27 (right-side row): work across row until only 8 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 28 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 10 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 29 (right-side row): work across row until only 10 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 30 (wrong-side row): work across row until only 12 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 31 (right-side row): work across row until only 12 stitches remain on the left hand needle, wrap the next stitch and turn.
Row 32, work across the entire row in seed stitch, picking up the wraps as you go.
Row 33, work across the entire row in seed stitch, picking up the wraps as you go.
Cast off in seed stitch, darn in the ends and you're done!