Airy Ribbed Cardigan

I used to have a passionate love for fall but over the past several years, it has been hard to let go of summer. I’m just never ready to say goodbye to all of that fresh produce or to the late evening sunlight.

I initially started work on this light and airy cardigan in early summer and had planned to have it finished much earlier. Sadly, it was about halfway finished when it was stolen along with my bag containing laptop, wallet, credit cards, makeup, car key, etc.  Of all that I lost, losing that knitting was the only thing that brought me to tears. It was so frustrating to lose the hours spent working on it, the money for the yarn and needles, and the beauty of the fabric I had created so far.

I’m so, so glad that I decided to give this project another go. The particular combination of yarn (Quince and Co. piper), this stitch (fisherman’s rib) and this construction (knit horizontally across the bodice) yields a truly gorgeous result. I adore the finished cardigan and know I’ll be wearing it often in the coming months.

This sweater is started using a provisional cast on, which allows for active stitches to be held by the crochet chain. This is later removed and those stitches can be threaded back onto the needle and knit as indicated. Once the cast on is complete, the body of the sweater is knit in horizontal fashion in fisherman’s rib stitch. This continues all the way around the back, and around to the left front edge of the sweater.

The finished body looks like this. Spaces were left for the armholes. Shoulders will be seamed (sewn together) before proceeding.

I slightly deviated from the directions of the pattern and went ahead and did the applied i-cord edging all around the neckline before adding the sleeves since the needle was already holding some of the stitches, and so that I wouldn’t need to break the yarn. I-cord edging gives a nice finished edging to pieces and I think it is especially nice here. This goes all the way around the front edges and neckline to provide a finished looked.

Stitches are picked up at the armhole edges on double pointed needles and knit in stockinette down to the end, before a ribbed section at the wrist.