Finally, finally, I can show you what Rhinebeck goers saw a couple of weeks ago.
Sizes: Ten sizes; intended to be worn with 1-3” / 2.5-7 cm positive ease in the bust.
Final Measurements: Bust sizes measure: 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50, 54)”/76 (81, 86, 91, 97, 102, 107, 117, 127, 137)cm
Length from hem to shoulder: 22 (23¼, 23¾, 24, 24¾, 25, 25½, 25½, 25½)”/56 (59, 60.5, 61, 63, 63.5, 64, 65, 65, 65) cm
Featured Materials: Quince and Co. Osprey (170 yds/155 m per 100g hank). Shown in color Frank’s Plum, 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10) hanks or approximately 834 (943, 1020, 1078, 1164, 1233, 1308, 1433, 1530, 1661) yds/760 (860, 930, 983, 1061,1124, 1193, 1307, 1395, 1514) m in an alternate yarn.
Gauge: 16 stitches and 24 rows = 4”/10 cm in stockinette stitch, blocked. Recommended needle size of US 9.
Pattern Notes:
I am so excited about this cardigan. Cardigans are so versatile, so perfect for layering, so. . . fall. Seamair includes my favorite cardigan elements: A gentle V-neckline, slimming vertical panels on the front and back, and cushy rib that you can block out to prevent it from hugging the places you don’t want hugged. It’s knit in pieces from the bottom up and then seamed together. This is important, since the seams give the cardigan stability and keep it from looking droopy.
My least-favorite part of knitting a cardigan is messing with the buttons. Somehow, I always want to procrastinate on where to put the button-holes. Just at the bust? Just at the middle? Only at the bottom? All the way down? So when I designed Seamair, I knew I wanted to find some way to let knitters leave that decision until the end.
(All images in this page copyright splityarn. She’s awesome.)
Applied i-cord was the answer. After you’ve finished knitting the main pieces of the sweater, you block and seam them together. Then, you put the cardigan on, grab a handful of openable stitch markers, and mess around with button placement to your heart’s content. Leave markers in where you want your buttonholes to be.
When working applied i-cord around the neckline and plackets, you just detach for a few rows to work the buttonholes.
Sew the buttons to the inside of the placket for a clean, trim look.
The cloverleaf cable panels continue on the back of the sweater, with the waist shaping occurring between the panels to enhance the hourglass look.
With the most minor of alterations, Seamair can flatter a wide variety of body types. As written, the combination of the V neckline and twisted rib on the hem make Seamair a balanced sweater good for proportional and top-heavy shapes. Minimizing the twisted rib on the bottom of the sweater (or changing it to a faced hem), in addition to shortening the body, will make Seamair a great choice for bottom-heavy shapes.
Vertical darts allow for extremely flexible shaping, customized to fit your body. Should you desire less waist shaping than specified, you can either omit the shaping rows entirely, or omit only the shaping on the front of the sweater. Omitting only the front shaping (or using a smaller amount of shaping on the front) can provide a very nice fit on the small of the back without stretching the sweater too tight in the waist. Bustier women can accommodate their needs by performing more increases on the front of the sweater, and not in the back. The extra stitches increased can be decreased into the armpit or neckline.
I find sleeves kind of boring to do, so I wanted to give a little interest in this design. I was reminded of something students have said during class–they’d like a way to draw attention to their waists without shortening sleeves. So in Seamair, the diagonal cloverleaf motif on the sleeves draws attention up to the hips/waist area without sacrificing warmth. Feel free to extend the cloverleaf or ribbing sections to draw attention up even further if desired.
I can’t say enough good things about Quince and Co.’s Osprey yarn. It is a wonderful and springy aran-weight wool with an absolutely beautiful twist. It comes in gorgeous shades and shows off the twisted rib and cloverleaf decorative details beautifully. If you want to substitute, any aran weight yarn will work. To keep the original feel of the design choose a 100% wool that has good memory and loft. Other fibers will add their own characteristics to the design. Do choose a yarn that will block, however, or your cable panels and twisted rib will pull in.
Many thanks go out to Elizabeth Sullivan for tech editing, and Caro Benna Sheridan for taking the amazing photographs.
Seamair may be purchased here or from my ravelry pattern store for US$6.00.
Amy Herzog Designs