Point Pinos

I like designing all kinds of sweaters, but when it comes to what I wear every day? I want an open cardigan or relaxed pullover, preferably in charcoal gray. Make it with a longer length and an easy body-skimming shape, and I’m even happier.

For the make. wear. love. west collection this year, I stuck with those favorite silhouettes. Pacific Grove has beautiful, breezy beach walks and chic restaurants – and I wanted easy, elegant sweaters that worked for both.

Its sleek lines, rolled edges, and slightly-flecked fabric make Point Pinos perfect for an evening out. I added a generous, snuggle-worthy collar and a tiny bit of warm alpaca to make sure beach walks were covered. While I was in Pacific Grove for the retreat, I wore it to both my favorite restaurant and strolling along Asilomar’s beach – so I can confidently say Point Pinos is up to the challenge.

(Plus, it’s an excuse to break out your favorite shawl pin or removable Jul closure. And who can resist that?)

I used Shibui’s Twig and Cima held together for the sample. This blend of linen, silk, alpaca, and wool makes for a soft, slightly fuzzy linen fabric. Shibui makes an incredibly wearable line of luxury yarns that are meant to be held together in different combinations. I love them all, and all of them have the right kind of drape to make a beautiful Point Pinos.

This makes for a spectacular match with CustomFit, since you can use whichever mix you like to make the pattern. Check out all of Shibui’s colors and bases here. (I’m planning on a Lunar/Pebble mix for myself this winter!)

At a gauge of approximately 5.75 stitches and 8 rows to 1” (2.5 cm), for a standard size 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)’’ garment you’ll need approximately 4 (5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8) hanks of Cima and 7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14) hanks of Twig. If you’re using a different mix or gauge, I strongly recommend Hannah Fettig’s excellent app Stashbot for yardage estimates.

One more note on materials: If you’re substituting outside the Shibui range and want to keep a similar look, please choose a yarn made from drapey fibers with little memory. If you’re using something elastic and springy, swatch before deciding to use a rolled edge. (A thin, simple 1×1 ribbed edge on the sweater hem and sleeve cuffs will give a very similar look.)

If I have any complaints about big-collared cardigans, it’s that they can get a little unwieldy at the back neckline. So for Point Pinos, I decided to fold the trim in half and add some gathers at each corner. This makes for less bulk, as well as offering an interesting and unusual detail:

It’s very simple to do, and you can find a quick photo tutorial by clicking here.

I hope you love Point Pinos as much as I do – click here to make your own on CustomFit!