I’ve never made a cardigan before, but I needed something to knit for fiber arts night on Thursday – when a few friends come over to knit, cross-stitch, and eat junk food for dinner. So I grabbed five colors from my stash of decade-old worsted weight and gave it a go, defaulting to the same fair isle pattern burned into my retinas from time spent tediously coloring cells in excel in college.

I used up the yarn pretty thoroughly – if only my groceries got the same treatment – but in hindsight, I should have used more than five colors. When I got to the sleeves, I started to run out and had to knit them a color block at a time to make sure I could replicate the pattern for both. This was also around the time I started to wonder if the fibers in the air from my constant furious knitting would affect my lungs. Adding it to my list of neuroses. 

The second challenge was buttons. Turns out, despite having a button collection that weighs at least a few pounds, I didn’t actually have a choice in what to use. I only owned three buttons that matched. Weirdly, all were stamped with the words “military equipment.” I have no memory of where they came from, but this sweater is now the closest thing to camo in my closet.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sherbet Cardigan

Size: Small

Finished Dimensions:

Width (lying flat): 17″

Length: 20″

Materials:

Needles:

US 6 – 4.0 mm

US 8 – 5.0 mm

Yarn:

MC – Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in Gray, 2 skeins (400 yards, 7.05 ounces)

CC1 – Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in Purple, 1 skein (200 yards, 3.53 ounces)

CC2 – Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in Brown, 1 skein (200 yards, 3.53 ounces)

CC3 – Mirasol Yarn Tuhu in Orange, 2 skeins (218 yards, 3.52 ounces)

CC4 – Mirasol Yarn Tuhu in Teal, 1 skein (109 yards, 1.76 ounces)

Buttons – 7/8″ in diameter, 3

Gauge:

19 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in ST stitch (size 8 needles)

Fair Isle Pattern

Body

CO 176 in MC with size 6 needles

K in 1×1 rib for 2″ ending on WS row. Change to size 8 needles. Knit in 11 stitch fair isle pattern until cardigan measures 13″ in length

Armholes

Row 1: Sl 44 onto stitch holder, SSK, k in fair isle pattern to last 46, k2tog, place 44 onto stitch holder.

Back

Row 1 (WS) Purl (continuing in fair isle pattern)

Row 2: SSK, k to last 2 (continuing in fair isle pattern), k2tog

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until 70 stitches remain. Knit in fair isle pattern until back measures 20″

Neckline

Row 1: K30, BO10, K30. Place 30 stitches to right of BO on stitch holder

Neckline (Left)

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10: P to last 2, p2tog

Rows 3, 5, 7, and 9: BO4, k to end

BO

Neckline (Right)

Pick up right side of neckline from stitch holder

Row 1: K to last 2, k2tog

Rows 2, 4, 6, and 8: BO4 p-wise, p to end

Rows 3, 5, 7, and 9: K to last 2, k2tog

BO p-wise

Right

Pick up 44 stitches from stitch holder

Row 1: K to last 2, k2tog

Row 2: Purl

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until 35 stitches remain

Row 19: SSK, k to end

Row 20: Purl

Repeat rows 19 and 20 until 26 stitches remain

BO

Left

Pick up 44 from stitch holder

Row 1 (WS): P to last 2, p2tog

Row 2: Knit

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until 35 stitches remain

Row 19: P2tog, k to end

Row 20: Knit

Repeat rows 19 and 20 until 26 stitches remain

BO p-wise

Sleeves

CO 48 with size 6 needles

K in 1×1 rib for 5″ ending on WS row. Change to size 8 needles

Row 1: Kf&b, k to end in fair isle pattern, kf&b

Continue in fair isle pattern, increasing 2 stitches every inch until sleeve measures 20″

Row 1: SSK, k to end, k2tog

Row 2: Purl

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until 58 stitches remain

BO

Collar/Buttonholes

Row 1: With size 6 needles, pick up and knit 96 stitches along left side, 40 along back neckline, and 96 along right side

Rows 2-8: K in 1×1 rib

Row 9: K9 in 1×1 rib, BO4, k18 in 1×1 rib, BO4, k18 in 1×1 rib, BO4, k in 1×1 rib to end

Row 10: K9 in 1×1 rib, CO4, k18 in 1×1 rib, CO4, k18 in 1×1 rib, CO4, k in 1×1 rib to end

Rows 11-16: Rib

BO rib-wise

Sew sleeves to armholes. Sew on 3 buttons. Weave in tails.