My newest design Leitmotif Cardigan is out in Interweave Fall 2010. The seed for this design started last year when I designed Raspberry Layers. Obviously the finished pieces are very different but the basics of the construction method I used are there! This cardigan starts at the center of the back with a provisional cast-on, works out one side (casting on the front when you come to it) and using a 3-needle bind off at the side seam. The sleeve cap is then shaped using short rows and the sleeve is worked downwards in the round. The second half is worked in the same way from the provisional cast on at the center of the back. Working on half a cardigan like this at a time it can look a bit funny and floppy but the end result fits really well…and its fun to knit!
The yarn for this project was Terra from the Fiber company which was a lovely yarn to work with. Even though it knit up to a fairly large gauge it felt really light weight a airy. It has a very interesting mixture of fibers; baby alpaca, wool and silk. Even though the alpaca was the dominant fiber it actually felt more like a wool/silk mixture with just a few longer hairs giving the alpaca content away!
I don’t often get a chance to knit for myself but I’m working a a version of this for me. I had some purple cascade eco plus wool in my stash that is knitting up to a good gauge for the project. I’ve done one half of the body but I’m so busy right now I’m not sure how long I’ll have to wait to get the second half finished!
It’s beautiful! Can’t wait to get my issue.
Lovely! This was my favorite garment in the IWK preview. Such a flattering design. Yoked cardis that button at the top seem to be all the rage, but for curvy girls they aren’t exactly flattering. This design, however, is exactly what I’ve been longing for!
Love love love. I’m looking forward to making this when the issue comes out.
Congrats belatedly on this lovely design! It’s my favorite in the magazine by far. :)
I absolutely love this sweater and have worked up the first half this week. I have just joined the seam under the armhole using the 3 needle bind off and my cables do not line up. How can I avoid this? I do not mind the cables directly under the arm, but would like the bottom cable to line up nicely. Thanks!
Dear Carol,
I am knitting this Leitmotif sweater and I have finished the first half. I have removed my provisional cast on and have the live stitches from the back side of the original cast on. Following the instructions in the magazine I see that my pattern is a half stitch off from the first side. This I believe is because I am knitting into the bottom loop of the original stitches. This isn’t so noticebly for the stockingnette sts or even the cables but it really bothers me that the yo”s are visibly jogged over to the left. Is there a cure. I thought I might provisionally cast on the 2nd half and then kitchener stitch them together but I think stitching up the cable and ladder pattern will be too much of a challenge for me. Please help- the sweater is in danger of becoming an UFO.
Thank you,
Debora
Hi Debora,
This is the joy of knitting from a provisional cast on, it offsets the stitch by a 1/2 which does make it tricky to line the back up on the cable/lace section. It may be possible at the end of the st st portion to ‘fudge’ the join a little so that you pick up or decrease a stitch so that your stitches line up better when you begin working.