INTRODUCTION

Saltwater Bay

by Amy Christoffers

The Saltwater Bay cardigan is like a soft hug you can throw around your shoulders. The simple construction turns traditional shaping upside down…literally, as the shaping runs across the top of the sleeve.

Worked in bold stripes that are inspired by the classic Hudson Bay blankets, this interpretation riffs on the tradition and uses applied patch pockets to have a little fun with the stripe direction.

model: Belle Hoag

photos: Gale Zucker

SIZE

Women's XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X]
shown in size S with 6 inches/15 cm of ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest/Bust: 3 2[40, 48, 56, 64, 72] inches/ 81.5[101.5, 122, 142, 162.5, 183] cm
Length: 21[21.75, 22.5, 23, 23.75, 24.5] inches/ 53.5[55, 57, 58.5, 60.5, 62] cm

MATERIALS

Yarn
Istex Léttlopi [100% Icelandic Wool; 109 yd/100 m per 50 g skein]; color:
[MC] 9426; 5[5, 6, 6, 7, 7] skeins
[CC1] 0051; 3[3, 3, 4, 4, 5] skeins
[CC2] 1700; 2[2, 3, 3, 3, 4] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #7/4.5 mm circular needle

Notions
spare needles or waste yarn to use as stitch holder
yarn needle for grafting and weaving in ends

GAUGE

18 sts/24 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in reverse stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Stripe Sequence:
Rows 1-4: Work with CC1
Rows 5-8: Work with CC2
Rows 9-12: Work with CC1
Rows 13-24: Work with MC

Techniques
• Grafting (Kitchener stitch)
• Three needle bind off

DIRECTIONS

POCKETS (make 2)

With MC, cast on 27 stitches. Set up Reverse Stockinette stitch:

Row 1 [RS]: Purl.
Row 2 [WS]: Knit.
Work in Reverse Stockinette stitch with MC for 4 rows more.

Join CC1, work 4 rows.
Join CC2, work 4 rows. Break CC2.
With CC1, work 4 rows. Break CC 1.
With MC work 12 rows. Join CC1, work 4 rows.
Join CC2, work 4 rows. Break CC2.
With CC1, work 4 rows. Break CC 1.
With MC, work 6 rows.

Applied I-Cord bind off [RS]: Using the backwards loop method, cast on 4 stitches, *k3, ssk, slip 4 stitches from the right needle back to the left needle; repeat from * until only the 4 I-cord stitches remain, bind off remaining stitches.

Right Side
With MC, cast on, 41[45, 49, 53, 57, 61] stitches. Set up Reverse Stockinette stitch:

Row 1 [RS]: Purl.
Row 2 [WS]: Knit.

Next row [RS]: Purl across 20[22, 24, 26, 28, 30] stitches, pm, p1, pm, purl to end.
Increase Row [WS]: Knit to the marker, M1L, sm, k1, sm, M1R, knit to end. 2 stitches increased.

Work in Reverse Stockinette stitch, repeating the Increase row every 4th row, 14 times more working with MC for 8 rows more then begin working the stripe sequence as indicated in pattern notes, beginning with Row 1.

At the end of the increases, there will be 71[75, 79, 83, 87, 91] stitches on the needles, and 2 full repeats of the stripe sequence.

Next row [RS]: Keeping the stripe sequence correct, and using the backwards loop method, cast on 47[45, 43, 41, 39, 37] stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows. 165 stitches on the needles for all sizes.

Continue working in stripe sequence as established, increasing every 4th row on either side of the marker as established 12[15, 18, 21, 24, 27] times more. 189[195, 201, 207, 217, 219] stitches on the needles

Work even, without increasing through Row 18 of the stripe sequence.

**Break yarn and place the first 95[98, 101, 104, 107, 110] stitches onto a spare needle/holder for front and the last 94[97, 100, 103, 106, 109] stitches onto a spare needle/holder for back.

Left Side
Work as for the Right Side to **.
Break yarn and place the last 95[98, 101, 104, 107, 110] stitches onto a spare needle/holder for front and keep the last 94[97, 100, 103, 106, 109] stitches on the needle.

FINISHING

With MC yarn threaded on a tapestry needle and with the WSs facing (the stockinette stitch side) join the Right back stitches to the Left back stitches using Kitchener stitch to graft. Alternatively, join the left and right back with a 3-Needle bind off.

With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew the sleeve and side seams.

Return the remaining 190[196, 202, 208, 214, 220] Right and Left front stitches to the needles.

Applied I-Cord bind off
Next row [RS]: With MC, cast on 4 stitches at the beginning of the row. *K3, ssk, slip 4 stitches from the right needle back to the left needle; repeat from * until only the 4 I-cord stitches remain.

Work 3 rounds of I-cord (not attached).

Next row: K4 (I-cord stitches), pick up and knit 1 stitch from the left hem edge, *slip 5 stitches back to the left needle, k3, ssk, pick up and knit 1 from hem edge; repeat from * across the left front hem, the back and the right front hem to the I cord cast on.

When working the pick-up and knit applied I-cord, pick up 2-3 stitches for every 3-4 rows of knitting.

Work 3 rounds of I-cord (not attached).

Bind off 4 stitches. Sew the I-cord cast on to the bind off .

Sleeve cuff

With MC, cast on 4 stitches, pick up and knit 1 stitch from the sleeve cast on edge, *slip 5 stitches back to the left needle, k3, ssk, pick up and knit 1 from sleeve cast on edge, repeat from * across the cast on edge as for the hem. Bind off 4 stitches. Sew the I-cord cast on to the bind off. Repeat for the second sleeve.

Pocket Placement
Sew pockets to the front lining the bottom edge up with the I-cord hem and centering the pockets as you wish over the stripes.

Weave in ends, block as desired.

A - Sleeve cuff: 9[10, 11, 11.75, 12.75, 13.5] inches/ 23[25.5, 28 30, 32.5, 34.5, ] cm
B - Sleeve length: 10.5 inches/26.5 cm
C - Length from hem to underarm: 10.5[10, 9.5, 9, 8.75, 8.25] inches/ 26.5[25.5, 24, 23, 22, 21] cm
D - Width across Front: 8[10, 12, 14, 16, 18] inches/ 20.5[25.5, 30.5, 35.5, 40.5, 45.5] cm
E - Width across back: 16[20, 24, 28, 32, 36] inches/ 40.5[51, 61, 71, 81.5, 91.5] cm
F - Length from neck back: 21[21.75, 22.5, 23, 23.75, 24.5] inches/ 53.5[55, 57, 58.5, 60.5, 62] cm

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Amy Christoffers is the design director at Berroco, the US distributor of Istex yarns from Iceland. Amy is also the designer of Savory Knitting patterns, a mother of one, and a collector of buttons.

Pattern & images © 2017 Amy Christoffers