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hardcoreluckykumosaranacbaseballripleydrunken argyle
cargoandreblue hillsbouldermanly mittstychuscigar
wild stripessatchelnumberspinky

by Pinpilan Wangsai

The traditional men's kimono is a very simple yet versatile outfit. It is warm enough to wear in cool weather, you can tuck your hands inside the sleeve if it gets chilly, and when it gets a bit warmer the opening under the armholes lets in enough air so your body can 'breathe'. But my favourite part is that you can store small stuff inside the sleeves.

In modern day Tokyo, a lot of people have given up wearing the kimono for more trendy, modern clothes, but I still think there is a certain old world charm about kimonos. So with the versatile ideals of the original in mind, I made up this pattern as a shorter, more casual take on the old style so you can wear it everyday over your regular clothing.

"Kumo" means clouds and comes from the white intarsia cloud details on the front and back. The merino makes this sweater soft enough to wear next to your skin on warm spring days and the opening under the arm allows it to fit easily over any other shirt for colder climates, while the firmer cotton sash holds the whole thing in place.

model:Seimi Nagano photos: Pinpilan Wangsai
SIZE
S [M, L, XL, XXL] (shown in size M)
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest: 33 [36, 39, 42, 45] inches
Length: 26 [28, 30, 32, 34] inches
 

MATERIALS

[MC] Munsell Merino 150 Rainbow [100% merino; 98yds/88m per 40g ball]; color: no. 96; 19 [21, 23, 25, 27] skeins
[CC] Rowan Handknit Cotton [100% cotton; 94yds/85m per 50g ball]; color: Ecru; 1 skein

1 set US #7/4.5mm straight needles
1 36-inch US #7/4.5 circular needle
Stitch markers
Safety pins
4 Stitch holders
Tapestry needle

GAUGE

20 sts/28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

 
PATTERN NOTES

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

The yarn I've used is quite obscure, so if you can't find Munsell's yarn outside of Japan, Naturally's Merino Fine [100% Pure New Zealand Washable Super Fine Merino; 110yds/100m per 50g ball] is a good substitute. Color #220/Navy is closest to what I used.
 
DIRECTIONS

Back
Using straight needles and MC, CO 83 [91, 99, 107, 113] sts.
Work in k1, p1 ribbing until work measures 1.5 inches, ending with a WS row.
Work in stockinette st until work measures 19 [21, 23, 25, 27] inches, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: K29[33, 37, 41, 44], place marker, work row 1 of Chart A, place marker, k to end.
Work in patt as set until all rows of Chart A have been worked. Break CC and remove markers.
Cont in stockinette st until work measures 26 [28, 30, 32, 34] inches, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: K28 [30, 33, 35, 38], place all sts just worked on st holder, BO 27[31, 33, 37, 37], k to end and place rem sts on st holder.

Right Front
Using straight needles and MC, CO 79[84, 91, 96, 103] sts.
Work in k1, p1 ribbing until work measures 1.5 inches, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: P5, k to end.
Next Row [WS]: P all sts.
Repeat these 2 rows until work measures 4[4.5, 5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with a WS row. Place a safety pin at end of last row.

Shape Front Edge
Row 1: K2, ssk, k to end.
Rows 2 & 6: P all sts.
Rows 3 & 5: K all sts.
Row 4: P to last 4 sts, p2tog tbl.
Repeat these 6 rows 24[26, 28, 29, 31] times more, then work rows 1-3 1[0, 0, 1, 1] time more. K28 [30, 33, 35, 38] sts rem.
AT THE SAME TIME, when work measures 20 [22, 24, 26, 28] inches and 42[44, 47, 49, 52] sts rem, work next RS row as follows:
K19[21, 21, 23, 23], place marker, work row 1 of Chart B, place marker, work to end.
Cont in patt as set, working through all rows of Chart B. Break CC and remove markers.
After all decreases have been worked, cont in stockinette st until front measures same as back to shoulder. Place sts on st holder.

Left Front
Using straight needles and MC, CO 79[84, 91, 96, 103] sts.
Work in k1, p1 ribbing until work measures 1.5 inches, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: K to last 5 sts, p5.
Next Row [WS]: P all sts.
Repeat these 2 rows until work measures 4[4.5, 5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with a WS row. Place a safety pin at beg of last row.

Shape Front Edge
Row 1: K to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2.
Rows 2 & 6: P all sts.
Rows 3 & 5: K all sts.
Row 4: P2, p2tog, p to end.
Repeat these 6 rows 24[26, 28, 29, 31] times more, then work rows 1-3 1[0, 0, 1, 1] time more. K28 [30, 33, 35, 38] sts rem.
AT THE SAME TIME, when work measures 20 [22, 24, 26, 28] inches and 42[44, 47, 49, 52] sts rem, work next RS row as follows:
K12[12, 15, 15, 18], place marker, work row 1 of Chart C, place marker, work to end.
Cont in patt as set, working through all rows of Chart C. Break CC and remove markers.
After all decreases have been worked, cont in stockinette until front measures same as back to shoulder. Place sts on st holder.

Sleeves (Make 2)
Using straight needles and MC, CO 70[75, 80, 85, 90] sts.
Work in stockinette st until work measures 7[8, 9, 10, 11] inches, ending with a WS row.
Next Row [RS]: P5, k to end.
Next Row [WS]: P all sts.
Repeat these 2 rows until work measures 23[24, 25, 26, 27] inches.
Cont in stockinette st until work measures 30 [32, 34, 36, 38] inches. BO all sts.
Fold work in half so that it forms (approximately) a square, and place a safety pin at the edge of the fold, on the side that does not have the garter st edging. Do this for both sleeves.

Sash
Using straight needles and CC, CO 10 sts.
Work in garter st until piece is long enough to tie around waist, or to desired length. BO all sts.

FINISHING

Graft Fronts to Back at shoulders. Place a safety pin at armhole edge of shoulder seam.

Collar
Using circular needle and MC, with RS facing and beg at safety pin on Right Front, pick up and k approx. 125[135, 140, 155, 165] sts along Right Front edge, 28[30, 32, 36, 36] sts along back neck edge, and 125[135, 140, 155, 165] sts along Left Front edge, ending at safety pin. (Pick up 4 sts for every 5 rows - it is all right if the number does not exactly match the number given, just be certain the same number of sts is picked up on both Fronts.)
Work back and forth in garter st until work measures 2 inches. BO all sts.
Match pin on shoulder of garment to pin on shoulder of sleeve. Sew sleeve to body, sewing 10[11, 12, 13, 14] inches on either side of pin, leaving rest of sleeve unattached. (See schematic and photos.)
Sew sleeve seams as shown in schematic, beg at bottom of garter st cuff, and ending about 2 inches up side of sleeve closest to body.
Sew side seams, ending 3 inches below point where sleeve is attached to body. Weave in ends.

When wearing, be sure the left front goes over the right. The collar band should form a 'y' shape. Tie the sash just above your hip.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Pin taught herself to knit from library books while living in Bangkok. People thought she was crazy for knitting scarves and hats in the constant heat. 3 years later, she is living in Tokyo where she is delighted to find that there are 4(!) seasons a year and she can now knit and wear something bigger than a bikini without having a heat stroke.

Visit her home on the web at www.pinngurl.com.

Pattern & images © 2005 Pinpilan Wangsai. Contact Pinpilan