by Axelle de Sauveterre

Argentière, a thick, close-fitting sweater with a contrast stripe detail at the cuffs and surplice collar, sports a cable pattern inspired by the first tracings of skis on an early-morning Alpine slope.

Knitted in whatever soft yarn you choose, it will make a winter staple to keep him cozy on the chilliest of days.

SIZE
Men's S[M, L, 1X, 2X]
shown in size M with .5 inches of positive ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 38[41.5, 45.5, 50, 52] inches
Length: 28[28, 28, 29.5, 30.5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Note: Yarn is held double throughout.
Sauveterre Mont Blanc [100% cashmere; 200 yds/182m per 50g skein]; color:
[MC] Young Fawn; 17 [17, 19, 21, 22] skeins
[CC] Tar; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 32-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle
1 32-inch US #9/5.5mm circular needle
1 24- or 32-inch US #10/6mm circular needle (to cast off neck edge)
Note: If preferred, straight needles may be used for body and sleeves; a circular needle is only necessary for the collar.

Notions
cable needle
2 stitch markers
stitch holder
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

C3R: Sl next st to cn and hold at back, k2; k1 from cn.
C5F: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold at front, k2; k3 from cn.
C5B: Sl 2 sts to cn and hold at back, k3; k2 from cn.
C6B: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold at back, k3; k3 from cn.
C6F: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold at front, k3; k3 from cn.
C8B: Sl 4 sts to cn and hold at back, k4; k4 from cn.

Keep cable pattern intact whenever possible. When working a cable is no longer possible, simply continue to knit the knit sts and purl the purl sts.

All sts are slipped p-wise with yarn in back on RS rows and p-wise with yarn in front on WS rows.

Cable-and-Rib Pattern (Body):
Row 1 [RS]: P2, (k12, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k4, p4, k8, p4, k4, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 2 [WS]: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 3: P2, (k12, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k4, p4, C8B, p4, k4, (p2, C3R, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 4: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 5: P2, (C6B, C6F, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (C5F, p2, C5B) twice, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, C6B, C6F) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 6: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k1, p4, (k2, p4) 3 times, k1, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 7: P2, (k12, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (p1, C5F, C5B, p1) twice, (p2, C3R, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 8: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (k2, p8, k2) twice, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 9: P2, (k12, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (p2, C8B, p2) twice, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 10: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (k2, p8, k2) twice, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 11: P2, (C6B, C6F, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (p2, k8, p2) twice, (p2, C3R, p2, C6B, C6F) twice, p2.
Row 12: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (k2, p8, k2) twice, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 13: P2, (k12, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (p2, C8B, p2) twice, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 14: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (k2, p8, k2) twice, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 15: P2, (k12, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (p1, C5B, C5F, p1) twice, (p2, C3R, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 16: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k1, p4, (k2, p4) 3 times, k1, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 17: P2, (C6F, C6B, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, (C5B, p2, C5F) twice, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, C6F, C6B) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 18: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 19: P2, (k12, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k4, p4, C8B, p4, k4, (p2, C3R, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 20: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 21: P2, (k12, p2, sl1, k2, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k4, p4, k8, p4, k4, (p2, sl1, k2, p2, k12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 22: K2, (p12, k2, p2, sl1, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p2, sl1, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.
Row 23: P2, (C6F, C6B, p2, C3R, p2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k4, p4, k8, p4, k4, (p2, C3R, p2, C6F, C6B) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p2.
Row 24 [WS]: K2, (p12, k2, p3, k2) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, p4, k4, p8, k4, p4, (k2, p3, k2, p12) 2[2, 2, 3, 3] times, k2.

Rep Rows 1-24 for pattern.

DIRECTIONS
BACK
With US #7/4.5mm needles and MC, CO 114[124, 136, 150, 156] sts.

Row 1 [RS]: (K2, p2) to last 2[0, 0, 2, 0] sts, k2[0, 0, 2, 0].

Row 2 [WS]: P2[0, 0, 2, 0], (k2, p2) to end.

Rep last 2 rows nine times more (for 20 rows total of 2x2 rib).

Establish Cable-and-Rib Pattern:
Change to US #9/5.5mm needles.

Next row [RS]: K5[10, 16, 4, 7], work Row 1 of Cable-and-Rib Patt, working repeats in red box as indicated on chart, k5[10, 16, 4, 7].

Next row [WS]: P5[10, 16, 4, 7], work Row 2 of Cable-and-Rib Patt, p5[10, 16, 4, 7].

Cont in est patt, working St st either side of chart patt, until work measures 18[18, 18, 19, 19.5] inches from cast on, ending after a WS row.

Shape Raglan Yoke:
Cont in patt, BO 12 sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Dec 1 st each end of every row 0 [0, 0, 7, 9] times, every RS row 14[20, 28, 32, 33] times, then every 4th row 10[7, 3, 0, 0] times, working Decrease rows as follows:

Decrease row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Decrease row [WS]: P1, p2tog, work in patt to last 3 sts, ssp, p1.

BO rem 42[46, 50, 48, 48] sts.

FRONT
Work as for BACK until piece measures 25.5[25.5, 25.5, 27, 28] inches from cast on, ending after a WS row. Using removable st markers, mark center 42[46, 50, 48, 48] sts.

Begin Neck Shaping:
Next row [RS]: Patt to first marker just placed (including any raglan decreases), place all sts just worked on holder for left neck. Bind off center 42[46, 50, 48, 48] sts between markers. Patt to end (including any raglan decreases).

Right neck:
Right neck will be worked on these sts only.
Next row [WS]: Patt to end, including any raglan shaping at armhole edge.

Cont in patt, shaping raglan as for Back, until piece measures 5[5, 5, 3, 3] rows shorter than Back and 2 sts rem.

Next decrease row [RS]: K2tog.

Work in St st for 3[3, 3, 1, 1] row(s).

BO 1 rem st.

Left neck:
With WS facing, attach yarn to Left neck at neck edge.

Next row [WS]: Patt to end of held sts, including any raglan shaping at armhole edge.

Cont in patt, shaping raglan as for Back, until piece measures 5[5, 5, 3, 3] rows shorter than Back and 2 sts rem.

Next decrease row [RS]: Ssk.

Work in St st for 3[3, 3, 1, 1] row(s).

BO 1 rem st.

Change to CC and rep Rib Row six times more.

Change to MC and rep Rib Row ten times more.

Change to US #9/5.5mm needles and begin chart pattern as follows:

Next row [RS]: K11, starting on stitch 15, work Row 1 of Cable and Rib Pattern over next 38 sts, ending on stitch 52, k11.

Next row [WS]: P11, starting on stitch 52, work Row 2 of Sleeve Chart over next 38 sts, ending on stitch 15, p11.

Cont in St st and chart as est for 8[6, 6, 6, 6] rows more.

Increase Row [RS]: K1, M1, patt to last st, M1, k1.

Rep Increase Row every 8[6, 6, 6, 6] rows 7[5, 5, 7, 3] times more, then every 10[8, 8, 8, 8] rows 4[8, 8, 7, 11] times more, working increases into Cable and Rib pattern. 84[88, 88, 90, 90] sts

Cont even in patt until work meas 19[19, 19, 20, 21] inches from cast on, ending after a WS row.

Shape cap:
Cont in patt, BO 12 sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Dec 1 st each end of next RS row, then every foll RS row 18[22, 22, 23, 21] times, then every 4th row 8[6, 6, 6, 8] times, working Decrease rows as follows:

Decrease row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

BO 6 rem sts.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block to measurements shown in schematic. Join raglan seams, sleeve seams, and side seams.

Rib Row: (K2, p2) to end.
Rep Rib Row four times more.

Change to US #10/6mm needles and begin increases as follows, working all increased sts into rib patt as possible:

Increase Row [RS]: Rib to 2 sts before m, M1, rib 2, sl m, M1, work to 2 sts before m, M1, rib 2, sl m, M1, rib to end to end. 4 sts inc'd

Rep Increase Row every 4th row six times more, then work 3 rows even in patt. 33 rows worked from neck.

Change to CC and rep Increase Row once more, then every 4th row once, then work 1 row even in patt.

Change to MC and work 2 rows even in patt, then work Increase Row once more.

Rep Increase Row every 4th row 0[1, 2, 2, 2] time(s) more. 112[120, 128, 128, 128] sts

BO loosely in rib, using a larger needle if necessary.

Align right neck edge of collar along bound off edge of front neck sts. Secure with pins then seam together.
Align left neck edge of collar along bound off edge of front neck sts, over the collar edge already sewn in place. Secure with pins then seam together.

Weave in all remaining ends.

Axelle de Sauveterre creates for sauveterredesign.com