Wild Mohair Cardigan Knitting Pattern by Gralina Frie - Unique Colour Block Design for Beginners and Experienced Knitters Alike

Wild Mohair cardigan

ly Gralina Frie Knitting this mohair cardigan is a really quick and fun project. Weaving in all the yarn endings, not so much. But you can finally use up a lot of saved single skeins from your stash. And get a wonderfully soft and unique cardigan that will go with just anything!

NOTIONS :

Yarn: some of your old-time favourites from your stash, doubled, tripled or plain - lacy yarn in different materials in light grey or white nuances, thick black mohair, grey alpaca and off-white chunky wool mixes. For the main contrast colour block, find some fancy multicoloured bulky yarn in your stash and another one to mix it up with. Pick any plain coloured Aran weight yarn for the borders. Just make sure to use the border yarn doubled here and there IN the cardigan as well, to make it blend in better. Yardage: For a plain cardigan using one-three threads 400-500m each for body yarn. If you're knitting the multicoloured version - you will obviously need a lot less, but please make sure to have at least 200m each for the larger mohair/lace areas. Working borders alone requires 100m of plain Aran yarn. Needles: US 8 - 5mm and US 17 - 12mm, circular or straight. Tapestry needle. Stitch holders, scrap yarn or separate circular needles. Gauge: approx. 9 sts per 10 cm/4" - measured over a swatch knit in stockinette sts with a few of the yarn qualities you want to use. Measurements: Chest = 88-90 cm/34.5-35.5". Sleeves = 47 cm/18.5". Length = 55 cm/21.5". This might be a bit short for your taste, if so - just add 5-10cm/2-4" to the body before dividing for fronts and back. Cardigan is designed to be worn open. If you'd prefer a buttoned cardigan/vest, follow additional instructions for button holes. Pattern: The body is worked bottom-up, back and forth on large needles in one piece. Sleeves are worked separately and sewn on. Stockinette stitch and 1xl rib borders.

Colour blocks:

Sorry, no exact chart provided. This cardigan should be unique! The drawing on the last page shows a general idea of how I did it. I tried to be as inaccurate as possible, building colour blocks every now and then to avoid the sweater from becoming just "stripy". Make a couple of running sts evenly spread over the cardigan if you like. A runner is made by adding one stitch, working it along with the others and eventually - after let say 10cm - slipping it and let it run down to where you added it, leaving huge loops and making it look soooooo punk@. For the second version - after reading TECHknitter's brilliant suggestions for weaving in endings - I decided to go for the overlap-method (by at least 4 sts) or 'join as you go'. This was the only method clearly not suitable for changing colours...but I found it quite perfect for this project. This way I got the colour blocks uneven with No effort. And I could cut the endings.Whohoo! tos are @ Gralina Frie 2012. Please contact me if you'd like to sell this pattern or items made from this patterr

BODY

With smaller needles and border yarn, Co 105 sts. Work a 1xl rib (kl,pl) for 5 cm/2", ending with a Rs row. On the following row, decrease as follows: \*p2, p2tog\* repeat to end, pl. Change to larger needles and one of your working yarn combinations and work even in St sts until piece measures 30 cm/12" (or more, see above), ending with a RS row. Next row: p20, PM (place marker)， p40, PM, p20. Bind off for armholes on the following RS row: k to l st before m, BO 2， k to 1 st before m, Bo 2,k to end - removing markers as you pass them. This leaves you with 19 sts each for the fronts and 38 sts for the back. Slip back and right front sts onto a spare (circular) needle and finish left front piece first (since your working yarn is in position for doing so): Left front: work even until piece measures 5 cm/2" from armhole. Shape a slight V-neck by decreasing at centre front on every 3rd row by either: RS row: k until 3 sts left, k2tog, kl WS row: pl, p2tog, p to end Repeat until 14 sts remains. Work straight up until piece measures 21 cm/8.25" from armhole. Break yarn. Slip live sts onto a stitch holder. Right front: as for left front BUT work decreases like this (i e mirrored): RS row: k1, k2tog, k to end WS row: p until 3 sts left, p2tog， pl

Back

Work even across back sts until piece measures 21 cm/8.25" from armhole. K 14, slip 10 sts for the neck onto a stitch holder, k 14. Turn and join left shoulder seam using a 3-needle BO. Break yarn. Repeat for right shoulder.

VEST (optional)

With right side facing, smaller needles and border yarn, pick up and knit 58 sts evenly around armhole edge - starting from the 2 BO sts. Join in a round and work a lxl rib (kl,pl） for 8 rounds.Cast off in rib pattern (cast off knit stitches knitwise, and purl stitches purlwise).

SLEEVES

Using smaller needles and border yarn, Co 36 sts and work in 1xl rib for 6cm. Change to larger needles and body yarn. Knit across, decreasing 6 sts evenly on this first row = 30 sts. Work even in St sts until sleeve measures 40 cm/15.75" ending with a WS row. Next row: kl, ml， k until l st left, ml, kl. Work even until sleeve measures 47 cm/18.5" or desired length. BO all sts. Repeat for second sleeve. Join sleeve seams, pin and sew them into the armhole. Make sure the armhole doesn't get too tight. A good reference point is to aim for a 20 cm/8" armhole.

BORDERS

Fronts and neck: using smaller needles and border yarn - starting from Co edge of left front and RS facing - \*pick up and knit 1 st for each of the first 2 rows, skip one row\* repeat until beg. of body sts， pick up and knit l st for each row along the side of the left front, work across the 10 live sts for the neck, repeat directions for right front as for left front except mirrored. Next row: work a lxl rib until you've reached the back sts. Continue in rib, while increasing 6 sts evenly (work 2, ml） for the neck. Repeat directions for right front as you work across the left front = about 160-165 sts. Work the border for 3.5 cm/1.4". Bind off very loosely in rib, working the first 2 and the last 2 sts together. tos are @ Gralina Frie 2012. Please contact me if you'd like to sell this pattern or items made from this patterr

FINISHING

Weave in endings - unless you overlapped the threads by at least 4 sts. It is supposed to look a little bit trashy, don't be too accurate. Perhaps you need some blocking of the border, otherwise put it on and enjoy the massive Wow-impact!!Good luck!

Very easy colour block scheme

(All measurements in cm)

tos are @ Gralina Frie 2012. Please contact me if you'd like to sell this pattern or items made from this patterr