Silk Garden Lite Cable Pullover - Free Pattern!

Just finished it, and I must admit, I love it. The size is cozy loose, but not too baggy, about 40 inches across the chest. I used 5 balls of Silk Garden LITE, and 5 balls of black DK weight wool. There was very little left over so if you wanted to make it a bit bigger or longer, 6 balls of each may be needed. You could make it bigger or smaller by adding or taking away a stitch or two in each of the bands of colours.

Pattern:

Yarn: 5 balls of NORO Silk Garden Lite(the new DK weight), I used colour 2014, but any will be great. 50 gms =125 m. 45 % silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lamb wool.

5 Balls of DK weight wool in Black - I used Emu Superwash DK, 100% wool, 50gms= 119 m. Any Dk weight wool or superwash, or wool blend would work here.

Needles 3.75mm for ribbing, 4.0mm for body.

Size: Medium (to fit bust 37 inches) finished chest measurement 40 inches, length 24 inches.

Gauge: 21 sts and 26 rows = 4 inches. * please check your tension, as I tend to knit this yarn fairly loosely. Use 4.5 mm needles if you get more sts to 4 inches.*

Pattern Note: CABLE LEFT EIGHT: Place 4 sts onto cable needle, hold to front of work, K next 4 sts WITH THE MATCHING YARN, then K the 4 from the cable WITH THE SAME COLOUR YARN AS THE STS ON THE CABLE NEEDLE.

BACK: With smaller needles and black yarn, cast on 100 sts. Establish K1, P1, ribbing and at the same time establish vertical blocks of colours: Rib 25 sts black,(add new ball of yarn) 25 Silk Garden, (add new ball of yarn) 25 black, (add new ball of yarn) 25 silk garden. Continue in ribbing and in colour blocks of 25 sts until 2.5 inches has been done. Work with 4 balls of yarn giving them a twist at the join,but DO NOT carry unused colours across the back. You only need to do that on the small cable twist, and only when needed. On the last wrong side row, increase two stitches in each of the colour bands (8 increases across the row - and 27 sts in each colour block). Switch to larger needles and start cable block pattern:

Cable Block Pattern: Right side row 1: [K22, P1, K4(black)], [K4, P1, K17, P1, K4 (silk garden)], [K4, P1, K17, P1 K4 (black)], [K4, P1, K22(silk garden)]

Wrong side (all wrong sides), K the K and P the P, and repeat with the colour of yarn from the stitch in the previous row.

Row 3, & 5 : like row 1.

Row 7: Cable row: K22,[ P1, CABLE LEFT EIGHT, P1, K17 ] three times, K5 ***Note that the cable left will switch the colours of 4 sts from one side to the other, and you will have to carry the alternate yarn over the back of the other colour just there. Keep those colours in that spot until the next cable left, when they will again twist back into the original position (see the photos-it's not as complicated as it sounds) Remember to always knit in the same colour as the stitch you are knitting into.

These 8 rows will establish the cable pattern, but the next eight rows, the cable sts colours will be reversed, work the same way though and do the cable left every eight rows.

Work until 15 inches from the start, then shape armhole.

Bind off 9 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Decrease one st each side every other row 8 times.

Work even until total is 23.5 inches. Shoulders: Bind off 6 sts at beg onnext 2 rows, then 7 sts at beg of next 4 rows. Bind off rest of sts (back of neck)

Front: Work as for back until total length is 22 inches.

Work to center 22 sts, attach 2nd ball of that colour and bind off 22 center sts. (keep all colours intact) Work both sides, Dec one st at each neck edge, every othere row 6 times.

Continue until 23.5 and shape shoulders as the back.

Sleeves: With smaller needles, cast on 41sts. (black), then rib 9sts black, 23 sts silk garden, 9 sts black. Rib for 2.5 inches, and increase one st in each black block, and 2 sts in the silk garden. (10, 25, 10). Change to larger needle, and establish pattern: K5, P1, K4 (black) then K4, P1, K15, P1, K4 (silk garden), then K4, P1, K5 (black). Work the same 8 row cable as front and back, but at the same time increase at each end in black, every 6 rows, until 77 sts and 17.5 inches are done. Cap Shaping. Bind off 9 sts at start of next 2 rows. Dec 1 st each side every othere row 10 times, then every row 6 times. Then Bind of 3 sts at start of next 4 rows. Then bind off all the rest. All the time keep with the pattern of cable and colours where established.

Join seams. With smaller needles (circular or straight if you join only one shoulder then work neck), Pick up 76 sts around neck with Black, and rib for 1 inch. Bind off LOOSELY.

Sew rest of seams, weave in ends.