It took me a while to finish this pattern, but I’m okay with that. Since I bought the yarn for this, I graduated college, found my job, released a few other patterns, and properly settled in to life in Seattle. Not too shabby, right? I originally knit this to wear during Seattle’s cool summer weather, which resembles most places’ springs, and I’m happy to finally have this pattern ready to release just in time for most people to put away their heavy winter coats and give their cardigans the spotlight!
Marion, like Agatha, is named after one of my favorite mystery writers. I named it after Marion Chesney, who I know best as M. C. Beaton. This cardigan is a great pattern to knit while reading a good, light mystery because it’s almost entirely stockinette. The sleeves, which are knit in the round, are particularly good for knitting while reading.
It’s a simple seamless sweater with set in sleeves. The back is knit first and put on hold, and then stitches for the fronts are picked up from each shoulder. Everything is joined together to knit the body when you cast on for the underarms. With the body finished, you’ll pick up stitches around the armholes, and shape the sleeves with short rows. If you’ve been following my work for a while, the construction of this sweater will probably sound familiar. It’s definitely my favorite way to put together a sweater.
The scallop-shaped cables that inspired this sweater keep things interesting without demanding too much of your attention. I put together a cable pattern that’s pretty easy to memorize and included both charts and written instructions for the stitch patterns. I got the idea for the cables from a sweater one of my professors was wearing when I was still in college, but once I got started on this sweater, I realized that it was a bit like a cabled version of Miette. I guess I can’t resist scallops bordering a button band!
And now for the boring stuff! I knit my sample using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes on 5 mm needles. The pattern comes in seven sizes with 29 (32.5, 37.5, 41, 43, 47.5, 52) in/73.5 (82.5, 95, 104, 109, 120.5, 132) cm finished bust measurements. You’ll need between 580 and 970 yards of worsted weight yarn to knit this cardigan. The pattern is available for $6.50, and you can buy it now or see more details on Ravelry.
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