It feels like it’s been forever since I last released a cropped cardigan with seamless set-in sleeves, so I’m really happy to be able to share my new pattern with you. It’s called Salal, and it’s in the Mild Weather 2016 issue of Stranded Magazine that came out yesterday. The construction is my favorite style. It’s knit from the top down, starting with the upper back. The fronts are picked up from the CO edge of the back, and then the body is joined in once piece at the underarms. Sleeves are picked up from the body and shaped using short rows.
I originally came up with this stitch pattern for a panel on a mini sweater to teach a class on working with sweater patterns, and I fell in love with it. I was looking for any excuse to use it, and I realized it would fit well around the neckline and shoulders of a cardigan. My initial swatch was in red, but after switching it out for green, I had a nice, leafy, evergreen look to fit the issue’s Pacific Northwest theme. I was lucky enough to get to use yarn from a PNW dyer, Cedar House Yarns, based out of Bellingham, WA. The colorway is called Moss, and I think it perfectly suits the texture of the lace pattern.
In addition to my pattern, the issue has patterns from Tin Can Knits, Lee Meredith, Cory Ellen Boberg, Ruth Garcia-Alcantud, and Erin Birnel. It also has some great articles and tutorials. I interviewed Spincycle Yarns; Caitlin Ffrench wrote about finding dyestuffs locally; Lee Meredith created tutorials for three-needle techniques; Jeanne Sauvage wrote a blackberry cake recipe that can be made with or without gluten; and Bonnijo Chervenock designed a cross stitch pattern based on an Elizabeth Zimmermann quote. The issue is available for $16, and you can find it on Ravelry or Stranded’s website. Each issue is only available for one year, so get yours while you can.
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