Metamorphosis
Graphic black and white motifs make an impact on this rugged men’s cardigan
Yoked cardigan for men
THIS EYE CATCHING yoked cardigan by Dario Tubiana is covered with a graphic, monochrome pattern of stranded colourwork motifs. It’s knitted in the warm, sturdy Léttlopi Icelandic wool from Lopi. Dario’s design is worked in the round from the bottom up, with a column of steek stitches that is cut open to separate the fronts.
PATTERN NOTES
The stitches for the steek are always worked with both colours, alternating them, with the first and last stitches of the steek purled and the rest worked as knit stitches. On those rounds when only one colour is used, continue in that single colour across the steek.
Steek stitches are not shown on charts.
Take care to hold yarns consistently so that colour dominance remains the same throughout. Usually the yarn colour held at the bottom when not being worked will appear the most dominant.
Lopi yarn can be worked in a single colour and steeked, but if you decide to substitute a different yarn it’s recommended that you swatch it in a single colour and then cut through the swatch to ensure it will remain relatively stable when steeked.
BODY
Using 3.5mm circular needles and yarn A, cast on 188 ( 200: 206: 218: 224) sts, pm and cast on 8 sts for steek.
Join to work in the round, taking care not to twist sts, and pm to mark beg of round. 188 ( 200: 206: 218: 224) sts for Body, plus 8 sts for steek.
Rib round: *K1, P1; rep from * to 8 sts for steek, slm, P1, K6, P1 across steek, slm. Last round sets rib.
Work another 5 rounds in rib as set.
Change to yarn B.
Work in rib for 2 rounds.
Change to yarn A.
Work in rib for 3 rounds.
Change to 4.5mm needles.
Work 1 round, inc 10 sts evenly across round.
198 ( 210: 216: 228: 234) sts for Body, plus 8 sts for steek.
Knit 1 round.
Begin working from Chart A for your size, knitting every round and working the 6-st repeat 33 ( 35: 36: 38: 39) times per round and alternating colours across steek sts.
Cont as set until you have completed Chart A [76 ( 79: 81: 84: 84) rounds].
Leave rem sts on a stitch holder or waste yarn while you work the sleeves.
SLEEVES
Using 3.5mm DPNs and yarn A, cast on 42 ( 42: 48: 48: 48) sts.
Pm and join to work in the round, taking care not to twist sts.
Work rib as for Body.
Change to 4.5mm DPNs.
Knit 2 rounds.
Begin working from Chart B for your size, working the 6-st repeat 7 ( 7: 8: 8: 8) times per round.
Cont as set until you have completed round 4 of Chart B.
Now, keeping pattern correct, increase as follows:
Next round (inc): K1, M1L, patt to last st, M1R, K1. 2 sts inc’d.
Work 3 rounds straight.
Rep inc round. 2 sts inc’d.
Rep last 4 rounds another 18 ( 19: 18: 19: 20) times.
82 ( 84: 88: 90: 92) sts.
When all increases are complete, continue straight until Chart B is complete.
Put first and last 5 ( 5: 5: 5: 6) sts of final round onto waste yarn.
72 ( 74: 78: 80: 80) sts.
Set aside while you work the second sleeve the same way.
JOIN BODY AND SLEEVES
Next round: Using 4.5mm circular needles and yarn B, and with RS facing, K44 ( 47: 49: 52: 52) sts of Body for Right Front, pmA,
place next 10 ( 10: 10: 10: 12) sts of Body on a holder, K72 ( 74: 78: 80: 80) sts of first Sleeve, K90 ( 96: 98: 104: 106) sts of Body for Back, place next 10 ( 10: 10: 10: 12) sts of Body on a holder, K72 ( 74: 78: 80: 80) sts of second Sleeve, pmB, K44 ( 47: 49: 52: 52) sts of Body for Left Front, slm, P1, K6, P1 across steek. 322 ( 338: 352: 368: 370) for yoke, plus 8 sts for steek.
You will now decrease 47 ( 53: 57: 63: 55) sts evenly across round as follows:
Dec round: K2, [K2tog, K5 ( 5: 5: 3: 5)]
20 ( 10: 5: 5: 20) times, (K2tog, K4) 6 ( 32: 46: 53: 14) times, [K2tog, K5 ( 5: 5: 3: 5)]
20 ( 10: 5: 4: 20) times, K2tog, K2 ( 2: 2: 1: 2), P1, K6, P1 across steek.
275 ( 285: 295: 305: 315) sts for yoke, plus 8 sts for steek.
Now work from Chart C for your size, working the 5-st repeat 55 ( 57: 59: 61: 63) times per round and patterning across steek as before.
Note that there is 1 stitch decreased per repeat on rnd 15, rnd 23 ( 23: 23: 26: 26), and rnd 30 ( 33: 33: 37: 37). When chart is complete you will have 110 ( 114: 118: 122: 126) sts for yoke, plus 8 sts for steek.
You will now decrease 20 ( 18: 18: 20: 22) sts evenly across round as follows:
Dec round: With yarn A ( A: B: A: A), K2, [K2tog, K4 ( 5: 5: 5: 4)] 5 ( 3: 5: 1: 8)) times, [K2tog, K3 ( 4: 4: 4: 3)] 9 ( 11: 7: 17: 5) times, [K2tog, K4 ( 5: 5: 5: 4)] 5 ( 3: 5: 1: 8) times,
K2tog, K1 ( 2: 2: 2: 1), P1, K6, P1 across steek. 90 ( 96: 100: 102: 104) sts, plus 8 sts for steek.
SHORT ROWS
Note: When working across wraps from previous short rows, work wrap together with wrapped st.
Work in yarn colour given as follows: Short row 1: With yarn B, knit to mrk B, slm, K2, w&t;
Short row 2: With yarn B, purl to mrk A, slm, P2, w&t;
Round 3: With yarn B, knit to end.
Short row 4: With yarn A, knit to mrk B, slm, K4, w&t;
Short row 5: With yarn A, purl to mrk A, slm, P4, w&t;
Round 6: With yarn A, knit to end.
Short row 7: With yarn B, knit to mrk B, slm, K6, w&t;
Short row 8: With yarn B, purl to mrk A, slm, P6, w&t;
Short row 9: With yarn B, knit to mrk B, slm, K8, w&t;
Short row 10: With yarn B, purl to mrk A, slm, P8, w&t;
Round 11: With yarn B, knit to end, working any rem wraps tog with wrapped sts.
Sizes L and XL only
Short row 12: With yarn A, knit to mrk B, slm, K10, w&t;
Short row 13: With yarn A, purl to mrk A, slm, P10, w&t;
Short row 14: With yarn A, knit to mrk B, slm, K12, w&t;
Short row 15: With yarn A, purl to mrk A, slm, P12, w&t;
Round 16: With yarn A, knit to end, working any rem wraps tog with wrapped sts.
All sizes
Cont in yarn A only, knit 1 round.
You will now decrease 8 ( 12: 14: 14: 14) sts evenly across round as follows:
Dec round: K5 ( 3: 3: 3: 3), [K2tog,
K10 ( 6: 6: 6: 6)] 1 ( 11: 1: 2: 3) times, [K2tog, K9 ( 0: 5: 5: 5)] 5 ( 0: 11: 9: 7) times, [K2tog, K10 ( 0: 6: 6: 6)] 1 ( 0: 1: 2: 3) times, K2tog, K4 ( 3: 2: 2: 2), P1, K6, P1 across steek.
82 ( 84: 86: 88: 90) sts, plus 8 sts for steek.
NECK EDGING
Change to 3.5mm circular needles.
Next round: *K1, P1; rep from * to beg of steek, cast off 8 sts for steek.
82 ( 84: 86: 88: 90) sts.
Turn and cont working in rows.
Next row (WS): *K1, P1; rep from * to end of row.
Rep last row until Neck Edging measures 8cm.
Cast off in rib.
TO MAKE UP
Join sleeve and body sts at underarm using Kitchener stitch or three-needle cast-off.
Using a 4mm crochet hook and yarn A, work a crochet chain vertically up each edge of the steek stitches, working the
chain into half the edge st and half the steek st at each edge (with RS of the work facing you). Using sharp scissors, cut through the centre of the steek from bottom to top. The fabric will automatically fold to the inside.
Note: If you’re not feeling confident enough about securing the fabric with the crochet method, you can use a sewing machine to secure it by working a line of straight stitch between the crochet edging and cut edge.
BUTTON BAND
Using 4.5mm circular needles and yarn A, and with RS facing, pick up and knit
106 ( 112: 116: 118: 120) sts up right front edge (approx 3 sts every 4 rows).
Row 1 (WS): *K1, P1; rep from * to end. Row 2: As row 1.
Work another 8 rows in rib as set.
Cast off in rib.
BUTTONHOLE BAND
Using 4.5mm circular needles and yarn A, and with RS facing, pick up and knit
106 ( 112: 116: 118: 120) sts down left front edge (approx 3 sts every 4 rows).
Row 1 (WS): *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Row 2: As row 1.
Row 3: As row 1.
Next row (buttonhole): Rib 6 ( 6: 4: 6: 6)), [cast off 2, rib 13 ( 12: 11: 11: 11)] 6 ( 7: 8: 8: 8) times, cast off 2, rib to end.
Next row: Rib to end, casting on 2 sts over the top of cast off sts on previous row. Work another 3 rows in rib as set.
Cast off in rib.
Block garment gently to measurements, following any yarn care instructions on the ball band.
THE ICELANDIC LETTLOPI WOOL PROVIDES A WARM, STURDY FABRIC