Arete is an open front, short sleeve cardigan with simple construction, worked top-down with no shoulder shaping. It is seamless. First the back is knitted. Then, stitches are picked up at the shoulders to form the front pieces. The fronts and back are joined together at the underarm and worked evenly from there.

Designed to be worn with significant positive ease, the actual measurements are about 35.5” across the back with a 7” opening at the front, an 11” armhole, and 22” in total length. Due to the generous size, it can fit anywhere from a 34-54” bust, depending on how much ease you want. This yarn chills out A LOT after blocking, increasing significantly in size. I def recommend that you block your swatch to get a more accurate gauge of the finished product.

A note on the charts: The same stitch pattern is used throughout. However it is divided into 3 different charts. Chart 1 will be used only at the shoulders just after casting on or picking up stitches. Chart 2 is the main repeat of the pattern. I worked this chart 4 times vertically, but if you wish to make the cardigan longer, you can add more pattern repeats. Keep in mind this will affect your yardage though. Finally Chart 3 is worked one time, after you’ve worked all the Chart 2 repeats you want and just before working the edging and casting off. Each chart is also divided into 3 sections. Section A is the main repeat of the pattern. Section B is worked only at the end of the row on the right front. Section C is worked only at the beginning of the row on the left front.

Another note, I always slip the first stitch of every row and knit the last stitch of every row to get a nice even edging. I didn’t include this instruction in the pattern for the sake of simplicity, but it is something you may wish to do.

Finally, the pattern calls for 6 skeins. However, I used almost exactly 5 skeins, frogging my swatch to use in the pattern. If you want to be safe, I definitely recommend having 6 skeins on hand. However, if you’re feeling risky and are careful, you may be able to use only 5.