Last summer I received the most surprising and lovely parcel from a dear Ravelry-friend, Carmen. The unexpected gift contained lots of lovely treasures, including 8 balls of the softest alpaca-yarn.
As it was summer and very hot, I didn’t start thinking about what I would design from this beautiful yarn until the autumn.
I tried out a few lace-patterns first, before finding out that this kind of yarn needed a very simple stitch-pattern.
So, here it is now, the Carmencita cardigan!
An elegant, go-to cardigan with a really great fit.
Thanks, Carmen, for the lovely present<3

This is a tested pattern.
A huge thank you to my talented testers:
Carmen73 / ChoccaKnit / ejmsasha / eswogger / ewfeller / Gemzones / Hanaj / knitwitch47 / Liddie / Likac66 / SKYSNOTHELIMIT.

Construction
The body of the cardigan is worked bottom-up to underarms, where work is divided into fronts and back which are continued in separate pieces. The shoulders are seamed.
The sleeves are worked top-down, from picked-up sts around the armhole openings. For a really great fit the sleeve-caps are shaped by short-rows. From the underarm the sleeves are worked in-the-round to bind-off.
The neck-band is worked from picked-up sts.
The button-bands are worked from picked-up sts.

Sizes
Finished chest-measurements are:
Size 1: 84 cm/33” / Size 2: 92 cm/36” / Size 3: 100 cm/39”
Size 4: 107 cm/42” / Size 5: 114 cm/45”
Size 6: 122 cm/48” / Size 7: 130 cm/51”
Size 8: 137 cm/54” / Size 9: 144 cm/57” / Size 10: 152 cm/60”

Materials
Yarn: The yarn I used was gifted to me from a dear Ravelry-friend! It was with joy I used this special yarn. This DK weight yarn, “Baby Alpaca” from Valeria di Roma, comes in balls of 50 gr/1.76 oz and 155 m/170 yards.
I recommend that you use a DK weight yarn that knits up to gauge to work the cardigan. Of this specific yarn you will need approximately 900/1000/1100/1200/1300/1400/1500/1600/1700/1800 m = 990/1090/1200/1310/1420/1530/1635/1745/1855/1965 yards to work the cardigan. Needles: a circular needle, 3 mm/US2.5, 80 – 100 cm/32 – 40”, to work the hem of the lower body, the collar and the button-bands. A circular needle, 3.5 mm/US4, 80 – 100 cm/32 – 40”, for the lower body.
Straight or circular needles, 3.5 mm/US4, to work the upper body. A set of DPNS (or a circular needle, if working the magic loop), size 3.5 mm/US4 to work the sleeves. A set of DPNS (or a circular needle, if working the magic loop), size 3 mm/US2.5 to work the cuffs.
Notions: 1 removable stitch-marker, waste-yarn or separate holders, buttons 20 mm/0.75” across, blunt tapestry needle, blocking tools

Gauge
24 sts and 34 - 36 rows/rounds in stockinette (and in the lace-pattern, when stretched out) = 10x10cm/4x4”.

The pattern
The pattern is tested (see testers listed above).
Skill level: intermediate
The lace-pattern is charte, as well as written out row-by-row.
There is a schematic.
All measurements are given in cm’s as well as in inches.

Techniques involved:

• cast on
• bind-off
• lace and twisted sts
• picking up sts
• buttonholes
• short-rows (explained)
• decreases