Let’s play with colors! Perhaps you have bought or made a yarny advent calendar, perhaps you have a glorious collection of scraps – in this cardigan you can paint with yarn! I do recommend a calm neutral for the main color; that way, each of the precious yarns get to shine.

The cardigan is worked top-down and is very easy to customize. The neckline is constructed with an icord, which gives a nice hold and structure to prevent it from sliding off over your shoulders. The pattern gives two sets of instructions, so you can choose if you want to knit it in the round and steek it (for Team Hate-purling), or if you want to knit it flat (for Team Hate-steeking).

It is named Christmas Cactus because I loved my moms Christmas Cactus. It would give us the most precious flowers every year at Christmas time, and the long flowers of the plant reminds me of the long stripes on this cardigan. Also, as the colorful flowers of the Christmas Cactus would play against a calm, green setting, the stripes here dances on a neutral background.

 
Sizes
1-2-3 (4-5-6) 7-8-9

Bust circumference (on finished garment)
90-101-110,5 (121-129-140,5) 150-160-169 cm / 35.4-39.8-43.5 (47.6-50.8-55.3) 59-63-66.5 in

Length
43-43-43 (48-48-48) 53-53-53 cm / 17-17-17 (18.9-18.9-18.9) 20.9-20.9-20.9 in

Fit
Christmas Cactus is designed to be worn with 5-15 cm / 2-6 in positive ease. Measurements are given for the finished garment so you easily can add the ease you prefer.
It is easy to make both body and sleeves shorter or longer, but doing so will of course affect the yardage needed.

Construction
The cardigan is knit top-down. You start with an i-cord, from where you pick up stitches for the yoke. After knitting the body, you come back to the i-cord to pick up stitches for the neckline ribbing. I learned this method from Ina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inarendboe/ / Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/ina-rendboe ), and it gives a nice hold and structure to the neckline. You can of course use any other cast on method of your preference.

There are two sets of instructions in this pattern: you can either knit the cardigan flat, or you knit it in the round for steeking.

Yardage
Please note that yardage is estimated, and my vary between knitters!

You need approximately 490-510-525 (565-600-975) 1100-1150-1200 meters DK-weight yarn for the main color. You can of course substitute fingering weight held double in which case you will need to double the amount of meters.

I have used Rowan Felted Tweed color 159 for my main color. This is not a DK-weight (more like a sport-weight), but it will fluff up and fill out in blocking. Also, this yarn has such subtlety to the colors, making it a perfect companion for color play.

For the contrast color will need different colors of either fingering (held double) or DK weight. If you have an advent calendar available, this will be enough for all the different sizes. If you are working with left-overs, I suggest you find approximately 960 meters of DK-weight (or 1920 meters of fingering to be held double).

If you are working with an advent, please note that you will be using some of the colors more than once – make sure to use these colors where the pattern doesn’t require too much yardage (that would be the top of the yoke and the end of the sleeves).

If you are not limited by 24 x 20 gr minis, you can just throw yourself into the play with colors!

 
Depending on your gauge and the actual meterage of your yarn, you may find that you need more than 20 gr for some of the stripes. You can either stripe two colors together within a single stripe, or – if you are using fingering weight held double – marl two colors together. I have used both methods (even though the stripes aren’t that visible in the photo, because I used two variegated green yarns…):

Suggested needles
3,5 mm circular needles, 80 cm for ribbing (use magic loop when needed)
4 mm circular needles, 80 cm for ribbing (use magic loop when needed)

Gauge
20 sts x 28 rnds/rows = 10 x 10 cm/4 x 4 in.

The gauge stated is for the washed and blocked swatch.
Please note that needle size is only a suggestion. The pattern refers to the smaller and the larger needle – always choose the needle size needed to get gauge!

If you cannot get the correct row gauge, I suggest you refer to the schematics on last page, and just knit to the measurements given there.

Pay extra attention to your gauge when working the sleeves. Many knitters will tend to have a tighter gauge when working these parts of the sweater. If this is true for you, please adjust your needle size accordingly, by going up one or two sizes!

When working flat (for the short row sections), pay attention to your gauge. Our purls are often looser than our knit stitches. You may want to use a smaller needle tip for the purl rows!

Stripes
Size 1 – 5: Each stripe consists of 6 rnds/rows in CC, followed by 2 rnds/rows in MC.
Size 6 – 9 : Each stripe consists of 4 rnds/rows in CC, followed by 4 rnds/rows in MC.

If you are not limited by 20 gr minis, you can of course choose the stripe sequence you prefer!