INTRODUCTION: Floating Magnolias is a collaboration with Bella Filato Studio on a special colorway called “Magnolia Home”, the Main Color. It is based on my inspiration for this design, the moment in the animated Disney movie, “Mulan”, where the dad is sitting on a bench in front of a magnolia tree and a magnolia flower falls into his hands. One quote from Mulan also fits this design so beautifully, “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” While Disney’s animated Mulan movie was not 100% accurate representation of the real 花木蘭 (Fa Mu Lan), it was the only Chinese representation I grew up with due to the lack of diverse Asian representation in American media. It still holds a very special place in my childhood heart.

CONSTRUCTION: top-down sweater construction with 1x1 rib collars and hems.

SKILLS: garter stitch, slip stitches, striping, cables, increases/decreases, picking up stitches, knitting in the round

NEEDLES:

Body: US 6 / 4.0 mm, or any size to obtain gauge

Neck Collar, Bottom Hem, Sleeve Cuffs: US 4 / 3.5 mm, or smaller needles if desired

NOTIONS: stitch markers, tapestry needle, measuring tape, gauge ruler if needed

GAUGE: 24 sts & 40 rows/rnds per 4”/10 cm in garter stitch, after blocking.

YARN: fingering weight

Sample knit in: Bella Filato Studio, “Bella Merino”, 100% Superwash Merino, 438 Yards/100 grams

MC: Magnolia Home (ivory with green and pink speckles)

CC: Artichoke (green)

YARN USAGE

MC 500, 600 (690, 780) 880, 1,000 {1,130, 1,310} yds/ 457, 549 (631, 713) 805, 914 {1033, 1198}m

CC 350, 400 (450, 550) 650, 750 {880, 1020} yds/ 320, 365 (411, 503) 594, 686 {805, 933} m

SIZES: 1, 2 (3, 4) 5, 6 {7, 8}

SEE TABLE FOR FINISHED MEASUREMENTS.

PATTERN NOTES:

This guideline can help you find the ease that is right you!

1. Measure around your chest at the fullest/widest point.
2. Grab one of your favorite fitting tops. Measure the top flat, at about 1”/ 2.5 cm below the armhole. Multiply by 2 to get the top’s circumference.
3. (Top Circumference – Full Chest = Ease) If negative number, that’s negative ease. If it is a positive number, that’s positive ease.

Sample photographed in size 3 with 2.5”/6 cm of positive ease at chest, modeled by Priya. Photography by Amaara.

Pattern has been test knitted. Pattern tech edited by Chaitanya Muralidhara. Examples of other knitters who have knit this pattern during test knit are in the Blog.

Look up hashtags on Instagram with #FloatingMagnoliasSweaterTee and #tinatseknits to share your progress and FOs and to find other projects! Also tag me @tina.say.knits.