I grew up in Ottawa, Canada. A town with a surprisingly large Lebanese persuasion. Shawarma there isn’t just a food for after a night out, it’s a dietary staple and my local shawarma joint was called the Garlic King. They had a terrible radio spot, which went something along the lines of “I am the Garlic King! I can do anything!” and apparently it wasn’t that bad of a jingle because it stuck with me through the years and as I designed this cardigan which is shaped incredibly similarly to a garlic, that jingle sprung back into my mind! Thus the Garlic was born, and thus this brutal shade of pink was chosen because what goes better with garlic sauce than pickled turnips?

This piece is a real statement piece that will spice up any outfit. You can throw it on over a t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans or wear it with a dress in the evening to stay warm but also remain fashionable. The perfect garment for when you want to be able to be wait outside your favourite spot in the cold without having to deal with the coat check when you finally get in.

This garment is a simple knit despite it’s unique construction. It is knit inside out, purely because I personally prefer to knit than purl. You will be simply knitting two identical sleeves, and then seaming them together and adding a collar. There isn’t really a body it’s just a sleeve that becomes so large that it wraps your entire body in a warm envelope of huge sleeves. You will be building from the ribbing and maintaining the same purl ridges throughout, increasing along these ridges to create wedges, each separated by a purl ridge. It is an extremely intuitive construction. Due to the serious positive ease of the garment, it is a one-size-fits-most scenario; but, because of it’s simple construction altering it is a snap.

Yarn used in sample:
Yardage:
MC: 1200yards, 6 skeins
CC: 445yard (222 yards held double), 1 skein

MC: “Pressed Flowers” 4ply Superwash Merino Worsted, Lichen and Lace, 100% Wool.
(200yards, 115grams)

CC: “Popsicle” Alegria, Manos del Uruguay, (held double)
75% Wool, 25% polyamide.
(445yards, 100 grams)

I chose this yarn because of it’s plied structure and stitch definition. If you choose to use a variegated yarn, and want a similar effect try using one with short colour spurts and speckles in order to avoid pooling. I chose a fingering weight as the contrasting yarn purely for colour purposes, you can use a worsted weight or a fingering held double as you see fit.

I also made sure to line up the skeins before starting in order by saturation. I then split them into two groups of three skeins from darkest to lightest. Many hand dyed skeins can be very different from one to the next due to the nature of dyeing in small batches. This gives you a chance to make the colour changing look deliberate and I find it adds balance to the garment.

This garment will also work beautifully in a solid colour, or a monochromatic palette, think like a slate for the body of the sweater and a charcoal for the collar.

notions
4mm or size to obtain gauge circular needle with 32-40” cable. (using magic loop to begin then simply working in the round normally as the piece grows)
2 stitch markers
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

gauge
Using 4mm in Stockinette Stitch: 16 sts x 30 rounds over 4 inches/ 10cm.
(this may be the only sweater pattern where the fabric is more important than the actual gauge. Be sure to create a fabric you like, if it’s a bit off gauge, within reason, you’ll be fine.)

measurements
Cuff to Collar: 22” - 56cm
Arm hole circumference at largest point: 72” - 183cm
Arm hole circumference at smallest point: 8”- 20cm