Have you found the perfect dress for a summer event–perfect that is, but for the missing sleeves? This happened to me when planning to attend my niece’s wedding. I needed a garment to cover my shoulders that was pretty enough to complement my dress and yet cool enough to wear in the summer heat. This light-weight cardigan fit the bill perfectly. It is waist length in the back, has a scoop neckline, short sleeves and fronts that overlap at the neck then drape open. It is worked top-down seamlessly and comes in 9 sizes (XS to 5X). The construction is deceptively simple with only one row of increases at the neck. From there everything is worked evenly in the Traveling Vine stitch pattern. The cardi is shown here in Knit Picks CotLin which was comfortable for outdoor pictures in 100 degree heat and transitioned nicely to the uber-cold air conditioned banquet hall. CotLin is a DK weight, but the pattern works just as well with a fingering or worsted weight yarn–provided you are able to get gauge.

Finally, the yarn quantities called for are small enough (and the knitting time is fast enough) you may well want to make several!

PS–not worried about the heat or want something a bit easier? Consider the Jocelyn Winter Cardi made with Knit Picks Diadem DK (a decadent silk-alpaca blend) in stockinette stitch.