Pattern description from Knitting in America: “The Leaf Kimono and Pullover were both made with worsted-weight alpaca from On the Inca Trail. The kimono comes to two points at the hip in the front; when you raise your arms, the sweater shape actually looks like a butterfly. The back is straight and waist-length. The pullover fits like an oversized sweatshirt. Both sweaters benefit from the drape of alpaca, which is looser and freer than wool. Donna says it was easy to decide on colors for the Leaf Kimono, the first of the two sweaters she designed. It was October and she began by picking colors that reminded her of fall in New Mexico, then she added colors she liked to go with them. ‘It didn’t take long,’ she remembers, ‘because I picked almost everything on the shade card.’ When it came time to select the colors for the pullover, the On the Inca Trail owner, Heddy King, who lived in Taos at the time, joined in. Donna was open to everything except deep purple and turquoise, a typical Southwestern color combination that bores her. The pattern for these sweaters appears on page 185.”

Measurements:

• Bust at underarm (closed) 53”
• Length (from turning ridge to shoulder) 21”
• Sleeve width at upper arm 23”

Materials:

• Eight 1.75oz / 50g skeins (each approx 130yd / 117m) of On the Inca Trail light worsted-weight alpaca in #237 Dancing Moon (MC)
• One skein each in #211 Canyon Land (A), #212 Red Ochre (B), #235 Camel (C), #226 Green Fire (D), #227 Sage (E), #230 Blue Mist (F), #225 Granite Grey (G), #201 Eclipse (H), #236 Cocoa (I), #221 Taupe (J), #210 El Dorado (K), #243 Indian Mulberry (L), #213 High Sierra (M), and #238 Cactus Flower (Note: On the Inca Trail has been discontinued. Classic Elite Inca alpaca can be substituted, though colors are not identical.)
• 3 coat hooks
• 7 long metal beads (sweater in photograph made with one 1/8” long Nepalese metal beads)
• Small round glass beads
• Sizes 3 and 5 circular needles 24” long or size needed to obtain gauge
• Size C crochet hook
• #1 sewing or beading needle
• D beading thread

Additional Gauge: 20 sts and 24 rows to 4” over St st and color pat using larger needles. To save time and to ensure accurate sizing, check gauges.