The Nurturing Cardigan is a simple boxy sweater designed as a cozy top layer. The body is worked in one piece straight up to the underarms. Underarm stitches are bound off then the back and fronts are worked separately to the shoulders where they are joined with a three-needle bind-off.

There is no complex shaping in the body, making it easy to work a lace pattern. The modified drop sleeve caps are picked up around the armhole edge, shaped with a few short-rows then worked in the round from the underarm to the cuff, decreasing along the way. Both the lace and the ribbing are established in multiples of 6 stitches plus 2, so they can be interchanged with any of the stitch patterns used in this chapter. The possibilities for this sweater are endless.

Are you making this? Share your WIP photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using the hashtags #NSKNurturing and #KristenTenDyke.

Finished Size
About 29 (331⁄2, 381⁄2, 43, 48, 53, 571⁄2)“ (73.5 85, 98, 109, 122, 134.5, 146 cm) bust cir- cumference and 18 (181⁄2, 19, 191⁄2, 20, 201⁄2, 21)” (45.5 47, 48.5, 49.5, 51, 52, 53.5 cm) long.
Cardigan shown measures 381⁄2” (98 cm).

Yarn
DK weight (#3 Light).
Shown here: Blue Sky Alpacas, Skinny Cotton (100% organic cotton, 150 yds 137 m/65g): #30 birch, 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) skeins.

Needles
Size U.S. 6 (4 mm): 32” (80 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions
Markers (m); holders or waste yarn; tap- estry needle.

Gauge
20 sts and 31 rows = 4” (10 cm) in lace patt; 25 sts and 30 rnds = 4” (10 cm) in k4, p2 ribbing when stretched slightly.

Techniques
Circular knitting on dpns
Lace
Using a stitch holder or waste yarn
Short-rows
Three-needle bind-off
Picking up stitches