This cardigan was designed with the colors of the beach in mind. Subtle color changes at the hems and neckline call to mind the shades the outgoing tide leaves behind on the sand. It is a cozy cardigan that seems light and airy when worked in lighter low-contrast colors, or could make a bolder statement with deeper high-contrast colors.

Sweater is worked in the round from the bottom up and joined at the underarms. The circular yoke and bottom hem features a simple lice stitch and color change that is subtle and beautiful. The pattern is written with two purl columns that form the ‘steek bridge’. Pattern is written for a sewn steek, but could also be done with a crochet steek. If you choose to use the crochet method, consider making the purl stitches knit stitches, and add two more for your steek bridge. After the sweater is steeked, sts are picked up for a buttonband, and finished with a sewn on ribbon on the inner edge.

If you would rather avoid working a steek this sweater could also be worked back and forth, or as a pullover, in which case, do not work the purl stitches at all and move your beginning of round marker to the back or shoulder area. Practice both your colorwork and your steek on a generous sized swatch.

Sizes
Finished chest measurement (buttoned): 32¼ (36¼, 40¼, 44¼, 48¼, 52¼)” / 81.5 (91.5, 102, 112, 122, 132) cm
Cardigan is designed to be worn with 2-4¼” / 5-11 cm of positive ease.

Yarn
Quince & Co. Owl (50% American Wool, 50% New Zealand Alpaca; 120 yds 110m per 50 g skein)
MC: Tawny 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) skeins
CC: Buru 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins
OR 875 (1010, 1150, 1310, 1455, 1630) yards Worsted Weight yarn; 615 (705, 805, 915, 1020, 1140) of MC, 265 (305, 345, 395, 435, 490) of CC

Needles
Body is worked on US Size 7 (or size needed to obtain gauge), and additional needles are listed for following purposes. US Size 8: Some knitters find they need to go up a needle size for colorwork portions in order to maintain the same gauge as the non-colorwork portion of the fabric. US Size 6: The knitter might choose to work ribbing on a needle one size smaller to make a tighter rib.

US size 6 (4 mm) circular, 24” or 32” / 60 or 80cm length if desired for ribbing
US size 6 (4 mm) DPNs if desired for ribbing

US size 7 (4.5 mm) circular, 24” or 32” / 60 or 80cm length
US size 7 (4.5 mm) circular, 16” / 40 cm length (optional)
US size 7 (4.5 mm) DPNs

US size 8 (5 mm) circular 24” or 32” / 60 or 80cm length if needed for colorwork portions
US size 8 (5 mm) DPNs if needed for colorwork portions