Modifications:

• provisional i-cord cast-on, i-cord bind-off
• cable-lace edgings
• larger sleeves (size XL)

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PREP:
Target gauge: 23sts x 32r = 4”

Swatching on HiyaHiya steel US3 needles:
Pre-blocking: 22.5sts = 4”
Post-blocking: 21.5sts x 33r = 4”

Swatching on HiyaHiya steel US2.5 needles:
Pre-blocking: doh forgot to measure before dunking
Post-blocking: 23.5sts x 34r = 4”

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PLAN: I want to work 2” of the lace pattern all the way across the fronts (cast-on and bind-off edges), and a sideways lace edging on the sleeves -- so no ribbing.

I also want to add a 2-stitch i-cord beside the 1 called-for edge stitch on the bottom edge, and I want to work the cable all along the top edge.

RESULT: I love how all of this turned out, except the cable on the top edge, which got lost in the edge curl so it was a bit of wasted effort when a plain stockingnette edge with a slipped stitch selvedge would have worked just as well. I love how the top edge curl works with the fit and drape, though, so it still worked out just as well.

I was worried that the sleeves would be too tight as written, but my modifications ended up a bit too loose, so that’s one thing I would do differently if I were to do this all over again.

For symmetry, I think it would be worth casting on provisionally instead, and then doing an i-cord bind-off on the provisional stitches to match the bind-off on the other edge, as the difference in tension between the i-cord cast-on and the i-cord bind off really made a difference over such a long edge.

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12 x 11 st repeat + 3 edge stitches = 135 stitches.

Cast-on and first front edge:
Using the same invisible provisional i-cord cast on I unvented for my Deep, Dark, and VaGigantic - except that after arranging all 9 sts on one needle, I continue the i-cord cast-on as follows:

At this point, 3 sts have been cast on between the 3 reserve edge stitches on the right and 3 working i-cord stitches. Slip 3 stitches to left needle. Work the i-cord cast-on increase row twice more: now 5 stitches cast on.

*Work i-cord one row without increasing, work increase rows to cast on 6 more stitches, place a marker (after slipping 3 working stitches back onto the left needle), work i-cord stitches one row plain without increasing, work increase rows to cast on 5 more stitches, work i-cord one row without increasing, rep from * 11 times (132 stitches on needles). Work increase rows 3 more times. Work i-cord one row without increasing, but do not slip the stitches back to left needle. (135 stitches cast on.)

Slide all stitches to the left needle (so cast on tail is hanging from stitches closest to left needle tip). Slip 2 stitches knitwise together (as if to k2tog) to right needle tip, twisting the second stitch in front of the first. Slip these two stitches back to left needle one at a time, maintaining twist.

Turn work.

Setup row (WS): sl1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.
Begin working modified Cable Lace pattern on row 6.

Modified Cable Lace pattern:
Begin each RS row with “sl2 purlwise with yarn in front, k1” instead of “k1”, work pattern repeat as written across all stitches to end of row (omit “to last 6 sts…”)
Begin each WS row “sl 1 purlwise wyf” and end “purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Work modified cable lace pattern for about 2”/ 2 repeats ending after row 8.

Modified setup row: Work modified Cable Lace pattern for 63 sts (3 edge stitches plus 5 repeats plus 5 more stitches), pm, knit to last 6 stitches, work in cable portion of Cable Lace pattern.

Modified next row (WS): sl 1 purlwise wyf, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.
Modifed next row (RS): work modified cable lace pattern (as above) for 63 sts, k to last 6 stitches, work last cable from modified cable lace pattern (cable these 6 sts on the same 8-row repeat as the cable lace pattern worked on the first 63 sts).

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Back
I also adjusted the back width and pattern placement, as I am wider across the back than the front. To simplify where to add the additional rows, I changed the staggering of the pattern to every 8 rows instead of every 10, so each new step occurs on the same row of the stitch pattern, and the back starts and ends on Row 8.

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Second front edge:
I used clip-on markers to count rows to ensure the fronts would be the same length not including the edging, and then started working the cable-lace stitch pattern across the entire front, beginning on row 8.

Worked two repeats, ending row 8, then knit the last 3 stitches of the right side row twice more as an i-cord. Turned work and purled to last 2 sts, k2, turned work, and rearranged first two stitches to continue in i-cord worked from the right side. Worked the first 3 stitches twice as i-cord, then worked i-cord bind-off to last 3 stitches, broke yarn, grafted the two i-cord sections together.

(As the i-cord bind-off works up much more loosely than the i-cord cast on, the additional i-cord rounds are not needed.)

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Sleeves:
52 stitches on waste yarn for sleeves, to accommodate my big shoulders and upper-arms.

I changed the Short Row Shaping to get a more rounded transition from the body:

Place marker before top center stitch (picked up in the gap)
Row 1: k to 10 sts after top marker, w&t
Row 2: p to 9 sts after top marker, w&t
Row 3: k to wrapped st, cw (conceal wrap by working together with wrapped st), k2, w&t
Row 4: p to wrapped st, cw, p2, w&t
Rows 5 and 6: repeat rows 3 and 4 once more
Row 7: k to wrapped st, cw, k1, w&t
Row 8: p to wrapped st, cw, k1, w&t
Rows 9 to 12: repeat rows 7 and 8 twice more
Row 13: k to wrapped st, cw, w&t
Row 14: p to wrapped st, cw, w&t
Continue as in pattern.
I mostly followed the larger sizes as a guideline for my custom version, until only 16 sts remained unworked by short rows on each side of the center bottom marker.

After resuming work in the round and closing the gap as in pattern:
Knit 4 more stitches, [k1, k2tog] about 21 times, k 22 sts to bottom marker

Sleeve Edging:
Do not break working yarn, but use scrap yarn to crochet a chain for provisional cast on, and cast on 9 provisional stitches with working yarn.
Row 1: Sl 2 with yarn in back, k1, work arrow lace section of chart over 5 sts, k2tog with stitch from edge of sleeve, turn
Row 2: Sl 1 with yarn in front, purl to end
Continue to work in lace pattern as established until all stitches from the edge of the sleeve have been worked. Remove waste yarn from provisional cast on, and place live stitches on another needle.
3-needle bind-off, break yarn, weave in ends.

Blocked to calculated (modified) measurements (which I should have written down here) with wires (really tedious! probably won’t every time!)

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Finished cardigan weighs about 199g, swatch weighs 19g, discarded false-start weighs 9g = 227g used for this project.

63g of ball unused.