Oles Cardigan

The Oles Cardigan is a raglan sleeve cardigan with irregular short-row stripes. It’s knitted in the round, as if it were a sweater, and we use the steek technique to turn it into a cardigan. After working a crochet reinforcement along the area where we’ll cut it, we pick up and knit the button bands before, finally, cutting along the front. Step-by-step video tutorials of the steek section are included in the pattern: marking the steek area, working crochet reinforcements, picking up stitches for the button bands, placing and knitting the buttonholes and, finally, cutting the steek.

MATERIALS

• 4 mm (US 6) circular needles for the body and sleeves (adjust if necessary to achieve gauge)
  
• 3.5 mm (US 4) circular needles for the ribbing (or two sizes smaller than the main needles)
  
• 4 markers in different colours (A-D) for the raglan increases, 2 markers in a different colour for the steek bridge and a special marker for BOR. Several removable markers for the sleeve decreases.
  
• 3.5 mm (size E) crochet hook
  
• tapestry needle and waste yarn for putting the sleeve stitches on hold and for marking the steek bridge area.
  
• 7-10 buttons, approximately 15-18 mm / 5/8” (24L) - 23/32” (28L) in diameter
  
• Optional: tape or ribbon to cover the steek seam

SIZES

1 (2, 3, 4) [5, 6, 7]

How to choose your size: measure your bust circumference, add the ease recommended below (i.e. 10-15 cm / 4-6 inches) and find the finished circumference at bust measurement below that is closest to that figure. Make sure your gauge matches the one given below to ensure your finished garment will be the same dimensions.

DIMENSIONS

Finished circumference at bust:

90 (101, 111, 122) 132, 143, 153 cm /
35.5 (39.75, 43.75, 48) 52, 56.25, 60.25 inches

Ease: + 10-15 cm / 4-6 inches

YARN

DK-weight yarn in two colours. Ideally, choose a yarn that is not superwash, as this can be too slippery for the steek technique. I used two yarns held together for each of the colours: Rowan Felted Tweed (50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose, 50 g, 175 m) and Rowan Kidsilk Haze (70% mohair, 30% silk, 25 g, 210 m), i.e. the equivalent to a sport/DK-weight yarn plus a lace- weight yarn.

If you are using a single yarn, choose a DK-weight yarn. I used a main colour (MC) and a single contrast colour (CC) but, in case you want to do the stripes in 3 different colours, like the original Oles sweater, I’ve given amounts and mention CC1/CC2/ CC3 in the pattern – ignore these and read them as simply ‘CC’ if using a single contrast colour.

Main colour (MC):
750 (890, 950, 1000) 1125, 1200, 1275 m
820 (975, 1040, 1092) 1230, 1315, 1395 yards.
I used the colours Felted Tweed 207 and Kidsilk Haze 724 (darker blue).

Contrasting colour (CC):
Between 85-160 m / 93-175 yards depending on the size. I used the colours Felted Tweed 209 and Kidsilk Haze 693 (lighter blue).

If you want to do the stripes in 3 different colours:

• CC1: between 30-55 m / 33-60 yards.
  
• CC2: between 30-55 m / 33-60 yards.
  
• CC3: between 25-50 m / 27-55 yards.

GAUGE

19 stitches and 28 rounds in 10 cm / 4” with the larger needles in stockinette stitch knitted in the round, after blocking.

How to buy the pattern

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