Noblin Design - Summer Nights

Welcome, all Magknitters!




A little while ago, I knitted up a sample for a new yarn store opening near my house. The yarn was imported from the US, along with the most beautiful pattern book I had ever seen. The models were dressed up in full length princess skirts with hand knitted tops. The yarn was even lovelier. The more I knit, the more colours and hues I saw. I raced through the pattern and, even though I wasn't keeping the top, I tried it on. And, Oh was I disappointed. The hand dyed yarn formed horizontal stripes which, coupled with the lack of shaping, led to a very unflattering silhouette. I was mortified.

Fast forward a few months and I became aware of short row shaping. Wouldn't it be possible, I thought, to knit a top sideways and use short rows to shape at the waist? Yes, I thought, not only possible but I should be the one to design and make this top. I chatted with Magknits about the design and Yarnsmith donated the yarn. Then I knit and sketched and calculated and also, as some of you may have been reading, developed RSI and back problems and stopped knitting and stalled on the pattern and delayed and cried and knit again.

The result, many months later, is Summer Nights, a kimono inspired cardigan. I designed this as something I would wear myself so it has extra wide sleeves and a gently draping neckline. The pattern has options for reducing the width of the sleeves. It is also possible to knit this in one piece or to pick up the sleeves from the body but I decided to write the pattern with the sections separately.

When I first announced I was planning to design and knit a cardigan (let's remember I haven't made a cardigan for an adult before and had never designed a cardigan before) people thought I was mad. Well, I feel a bit mad and a bit of a fraud too. I really hope you like this design and there aren't too many problems with the pattern. Feel free to contact me with any questions you have or errata you spot (fingers crossed there aren't any!).

When choosing a size, check out the dimensions on the schematics and compare them to any other kimono style hand knit cardigans you have lying around the place. I didn't have a brooch at home, so I clip the cardigan round with a hair decoration: kilt pins would also work. For the shoulders, I seamed 7.5 inches either side, first using mattress stitch, then strengthening with backstitch.

Thanks for stopping by!