10 favourite cardigans

My last post, about Kate C and the new Tìoraidh, made me think about all the fun cardigans I’ve enjoyed designing (and wearing!) over the past few years. Here, in the wake of storm Agnes, cardigan weather is most definitely upon us! Here are a few favourite designs, from my recent collections.

Serkinet, from SARK – combining panels of twisted stitch texture with a beautifully simple neutral (the Riach shade of our Ooksit yarn) – is definitely top of the list.

But Powdermill is probably the cardigan upon which I’ve received the most admiring comments when I wear it and about.

Knitters and non knitters alike seem to love its bold allover colourway as much as I do!

Powdermill is included in our Argyll’s Secret Coast collection, and for the same book I designed another cardigan, Auchnaha, which is kindly modelled here by Claire

This cardi is a really interesting knit. Worked from the bottom up, with integrated lace panels . . .

. . . which then become part of the back, as they wrap cosily around the shoulders.

Auchnaha was a really enjoyable design to work on, and is great to wear at this time of year.

A recent, but already well-worn addition to my rotating cardigan collection is Iola . . .

I love knitting twisted stitches and you can’t go wrong with navy blue

Horology has a similarly neat-ish fit, and the same top-down construction as Iola

But twisted stitch panels are here replaced with dramatic, structural hour-glass cables

If you like a top-down cardigan construction, but prefer to knit (and wear) something simple, you can’t go wrong with Evendoon

Worked throughout in straightforward stockinette, its easy to use this pattern as a template to which you can add your own modifications of colour and texture.

I designed Evendoon for my 10 Years in the Making collection, and in that same book included Fleckit

This cosy jacket was inspired by a garment I spotted when watching Norwegian crime drama Grenseland

In my designs, I often aim for a “feel” with the finish that approaches that of a really good ready-made garment. In Fleckit, this is achieved surprisingly simply, with a corded edge that neatly encircles the zipped front openings . . .

. . . and hood.

I was aiming for a similarly sleek finish when I was designing Hirne

Though this yoked cardigan is finished with buttons and buttonband, rather than a zip

The pattern is written to be knit in the round, and steeked open, but because there’s no pattern “action” on the purl rows, and as Kelly (who has knitted two Hirnes has kindly shown), it’s super-easy to knit this cardigan back and forth without the steek. Go read her blog and see!

The St Catherines cardigan remains a much-worn favourite of mine . . .

I just love the look and lightweight texture of simple garter stitch stripes. I’m working on another fun cardigan design with garter stripes right now – just watch this space!

But I really can’t write a post about cardigans without concluding with my most popular cardigan design – Carbeth

A large-gauge garment, that’s very quick to knit . . .

. . . with carefully thought-out details in the finish of the turned collar and front bands . . . .

. . . which lends this otherwise simple garment a super-smart cold-weather look!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this trip through my top ten cardis! And for more about the different kinds of work involved in designing and finishing a cardigan see this post.