By: Kate Davies Designs
colour, design, Kate Davies Designs, knitters, knitting, Knitting Wester Ross, Wester Ross, , , , , , , , ,

Denys Martin – reversey

Good morning – as promised yesterday, here is a second version of my Denys Martin design in the reverse colourway – with light-on-dark colourwork, rather than dark-on-light.

A model wearing an oversized knitted cardigan with a dark blue and white colorwork pattern, paired with orange knitted hat, navy striped shirt, and rust-colored pants, standing against a gray background.

Maylin knitted this version, and Kate C is modelling here (thank you, both)

A person stands with their back to the camera, wearing a knitted navy-blue sweater with white snowflake patterns and burnt orange beanie. They are paired with loose tan trousers and red socks.

Like me, Kate C is wearing the first size of Denys Martin. This cardigan is intended to be oversized, and the first size has a finished circumference of 135.5cm / 53¼ in. On both Kate C and myself, this allows for plenty of cosy ease – which you really want in a substantial winter-weight garment under which layers will be worn. The first size will comfortably fit chest measurements up to 101.5cm / 40in, so if your measurement is 106.5cm / 42 in or above, I’d knit the second size, or above 132cm / 52in, go with the third.

A person wearing a navy and white patterned cardigan, viewed from the back, with an orange knitted beanie hat.

Neither Kate C or myself are particularly tall people (perhaps, ahem, an understatement), but despite being similar heights we are very differently shaped. Kate C has a shapely upper body and relatively short legs, while I have a very flat, very short torso and proportionately much longer legs (the same length of leg as Tom, in fact, who is 5 ft 9″ to my 5 ft 2″). While the importance of one’s overall height is of negligible importance when knitting a well-fitting cardigan or pullover the proportionate length of one’s torso is definitely a significant consideration. All bodies are different, and our style preferences are different too. Where do you like your cardigans to sit?

A person wearing a dark cardigan with light colorwork patterns, paired with orange pants and red socks, posing with arms outstretched in a neutral backdrop.

I mention this, so that you can ensure you knit your cardigan to a length that is right for you. The body length is fully adjustable in this pattern, so whether you prefer a longer, low-hip-hitting extra-cosy cardigan, or a neatly cropped, super-swingy waist-high version of Denys Martin, simply work extra or fewer rows of the chart, and divide for the armscyes at your preferred point (remember to factor in yarn usage / quantities when making such adjustments!)

A model wearing a knitted cardigan with light-on-dark colourwork, striped shirt, and orange beanie, posing with hands behind their head.

I think a cropped or long-length version of this cardigan would both look amazing, and I’ve designed the pattern for maximum simplicity and flexibility, allowing you to make different kinds of length adjustment, just as you wish. You never have to end on a specific chart row, for example, and one of the many interesting things about this chart is the way it looks good when reflected at different points.

A person wearing a knitted cardigan with a light-on-dark pattern, standing with arms outstretched. The person is also wearing an orange knit beanie, and tan pants, with red socks visible.

Maylin grafted her shoulders on a different chart row to me . . .

A person standing by a lake, viewed from behind, wearing a hand-knitted sweater with a light and dark colorwork pattern and a knitted hat, with mountains and clouds in the background.

. . . but I enjoy the look of the pattern matching and mirroring in both cases.

A person wearing a knitted cardigan with a light-on-dark colourwork pattern, viewed from the back. The sweater features a geometric design in white yarn on a navy background, paired with an orange beanie hat.

One thing I am sometimes asked about is the physical effort of knitting allover colourwork at larger gauges. I have quite a relaxed knitting style and personally have no problem with this, but I know that many of you do find this a strain: please look after your hands, and take frequent breaks as and when you need them. The other thing to bear in mind, of course is that a larger gauge means fewer stitches: one of the many things I love about this cardigan is that it knits up very quickly.

Close-up of a knitted cardigan featuring a geometric light-on-dark colourwork pattern in navy blue and white.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing another version of Denys Martin, which is one of my favourite designs in the Knitting Wester Ross collection! I’m really looking forward to seeing what you do with this pattern, which I think will work wonderfully well with many different chunky or bulky weight yarns, and many different palettes.

A model wearing a light-on-dark colourwork cardigan named Denys Martin, featuring a navy blue and white pattern. The model is accessorized with an orange hat, a striped top, and brown pants, with red socks visible.

If you’d like to make this cardigan in the dark-on-light colourway, we have kits in the KDD shop, and we have also added a reverse chart supplement to club members’ Ravelry libraries today. Happy knitting!

Denys Martin pattern on Ravelry

Denys Martin kits in the KDD shop

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