An Ceàrdach

Happy new year! Here’s a second-of-January surprise for Wester Ross club members.

This is An Ceàrdach (the smithy)

Featuring the same industrial motif as the Red Smiddy socks, An Ceàrdach is a cosy allover pullover, knitted from the bottom up.

After I’d finished the Red Smiddy sample socks, I decided to whip up a swatch to see how the rather industrial, modernist motif I’d used would look when it was knitted in two alternating contrast shades, rather than just the one.

I chose the Faded Overalls (navy) and Mooring (dull grey-green) shades of Schiehallion for the pattern, and the Riach shade of Ooskit for the background. I liked how the swatch looked very much and before I knew it, I was knitting a pullover.

I’m wearing my sample with just over 4 inches of positive ease and a couple of layers underneath. With a stranded colourwork pullover, this amount of ease is ideal for a fairly neat fit: knit the next size up for a roomier, boxier fit. I settled on a very simple, roomy sleeve shape, whose only increases occur just above the cuff. If you preferred your sleeves to have a more tailored, tapered fit, and are happy increasing in pattern, simply add fewer stitches above the cuff, and space out your increases to any total that’s a multiple of 10.

The upper body is shaped with sharp raglan lines and centred-double-decreases.

The decorative braid is created by alternating the shade used to work the decrease’s central stitch with each new row. I’ve used the same technique previously when knitting Clanjamfrie and liked it very much. I think I like it even better here with the two different pattern shades alternating with the background.

If you’ve knitted a pair of Red Smiddy socks, you’ll know how satisfying this motif is to work. It’s a pattern you barely need to think about after a couple of repeats, and there’s something interesting and unusual about knitting colourwork with no diagonals: this pattern is all about sharp corners.

Close-up, I find the vertical rhythms of this motif very satisfying, while from further away, its horizontal continuity is equally pleasing.

The two green-blue contrast shades merge in and out of one another: not quite stripes, not quite a fade. I think the pattern would also work really well when knitted with a pale pink and darker purple; or two proximate hot reds and oranges.

I’ve graded An Ceàrdach in eight sizes (from 92 cm / 36¼ in to 157cm / 62¾ in), and the pattern is easy to adapt for longer body lengths, if you are not as much of a fan of the high-waisted styles as I am. (You will need to do a little forward planning to ensure you end the sleeves and body on the same chart round before joining together into the yoke).

A super-cosy fabric and a neat yet roomy shape make An Ceàrdach an ideal January knit!

An allover sweater is probably my favourite type of hand-knit garment but if you are more of an accessory knitter, why not adapt the An Ceàrdach chart and apply it to a tubular colourwork cowl or pair of wristwarmers?

We’ve got An Ceàrdach kits in the shop, in all sizes and if you are a Wester Ross club member, the pattern will land in your Ravelry Library or inboxes very shortly.

Happy knitting and – one more time – happy new year!

Wester Ross club members: the club officially begins again on Friday 9th, when you’ll receive your next pattern, followed by the Sunday essay.