Lace Cardigan

Sizes: 8/10 (US 6/8)

Materials:

Yarn: altogether 300 g (40% Wool, 40% Acrylic, 20% Methanite, 1316 m / 100 g), where 100 g in hyacinth color, 100 g in sapphire colour, 100 g in blue colour; quick knit needles size 3 and 4.5 mm (US 3 and 7), 2 buttons.

Stocking stitch (St st): work RS rows K and WS rows P.

Rib Pattern: alt K1, P1.

Lace Pattern:

Work according to chart. Only RS rows are shown.

On WS rows, work all sts and yos P.

Colour sequence:

Work with 4 strands of yarn held tog as foll: * 30 rows - 2 sapphire-coloured strands, 2 blue-coloured strands; 30 rows - 2 blue-coloured strands, 1 sapphire-coloured strand, 1 hyacinth-coloured strand; 30 rows - 2 blue-coloured strands, 2 hyacinth-coloured strands; 30 rows - 2 blue-coloured strands, 1 hyacinth-coloured strand, 1 sapphire-coloured strand; rep from *.

Gauge:

with 4 strands of yarn held tog in Lace Pattern with 4.5 mm needles: 18 sts and 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm.

Integrally-knitted Right Front, Back and Left Front:

Using 2 sapphire-coloured strands and 2 blue-coloured strands of yarn held tog, cast on 154 sts with 4.5 mm needles and work 4 rows in St st, 1 row P (for turndown), 4 rows in St st.

Cont as foll: 8 sts in Rib Patt, 138 sts in Lace Patt, 8 sts in Rib Patt.

Work 178 rows in colour sequence.

On Row 184 from cast on, switch to 3 mm needles and work 16 rows in Rib Patt.

On Row 188 from cast on, work buttonholes on right side as foll: 4 sts in Rib Patt, K2tog, 2 yo, K2 tog.

On Row 196, work the second buttonhole likewise.

On Row 200, switch to 4.5 mm needles and work in Lace Pattern.

Neckline Shaping: On Row 200 from cast on, bind off at each end 1 st 10 times on every 2nd row and 1 st 4 times on every 4th row as foll: knit 8th and 9th sts together at beg and knit 9th and 8th sts tog at end = 126 sts.

On Row 225 from cast on, divide the work into 3 parts: 28 sts for Right Front, 70 sts for Back and 28 sts for Left Front.

Back:

Armhole Shaping: On Row 225 from cast on, bind off at each end 5 sts once, 2 sts once, 1 st 3 times every other row = 50 sts.

Neckline Shaping: On Row 251 from cast on, bind off center 14 sts and 5 sts once on either side of them.

On Row 255 from cast on, bind off rem 13 shoulder sts.

Right Front:

Armhole Shaping: On Row 225 from cast on, bind off on right side 5 sts once, 2 sts once, 1 st 3 times = 18 sts.

On Row 255 from cast on, bind off 13 shoulder sts. Cont 34 rows in Rib Patt on rem 5 sts of band.

On Row 289 from cast on, bind off rem 5 sts of band.

Left Front: Work in reverse.

Sleeves:

Using 2 sapphire-coloured strands and 2 blue-coloured strands of yarn held tog, cast on 35 sts with 4.5 mm needles and work 4 rows in St st, 1 row P (for turndown), 4 rows in St st.

Cont to work 123 rows in Lace Pattern.

Sleeve Shaping: inc 1 st each side every 10th row 7 times = 49 sts.

Cap Shaping: On Row 129 from cast on, bind off at each end 5 sts once and on every 2nd row 3 sts once, 1 st 8 times, 3 sts once.

On Row 151 from cast on, bind off rem 11 sts.

Finishing:

Sew shoulder seams.

Sew sleeve seams and set in sleeves.

Sew band seam and join to neckline.

Sew bottom and sleeves in place along fold line.

Sew on buttons.