Back Cove is a design built directly into CustomFit, which means that each Back Cove pattern is written specifically to your choice of gauge and size. I recommend using yarns at a DK-light worsted weight for adults, and sport weight for chilren, to preserve the width of the cable panels.

Back Cove is one of the three designs I created for the fall 2016 make. wear. love. retreat this year. It’s a classic, unisex, cabled cardigan with a trim i-cord button band - and a perfect match for chilly fall weather. Back Cove features simple-to-knit but intricate-looking basketweave cables on the front and back. The sleeves, hem, and mock turtleneck are trimmed with a classic 2×2 ribbing, and the cardigan is closed with a tidy i-cord edge.

To ensure that the cable panels don’t overlap with any shaping, and preserve the unisex nature of the design, Back Cove patterns will have no waist shaping.

Since it’s built directly into CustomFit, your Back Cove pattern will be created specifically to your choice of gauge and size. Swatch in reverse stockinette, and CustomFit will automatically adjust stitch counts to accommodate the width-shrinkage cables produce. I worked the sample up in Green Mountain Spinnery’s luscious Alpaca Elegance, in the “Ceylon” colorway, and I highly recommend this soft, durable blend for this cardigan (and many others). For a standard size 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)’’ sweater you’ll need approximately 7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 13) hanks. My sweater, an extra-long 42’’ garment, used 10 hanks.

Cabled designs in CustomFit are intermediate – advanced level, for two reasons: First, explicit set-up instructions are given for the cable panels only; you will be responsible for managing any partial repeats of ribbing outside the cable panels. Finally, more care is required than typical for CustomFit in your choice of yarn. The cable panels are fixed in their stitch counts (64 stitches on the back of the garment, 36 on each of the fronts), so I strongly suggest using a DK-light worsted weight yarn for your project. This will ensure a similar sized cable panel to the garment shown.

And one more note on yardage – while I’ve given approximate quantities for standard size sweaters, CustomFit will make Back Cove in teh size and gauge of your choice. And it’s pretty tough to give yardage requirements for any possible combination! If you’re not using the recommended yarn, and/or you’re not a standard size, I recommend Hannah Fettig’s amazing app, stashbot, to get a sense of your yardage requirements.

You can find a chart for the cables by clicking here.