When Dawne Wimbrow, the owner of Lofty Fibers, gave a presentation at our 2023 retreat in Charlotte, she mentioned that she would like a designer for a long, lace weight, linen cardigan. I accepted the challenge and Linaceae is the result.

The skill level for this design is Easy, but this cardigan requires stamina and is well worth it. It took more time than I anticipated to knit and finish. Since items worked in linen only get better over time, I wanted a simple, classic silhouette that can be a wardrobe staple for many years to come. That knowledge makes the time spent worth it. The cardigan is wider at the bottom. Stockinette stitches between the lace eyelets are gradually decreased to the chest measurement.

Dawne advised that linen is easier to work with if it is coned. I couldn’t agree more. This softened the fiber considerably. I recommend ordering the yarn in cones. An added benefit is that you don’t need to join new yarn so there are fewer yarn tails to weave in.

Take care when selecting a size. For Sizes XS, M, 1X, 3X and 5X, the fronts overlap due to the pattern multiple and the finished measurements reflect that. I recommend checking the schematics for the width of the back when selecting a size. The finished chest measurements for the 10 provided sizes range from 32.25” to 67.25”. The measurements for the back range from 16.75” to 33.75”.