This is a pattern from my book, Lovely Lace Knits.

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Samara is my favorite wardrobe staple. It’s easy to wear over a t-shirt, paired with jeans, or over a dress. It keeps me warm when it’s cold outside, and during spring and autumn days, I can wear it instead of a jacket. It’s also incredibly cozy, and because I made mine with merino wool knit together with a strand of mohair, it has such a soft texture—I could live in it all day long. And there’s more: it looks good! When it’s open, it flows around the body smoothly. When it’s fastened, it has a flattering fit, with a soft V shaped opening, some positive ease around the bust and arms, subtle waist shaping and a little more ease around the hips. The front is embellished by a lace pattern that reminds me of samaras, those little flying seeds that are just one more expression of the perfection of nature. This lace pattern, which is surprisingly easy to knit, is placed at the front, forming lace panels at each side of the opening. I bet that Samara will become one of your favorite garments, too!

Construction
This cardigan is worked seamlessly from the top-down. The back collar is worked first, and stitches are picked up along its edge. Raglan shaping starts from those stitches, working the fronts, sleeves and back at the same time. The lace panels are introduced progressively until they have achieved their whole width, and continue on the body. When the raglan shaping is done, the sleeve stitches are put on hold and the body is worked in one piece. Waist shaping and buttonholes are worked while knitting the body, which ends with a long section of ribbing. The sleeve stitches are then put back on the needles. They are worked in the round, with decreases evenly spaced to achieve the proper wrist circumference, where a ribbed cuff is worked.

Skill Level
Intermediate

Sizes
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8) (9, 10, 11, 12)

Finished bust:
39.25 (40.75, 43.25, 45, 47) (49.5, 53, 55.75) (59.25, 62, 64.75, 68.25) inches / 99.5 (103.5, 110, 114.5, 119.5) (125.5, 134.5, 141.5) (150.5, 157.5, 164.5, 173.5) cm

Recommended ease: To be worn with pprox. 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) of positive ease. Pick a size larger than your bust circumference.
Sample shown is knit in size 1, worn with 5.25 inches (13.5 cm) of ease.

Yarn
One strand of sport weight and one strand of laceweight mohair are held together in this sweater

Sport weight, Malabrigo Arroyo (100% Merino Wool), 335 yds (306 m) per 100-g skein
Laceweight, Valley Yarns Southampton (72% Mohair 28% Silk), 230 yds (210 m) per 25-g skein

Yardage / Meterage
1032 (1075, 1159, 1225, 1271) (1362, 1485, 1606) (1723, 1840, 1929, 2029) yds /
944 (983, 1060, 1120, 1162) (1245, 1358, 1469) (1576, 1682, 1764, 1855) m
Of each yarn

Shown In
Malabrigo Arroyo Sand Bank (4 4, 4, 4, 4 6, 6, 6, 7 skeins)
and
Valley Yarns Southampton Mauve (5 5, 6, 6, 6 8, 8, 9, 9 balls)

The same gauge can be achieved with one strand of worsted weight yarn.