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Touchstone Cardigan is an easy fitting drop sleeved sweater with vintage vibes and casual style. The body has a repeated stripe pattern with occasional rows of easy slipped stitch mosaic colorwork for added texture. I designed this cardigan to be an engaging and relatively quick project with Plied Yarn Penn Ave, a heavy worsted woolen spun yarn that knits up beautifully at 4 sts per inch.

I originally dreamed up this cardigan to be my holiday sweater, using the classic Emerald (MC), Red (CC1) and Natural (CC2) Primary colors of Plied Yarns. Another sample followed in any-time-of-year colors, Black Panther Twist (MC), Wineberry Twist (CC1) and Fuchsia Primary (CC2).
Play with color combinations! The Main Color is used throughout the body and for sleeves and ribbings. Contrast Color 1 is used in smaller amounts than Contrast Color 2, and both are used throughout the body stripe pattern.

This sweater is worked in the round from the bottom to the underarms, then separated to work the back and fronts in rows. Basic short rows shape the shoulders, 3 needle bind off is used for a visible join, neckband ribbing is added with picked up stitches, and sleeves are knit in the round from picked up stitches around the arm hole opening.

Finally, the sweater is steeked down the center of the front. Cast on includes 5 steek stitches, and you can use the method of your choice for reinforcing and cutting open the sweater. Then button bands are added from picked up stitches and you can finish the inside of the bands by hand stitching ribbon over the steek selvedge for a tidy look.

This could be your first steeking project, so do not be intimidated by that technique! A link for tutorial is included in the pattern, there are readily available videos and books on the topic, and many local yarn stores offer help sessions for knitting projects, if you are able to access that service. Until needing to steek at the end, the making of the sweater is otherwise very typical intermediate level knitting.

Sizing: Finished body circumference measurements are 41” (45”, 49”, 53”)(57”, 61”, 65”, 69”) and it is recommended that you wear this sweater with 4” or more positive ease.
Length from hem to underarm is 12” for all sizes and can be adjusted (notes for body modifications are included in the pattern).

Yarn Requirements:
Plied Yarn Penn Ave skeins per size: Main Color/Contrast Color 1/Contrast Color 2
7/1/2 (8/1/2, 9/1/2, 9/1/2) (10/2/2, 10/2/2, 11/2/2, 11/2/2)
approximate yards: 715/75/125 (805/80/130, 865/90/140, 925/100/150) (1002/115/160, 1035/130/175, 1100/140/190, 1158/155/210)

Many thanks to my wonderful test knitters, on Ravelry as srylo (Susan) and LesKnits13 (Leslie). You are amazing!

Yarn generously supplied by Plied Yarns.

Photography by my son Ethan and daughter in law Emily, my go-to creative team, who make every photo presentation so fun and memorable.