Birgitte Cardigan

Birgitte is a traditional Norwegian Kofte with dropped shoulders, and colorwork throughout. It has a vertical button band and a very Norwegian way of hiding the steek. I love the Nordic allover colorwork patterns that are bold yet neutral at the same time. Birgette is dashingly geometric with a subtle hint of spring. There is just something about winter that makes me yearn for flowers. I think knitting flowers is like weaving hope into every single stitch. The flower pattern is intuitive and easy to memory and a joy to knit. Watching colorwork grow effortlessly on your needles without glancing at the chart is like magic, and addictive. The button band is cast on with the ribbing, and after the waistband is complete the stitches for the button bands are placed onto holders to be worked after the steek is cut. Most of the sweater is worked in the round, but the shaping for the neckline is worked back and forth. The sleeves are worked separately. Tailor-measured steeks are measured and then cut for the armscye. The sleeves are sewn into place. Next the button bands are double knit with facing to cover the steek, then handsewn into place. Buttons are sewn on. Finally, the neckband is knit, folded down and secured to the inside of the cardigan.

Materials
Yarn: CYCA #2 (Sport) Järbo 2 Tr Ull (100 % Pure Wool Yarn; 300 m/ 100 g)
Yarn Amounts:
MC: White 74103 220 (250, 280, 330, 365, 380, 420, 440, 490, 530, 550) grams or approx. 690 (750, 840, 990, 1095, 1140, 1260, 1320, 1470, 1590, 1650) meters
CC Sky Blue 74137: 210 (230, 280, 300,350, 380, 410, 450, 480, 500) grams or approx. 630 (690 ,840, 900, 1050, 1140, 1230, 1350, 1440, 1500) meters
Needles: 3- and 3.75-mm circular needles in 80 cm/100 cm for the body, 3 mm set of 5 double pointed needles for the cuff and 3.75 mm set of DPNs and 40 cm circulars for the sleeves.
Adjust needle size as necessary to obtain correct gauge.
Notions: 7 Buttons (approx. 2 cm/ 3/4 -inch in diameter). Stitch markers, tapestry needle, tape measurer, scissors, needle to sew the steek by hand or sewing machine.

Gauge and swatch:
24 Stitches x 24 rows in St st in colorwork on larger needles = 10 x 10 cm

Sizes:
S (M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4 XL, 5XL)
Finished measurements:
Chest: 38 (42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66) inches or approx. 95 (105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165) cm
Sleeve length: 19 (19, 19, 19, 19, 19, 21.5, 21.5) inches or 48.5 (48.5,48.5, 48.5, 48.5, 48.5, 54.5, 54.5) cm
Body length: 22.5 (22.5, 22.5, 22.5, 25, 25, 25, 25) or 57 (57, 57, 57, 63.5, 63.5, 63.5, 63.5) cm

Skills used to make Brigitte

Longtail cast on
Knitting in the round
Knit
Purl
Knitting in stranded colorwork
Ssk
K2tog
A bit of purling in standed colorwork
Steek prep and cutting for the cardigan and sleeves
Double knitting
Picking up and knitting stitches
Bind off
Mattress Stitch
Whipstitch
Increasing stitches in colorwork
Backward loop
Chart reading