This all over colourwork cardigan is knitted with all 12 colours of Birlinn Yarns lovely 4-ply (fingering) weight yarn that were available in 2020. (Another colour has now been added to the range!) I couldn’t decide which colour I liked best so I got one of each and decided to use them all. I have tried to represent the landscape of the Hebrides in knitting. The cardigan requires two balls of peaty brown, two balls of Haar and one ball of each of the other ten colours for the first size. Additional balls of some colours will be needed for the larger sizes.
I knitted this jacket for me. I am tall and skinny but I like my cardigan to have plenty of ease. The cardigan actual bust size is 39 inches, sleeve length 19 inches and yoke depth about 7 inches. Larger sizes bust 45 and 51 inches. This pattern is provided as a description of what I did. I have only knitted the first size. Larger sizes are offered “as is” and feedback is welcome.
The cardigan is knitted in the round with a centre front steek. This yarn is ideal for steeking as it is lovely and sticky. The sleeves are knitted in the round then sleeves and body are joined to form a yoke. Short rows are used after shaping the yoke to provide some extra height at the back neck. After cutting the steek, button and buttonhole bands are added.
The buttons I used were a present from my mum. I think natural wood or horn buttons would work well, or even coconut buttons although they are not very Hebridean!
updated 9/6/21 to correct stitch counts on sleeves of second size
updated 22/5/21 to make charts clearer to follow and further corrections to yoke chart.
updated 16/5/2021 to include additional sizes and to correct errors on the yoke chart, with other minor corrections.