In 2010, I designed a coat to go along with the Stitch Anatomy article on smocking. I have never been happy with that coat as I was talked into using a yarn which was too heavy for the design. This long sweater is more what I had in mind. I used a much lighter weight yarn to give me the drape I wanted. I changed the silhouette a bit by adding width to the skirt portion and overlapped the fronts. Instead of a smocked stitch pattern, I used a smocked cabled pattern and added a border to the bottom as well. This project was an exercise in dealing with the differences in gauge between stockinette stitch and the cables. My many “Designer Notes” will explain the series of increases or decreases which are required to ensure the fabric matches up before and after the cable panels. The bottom of the sweater or “skirt” is shorter and fuller than the original.

Take care when selecting a size. The fronts overlap and the finished measurements reflect that. I recommend checking the schematics for the width of the back. There is close to 6” difference between the sizes. The finished chest measurements for the seven provided sizes range from 30.75” to 66.75”.

The cabled sections are separated from the stockinette stitch by horizontal chain stitches. I am finding that I am including this technique in everything I design!