I’ve always been extremely fond of fancy cables and saddle shoulders, ever since the earliest days of my knitting obsession, when I was a college student and found Alice Starmore’s classic book Aran Knitting. As a young knitter in the mid-1990s, there weren’t many other knitters my age so I largely learned knitting techniques from books. The great thing about learning this way was that I didn’t have anyone telling me that cables (or stranded colorwork, or lace) was hard, so I fearlessly dove into Ms. Starmore’s world of beautifully intertwining Celtic knots.

This cardigan marries traditional cable patterns with mostly-seamless construction techniques that many knitters favor today; the only seaming required is joining the saddles to the shoulders. It is worked from the bottom up, with the body and sleeves worked separately, then joined for the yoke. After the shoulders are bound off, the cable panels from the sleeves are continued for a few inches, which become the decorative shoulder saddles. These saddles are seamed to the shoulders on the front and back, and then a generous garter stitch collar is worked.

SIZE
For women’s garments: XS (S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
shown in size M with 4 inches/10 cm of ease


FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest/Bust (closed): 36.5 (41, 45.5, 50, 54.5, 59, 63.5, 68, 72.5) inches/ 92.5 (104, 115.5, 127, 138.5, 150, 161.5, 172.5, 184) cm
Length: 19.75 (20.5, 20.75, 21.25, 21.75, 22.25, 22.75, 23.25, 23.75) inches/ 50 (52, 52.5, 54, 55.5, 56.5, 58, 59, 60.5) cm

Note: Collar overlaps approximately 2.5 inches/6.5 cm. Bust measurement listed takes the overlap into account.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Berroco Arno (57% Cotton, 43% Merino Wool; 159 yd/145 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein); color: #5060 Sangria; 8 (9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 14) skeins

Recommended needle size
always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter’s gauge is unique
One 7 US/4.5mm circular needle, 32-inch/80-cm length
One set US 7 US/4.5mm double-pointed needles (or preferred needle for working small circumferences in the round)
Notions
cable needle, yarn needle, stitch markers (ideally in two colors), waste yarn to hold stitches