Amikihia Knits - Forest Walking Cardigan

Forest Walking is a saddle shoulder cardigan with gathers on the fronts flowing down to a softly A-line body. The two saddles are worked, then the back is picked up and worked down to the bottom of the armhole with shaping. The fronts are picked up along the saddles and increases worked to form the gathers, with no shaping down to the armhole until under the arm is cast on. The body is joined and worked down in stockinette with some increases through the back for the A-line then a section of lace representing the forest is worked, before being finished with a small garter hem. The sleeves are picked up and a short row sleeve cap is worked before the bracelet length sleeve is worked down with decrease shaping and finished with a small rib cuff. Finally, the whole front and neck band is picked up and worked in garter stitch with button holes before being bound off.

Forest Walking is part of the “Memories” group of patterns along with Sky Watching cardigan (Nov 2021) and Sea Listening Sweater and Sea Listening hat (Sep 2021).

Sizing
Forest Walking is intended to be worn with 1 – 3” / 2.5 – 7.5 cm of ease across the back and 2- 4” / 5 – 10 cm ease in the upper arm. Therefore, there will be extra ease across the front of the bust due to the gathers. To work out which size to knit, take your usual bust measurement, and then knit the next size up from this, which will then give you the recommended ease. For example, if your actual bust circumference is 38” / 96 .5 cm you would knit the 40” / 101 cm size garment which would give you 2” / 5 cm of ease across the back, 3” / 7.5 cm in the upper arm and 4” / 10 cm extra ease (6” / 15cm total) across the front.

Needles and Notions
US 4 / 3.5 mm circular needle 32” / 80 cm long and for small circumference knitting.
US 3 / 3.0 mm circular needles 32” / 80 cm long and for small circumference knitting.
Adjust needle size as needed to obtain correct gauge.
Circular stitch markers, tapestry needle, stitch holder, and waste yarn.
6 x buttons ½” / 1 cm in diameter.

Yarn – please note these yarn amounts are estimates
Yarn Floozy – Savant base 50% merino and 50% silk 400 m / 438 yds per 100 gm skein in colour Sodalite 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) skeins required
If substituting yarn you will need approximately: 1006 (1120, 1235, 1347, 1492, 1737, 1880, 2040, 2220, 2384) yds / 920 (1024, 1130, 1188, 1314, 1456, 1589, 1720, 1866, 2030, 2180} metres

When choosing yarn, it is important there is strength in the yarn to hold the gathers. The sample is worked in a merino / silk blend which does not easily break; a merino / nylon would also be suitable. The garment is designed to drape and therefore again, consider a yarn with this property to enhance the flow.