Lopi 18 No. 8 — White Star-Yoke Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Gréta Björk Jóhannesdóttir’s round-yoke cardigan from Ístex’s Lopi 18, knitted in Álafosslopi in sizes S to L: white, with a yoke of oatmeal star shapes and hollow acorn diamonds between two bands of acorn and light beige, a wave border of the same two colours above the ribbed hem and cuffs, ribbed front bands and 6 (7, 7) buttons. The welt is knitted back and forth; the body is then knitted in the round with two purl stitches at the centre front, machine-stitched and cut open, and the bands are sewn on with a facing that folds over the cut edge. One colour version, and every colour is still made by Ístex. Our shop sells a kit for this pattern under the name Snærós.

What you get

• The knitting pattern in English (PDF), emailed right after purchase — nothing is posted
• Three sizes, S to L
• Two charts — the border above the hem and cuffs, and the yoke — with the key
• How to cut the front open, or to knit the cardigan back and forth instead
• Yarn and needles are not included. The kit has this pattern and all the yarn: Snærós

Yarn used in the pattern (not included)

Álafosslopi — 100 g balls · sizes S (M L)
M 0051 white — 6 (7 7)
A 0053 acorn — 1 (2 2)
B 0086 light beige — 1 (1 2)
C 0085 oatmeal — 1 (1 1)

Sizes

Gauge
13 stitches and 18 rows = 10 cm (4″) in stocking stitch on 6 mm needles.

Needles
4.5 mm (US 7) circular needle, 80 cm — for the welt; the front bands and the neckband are knitted on 4.5 mm too
4.5 mm (US 7) double-pointed needles — for the cuffs
6 mm (US 10) circular needles, 40 and 80 cm — for the body, the sleeves and the yoke
By our reading also 6 mm (US 10) double-pointed needles for the sleeves: they change to 6 mm with 42 stitches, about 32 cm round, too few for a 40 cm circular. The pattern’s list leaves them out
The pattern calls a circular needle a “twin pin”

You will also need
The cardigan uses 6 (7, 7) buttons — in the pattern’s list, which gives no size — and stitch holders; it also needs a sewing machine and thread for the stitching before the front is cut, and a tapestry needle for sewing on the bands and grafting the underarms, which the list leaves out. None of these is included.

How it is knitted
The welt is cast on with 139 (145, 151) stitches in white on the 4.5 mm circular and knitted back and forth in K1, P1 rib, with the first and last stitch knitted on every row and a buttonhole at 2 cm, to 6 cm. The 8 stitches at each edge go on holders for the front bands, and the rest are increased to 132 (140, 150). On 6 mm, 2 stitches are cast on at the centre front and purled all the way up, and the body is knitted in the round: a 9-round wave border of acorn and light beige from chart 1, then white to 40 (42, 43) cm. The sleeves are cast on with 30 (30, 32) stitches on 4.5 mm double-pointed needles, ribbed for 6 cm, increased to 42, given the same border on 6 mm with 1 stitch increased at each end of its last round, then increased at both ends of every 8th round, 5 (5, 7) times, to 54 (54, 58) stitches. Body and sleeves are joined for the round yoke — 198 (212, 226) stitches — and the 41-round chart is knitted: the wave band, the white band of oatmeal stars and acorn diamonds, a second band of acorn and light beige between two oatmeal rounds, and acorn rounds near the neck. Decreases in the chart and evenly spaced decrease rounds take it down to 59 (59, 67) stitches; sizes S and M leave out marked rounds — 38 (40, 41) rounds in all. Two rows of machine stitching go up the centre of each purl column, and the pattern says: “Do not cut between the rows of stitching until the button band has been knitted.” Each band is knitted from its 8 held stitches in rib on 4.5 mm, with 3 stitches cast on for a stocking-stitch facing, until it reaches the neckline when slightly stretched; it is sewn on in line with the welt, and the facing is folded over the cut edge on the wrong side and slip-stitched. The buttonhole band matches it. The neckband is knitted back and forth in rib across the bands and the yoke, decreased to 69 (69, 71) stitches: 3 rows, a buttonhole row and 4 more rows; then 8 stitches are cast off at the start of each of the next 2 rows and 9 rows of rib are worked over the rest. It is cast off loosely, folded in half to the inside and slip-stitched. The underarm stitches are grafted and the buttons sewn on.

Design: Gréta Björk Jóhannesdóttir — pattern from Lopi No. 18 (no. 8), Ístex.

How you get it — the pattern is a PDF in English. It is emailed to you right after purchase; nothing is posted.

Yarn — not included. We sell Ístex lopi by the ball in our yarn shop, or choose the kit, which has this pattern and all the yarn in one parcel.

No email? Check your spam folder, then write to support@icelandicstore.is with your order number. A person answers, Monday to Friday.