Inspiration
Hello, Jacobs Cardigan!
Dear Kay,
While you’re over there swooning over your Bolin cardigan, I’m knit-purling my way to satisfaction with Norah Gaughan’s Jacobs cardigan. Yep, it’s from that new Field Guide No. 28: Renewal.
I keep thinking about Norah Gaughan in our conversation last week (see it here), how her decades of experience in designing knitwear are distilled into this beautiful, simple cardigan.
The artful details here are what makes this such a joy to knit.
The texture is seed stitch, garter stitch, and stockinette.
The silhouette requires no shaping. You start at the hem, work to the top, then pick up for sleeves and knit to the cuff.
No button bands, just an edge that folds under.
The neckline is very clever, so much so that it looks really simple.
Not gonna lie: I beelined for Jacobs because I have been itching to make a sweater with Jane, our new woolly British yarn.
Deciding which of the 11 colors to use was one of those delectable knitterly moments where you ask yourself, Is this a Marigold moment? Am I Aubergine? Is Scarlet a crazy idea?
I’m going with Shadow, the gray that has a warmth to it that I’m pretty sure will make this a constant companion this winter.
I just have a little bit more to go.
What’s catching your eye, knitters? Have a spin through the lookbook for Field Guide No. 28: Renewal—so curious to hear your thoughts!
Love,
Ann
Hello MDK!
I love this cardigan!
But I don’t see any indication concerning the suggested« ease »..
I need to know before ordering yarn!
Many thanks for your help and once again congrats for your fantastic work!
From Blois, France
With warm regards
Martine
Martine, in the zoom chat with Ann and Kay the designer Norah Gaughan talked about her personal preference for really significant ease (eg 10-12”) but not in relation to this sweater. The pattern sizing comparing Knitted Measurements with “to fit” sizes seem to be recommending between 0-2” of ease for this one. Will check back to read any other answers as I have the same question for myself!
This too is the cardigan that calls so me from Renewal. You’ve chosen one of my “go to” colors, but perhaps this will be the time to step out and into a new color!
I’m with you Ann!
Jacobs is the sweater I want to knit for me. Bolin is, however, one I want to knit as a gift (yes, somebody I love very much!).
I’ve been thinking a LOT about the discussion that appeared after the newsletter launch of Renewal, in which a number of readers expressed their emphatic dislike for dropped shoulders or, maybe, dropped shoulders dislike for them.
I have made several baby sweaters with a construction method that may be an easy modification they can make to these patterns and avoid dropped shoulders! The fronts & back have a very simple straight (not curved) L-shaped sleeve opening (so, bind off X number of stitches & continue knitting in pattern straight up to the shoulder, equal both sides). The sleeve tops are flat. The only question(s) are when & where & how many to bind off for the armholes?
If I were tackling this question, I think I’d start with the sleeves and all you have to do is measure from the top of your shoulder to the desired end point on your arm whether short sleeved, 3/4, full length of something in between. Once you have sleeves that you know are long enough and full enough, then you can measure for the armhole.
NOTE: When you join these pieces, the sleeve seam will only be closed to the under arm leaveing 2 “wings” or corners that will fit into the L-shaped arm hole on the body pieced. That means you leave a few inches “unseamed” at the under arm that will be seamed into the body.
OK, THEN you can measure for the arm hole… When you fold the sleeve in half as if to seam, you can measure the length of the opening you need to leave on the body (e.g. the number of rows down from the shoulder should equal 1/2 the width of the sleeve based on your gauge). The number of stitches IN from the side seam to bind off will depend on how much length you need to leave for the shoulder seam. You can also use the finished sleeve to measure inches but you may want to have a friend for this as I’m trying to picture measuring on myself while holding the sleeve and reaching and and and… yeah, ask a friend to help you with measuring if you choose this method.
Alternatively, you may be able to guestimate the number of body stitches to bind off by just measuring the sleeve. Pin the sleeve seam up to where you think the underarm will meet, pin the top of sleeve to your “shoulder seam” preference (e.g. pin it to whatever shirt you’re wearing at the point where a shoulder seam should fall for you), adjust the sleeve seam opening as needed, and then you can measure the length of one sleeve “wing” from seam end to corner and translate that via your stitch gauge to how many stitches you want to bind off. Because knit stretches, you’ll have a little bit of wiggle room so you don’t need to be exactly exact!
BUT, Nora’s patterns should be fairly easy to modify this way… NO calculating how to shape the curves on the top of the shoulder or on the arm holes in the body pieces! Just straight easy edges!
Voila! No dropped shoulders and all the beauty of Nora’s designs, but suited for those who do not favour dropped shoulders!
I hope this is clear an helps! <3
Never have I wanted to use a wow emoji more!
Ann, you have the sample to try on/ observe. I asked the question during the interview but didn’t get a response: do the turned under facings stay in place when the cardigan is worn?
And I’ve thought of another question. Will the back neck lie flat for someone with a short neck?
This is the one I want to knit, but the above questions have me worried.
I’d love to see a photo of the cardigan with the facings exposed. I have to admit I saw this sweater, liked it, but dismissed it because it looked like the front edge would roll in continually. And that would drive me completely spare. But if it has facings…
I think your color choice was a perfect one.
What color is the sweater that the model is wearing? Is that the “Heather” color of your Jane yarn? It looks so effective in that medley of knits and purls.
Heather, yes.
I’ve had my eye on this since the initial teaser photo introducing Jane! I pledged my yarn money to political causes (Democracy over Dictatorship!!) Sept, Oct, and Nov but am asking for Jane for Christmas specifically to make this sweater. I’m leaning towards peony to brighten up winter which here in the south requires cardigans far more often than pullovers.
It would be great if the Field Guides included more “inside” or “wrong” side pictures to have a better sense of the construction of the pieces. I’m struggling to figure out what the facings would look like for this garment and how I’d like them.
Hi can i plz have this patern
It’s in Field Guide 28. Available here.
I am starting Bolin because I have the Kidsilk Haze and companion that has been worked up twice with results that didn’t make me happy. Bolin will make me happy as it is perfect for the combo with a nice drape.
And JANE is perfect for Jacobs and will be next. Looks so complicated but in reality is simple. Yay! Need to decide on the colorway.
Cheers!
Lovely of you to share
Lovely to share thanks
I’m knitting the Jacobs as well in a gray. The repeat of the pattern becomes so easy to follow. I wanted to make a cardigan with no buttons and the texture of this one is beautiful.