There’s something about a shawled cardigan that brings out the romantic in me: visions of Victorian heroines prowling grassy heaths and windswept moors abound. But here my romantic heroine goes modern with a little bohemian stirred into the mix. In this tale, she knits herself a caped cardigan suitable for casual weekends or for an extra layer of textury warmth, thinking to herself that she might meet a new love wearing such a garment or, better still, learn to be content in her own company.

The design is knit in a textury mix of DK-weight yarns on size 5mm/US8 needles in a play of seed, garter, and simple openwork stitches sprinkled with bobbles. Choose the bolero-shaped version or the longer, hip-skimming, rendition. Sizes for the longer version go from small to bodacious (up to size 56 in hip, suitable for plus sizes). The gauge is 4 inches and 5 rows per inch, which will vary according to yarn choice.

One of many possible yarn recipes for this creation lies in the combination of highly-textured yarns balanced by plainer fare but even if you use ‘plain’ wool, the bobbles alone will pop your sweater into the textural zone. If you’re a yarn addict who has long been hoarding similar hues of different yarns, here’s your design. I’m impassioned by goldy greens and toasted browns tinged with mustard so I had quite a collection in which to dive.

If you’re after the autumn grasses colorway, consider purchasing a hank of a multi-textured, multi-fiber yarn, like Prism Light Stuff, which contains all the needed textured elements. You can also collect a few tufted, flagged, and eyelash yarns to mix with plain yarn for a similar effect. Consider also one of those inventive new handspun creations now available by indie yarn producers, which often come with rich textural inclusions built into the mix. Aim for thinner fair recommended for a maximum size of 5mm/US8 needles to avoid too much bulk and keep the occasional bulky ribbon to a minimum.

I’ve put together a yarn list in the wheat gold/brown color family that won’t require a trek to the far reaches of the universe. In fact, all but the Habu Textiles yarns are available through Yarnmarket.com.

• Note: Though this design is more structured than my usual fare, free-range knitting (which uses multiple yarns across various stitches) is non-traditional by definition and has a loose fit. Release your sense of adventure and exploration here, part of the territory in free-range knitting.

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