First published in Radåm Issue No. 2 - Dabas vilinājums, in Latvian, in April 2022.

In the warmth of summer, meadows come alive with waving sedges so fragile and tender in their simplicity. The sweet sandalwood flowers delight us with such delicate beauty that it’s hard to spot them amongst other blooms! Nature is remarkable - even something humble can be full of value if you look carefully enough.

Summer always gives new inspiration and motivation for creation like this luxurious sweater: an elegant collar accentuated by lace patterns, braids, tubercles & interesting knots provides a unique take on luxury while still remaining simple enough for evening strolls under the summer sky.

Sweater knitted using fine and soft merino yarn with added silk and cashmere. These fine fibres give the product an exceptionally silky softness and flexibility and ensure body thermoregulation, which is especially important for summer clothes. Cashmere is a very exclusive material for knitting, and you will not regret using it - even a small addition to the yarn gives a special feeling.

Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Finished chest circumference:

• 92.5 (100, 111, 120, 131, 140, 151, 160) cm
• 37 (40, 44¼, 48, 52¼, 56, 60¼, 64)”

Designed to be worn with 10-20 cm / 4-8” ease, to fit chests with circumference:

• 70-80 (80-90, 90-100, 100-110, 110-120, 120-130, 130-140, 140-150) cm
• 28-32 (32-36, 36-40, 40-44, 44-48, 48-52, 52-56, 56-60)”

Yarn: Fingering weight, depending on the length of the top, allow approximately:

• 1110 (1200, 1300, 1400, 1510, 1600, 1730, 1830) m
• 1210 (1310, 1420, 1540, 1650, 1750, 1900, 2000) yds

Yarn used in sample (size 2) is 3 skeins of Dina’s Home of Crafts Merino/Cashmere/Silk 4ply Fingering (400 m / 100 g), Shitake colourway.

Gauge: 26 sts & 34 rows = 10 cm / 4” in Stockinette St in the round after blocking.

Suggested needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) circulars 60 cm / 24” for main fabric

Notions: Stitch markers, crochet hook, row counter, tape measure, tapestry needle, locking stitch markers or bobby pins for Japanese short rows.

Techniques used: Provisional cast-on, lace knitting, knitting in the round, backwards loop cast-on, Estonian braid, knotted k2tog bind-off, making bobbles (3 half-double crochet bobble), Japanese short rows, horizontal i-cord.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Construction notes: As a first step the lace collar is knitted in the round. For it the stitches are cast on using a provisional cast-on and when it is completed, the cast-on is unravelled and the main top is worked in round. The top is worked seamlessly in the round from the top down with a round yoke.