Valenzi Cardigan by Mary Jane Mucklestone

Valenzi Cardigan

Knitting
September 2013
Aran (8 wpi) ?
18 stitches and 18.5 rows = 4 inches
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 8 - 5.0 mm
US 7 - 4.5 mm
1600 - 2800 yards (1463 - 2560 m)
39 (11 1/4, 49 1/2)" (99 [112.5, 125.5] cm) bust circumference with 4" (10 cm) front bands overlapped
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Inspired by two thick colorwork sweaters from my teenage years—one Cowichan (from the native people of a valley in western Canada) and the other Mexican—I designed a wrap reminiscent ofthe easy comfort I remember in those roomy sweaters. I chose a local yarn that is minimally processed in natural sheep shades and employed one of the clever shading techniques characteristic of Fair Isle knitting—“peaks,” or solid diamond shapes that shade into a wide central area to provide a solid background for a varicolored pattern motif. Worked in rounds with steek stitches that are cut for the center front and sleeves, the pattern is simple to follow and fun to knit!