Another test for Irina Anikeeva. I loved this classical and elegant cardigan by first sight, and was happy to be one of the testers. The pattern is easy to follow, with a helpful chart to work the textured pattern.
I have good experience testing for this designer from former tests, and appreciate the always friendly and open minded conversation during the tests.
I’m very happy with the fit of my finished cardigan, it fits me perfectly.

Test thread

Deadline: July 25th, 2025

Final gauge and measurements, after it was washed and laid flat, dry:
Gauge in stockinette: 23 sts and 34 rows. As mentioned below, my stitch gauge is looser, but since the ribbing narrows the width, it comes out with perfect measurements.

• Body circumference: 116 cm (the ribbing pulls the width in and makes it narrower)
• Body length from armhole: 32 cm (slightly shorter due to the ribbing, pulling it up a bit)
• Drop shoulder width: 21.5 cm
• Neck width: 19.5 cm
• Upper sleeve circumference: 35 cm
• Sleeve length: 44 cm

Gauge during the knitting process:
Pattern gauge is actually a bit closer to 25 sts per 10 cm than 26 (as noted in pattern), so my stitch gauge by 24 sts isn’t much off. In addition, the rib does pull a bit in, so the stockinette section should probably be a bit looser than the rib.
Calculations (calculated as stockinette, but in real there are rib sections between the stockinette):
302 sts = 119 cm
1 cm = 302 ÷ 119 = 2,5378151261 sts
10 cm = 25,4 sts
My stitch gauge is 24, while my row gauge is near to pattern gauge (33 instead of 34 rows).
Body gauge unwashed (needle 3.0 mm): 24 sts and 32 rows in stockinette.
Body gauge washed and dry (needle 3.0 mm), while the body circumference is 119 cm as in pattern: 24 sts and 33 rows in stockinette.
Row gauge unwashed is quite near the washed gauge.
10 cm = 33 rows
1 cm = 3,3 rows

Unwashed progress notes for upper fronts and back:
Front: 46 rows = 14 cm
1 row = 0,3043478261 cm
1 cm = 3,2857142857 rows
17, 5 cm = 57,4999999998 rows - so I worked 59 rows for upper back.

For swatching info, see this link.
Text from my swatching page:
Swatch with Addi needle 3.0 mm:
Unwashed ca 27 sts per 10 cm.
Washed (not stretched!): 26 sts and 36 rows per 10 cm.
Washed body of Minimalist Rainbow sweater: 26 sts and 34 rows (with Addi needle 3.0 mm).

Needles:
Main needle: 3.0 mm (Addi)
Smaller needle: 2.5 mm (Karbonz) for garter hem
Bind-off neck/sleeves: 2.25 mm DPN
Bind-off frontbands: 2.0 mm DPN
2.5 mm hook for frontband edges

Yarn amount used - skeins:
(1) 51 g, used up 8 cm from start.
(2) 49 g, used up 18 cm from start.
(3) 49 g, used up 29 cm from start.
(4) 51 g, used for left front and upper back, used up 12 rows from upper back start.
(5) 50 g, of these were 45 g used for upper back (5 g left unused).
(6) 51 g, used for right front, 28 g left after body. 8 g used for neck, 20 g left. Used for frontbands; 13 g used for 1st frontband (7 g left unused, then used for 1st sleeve).
(7) 50 g, 12 g used for buttonhole frontband, 38 g left. Used for 1st sleeve, used up in 2nd reverse stockinette section. 7 g from previous skein used for 1st sleeve, used up at end of 1st sleeve.
(8) 50 g, used for rest of 1st sleeve (53 g used total for 1st sleeve), 42 g left after 1st sleeve - used for 2nd sleeve, used up before last reverse stockinette section.
(9) 50 g, used for rest of 2nd sleeve, 38 g left. 2 g used to fasten the buttons, 36 left unused.
Used total:
51+49+49+51+50+51+50+50+50-5-36 = 410 g total
8.2 skeins = 1361.2 meters (1488.3 yards), 410 grams

Project notes:
Body hem, 5 cm = 26 rows in garter stitch (13 ridges) + cast on row. 1st row after CO is a RS row.

Picked up stich ratio:

• Sleeves pick up stitch ratio is about 3:4 (3 sts out of 4 rows).
• Neck stitch count worked as in pattern.
• For the frontbands, following the early test version’s suggested ratio 5:6, I picked up 5 sts out of 6 sts, unless the garter ridges where I picked up 1 st in every ridge: 138 sts total. Left: 6 (neck)+110+8+14 (hem)= 138 sts
• The ratio for the frontbands was later corrected to the following: “Note: The pick-up ratio on bands is 4 stitches per 5 rows.”

Bind-off and additional crochet edge:
I bound off the frontbands with needle 2.0 mm and Icelandic Bind-off, but it was too loose, so I crocheted 2 slip stitch rows as following, using a 2.5 mm hook:
1) WS: slip stitch in front loops.
2) RS: slip stitch in back loops.
A similar crochet edge was worked at the neck edge.

Buttonband:
Since I had more stitches than the pattern description - 138 sts total - I worked 2 extra buttonholes (9 total), starting and ending with 4 knit sts and 14 knit sts between the ssk and YO.

Sleeve notes:

• Stitch count as in pattern (47×2), ratio 3:4 as mentioned above.
• 24 cm = 80 rows, including the 2 starting rows (ending after 6th rnd from previous dec), and with dec. every 8th rnd.
• Reverse stockinette 8 rnds: dec in 3rd rnd.
• Stockinette 6 rnds: dec in 3rd rnd.
• Reverse stockinette 8 rnds: dec in 5rd rnd.
• Stockinette 6 rnds: dec in 5rd rnd.
• Reverse stockinette 8 rnds: dec in 7rd rnd.
• Plain stockinette 15 rnds, then change to 2.5 mm needle for the cuff.
• Cuff: 19 rnds (18+1).
• Icelandic bind-off with needle 2.25 mm.

Designer notes:
Gauge
26 stitches and 34 rows = 4”/10 cm in Stockinette stitch or charted pattern on larger needles, after blocking.

Survey notes:

What size did you make? Size 4 (L)

What type/weight/brand of yarn did you use (please use the Ravelry link)? https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/du-store-alpakka-mi...

How much yarn did you use (yardage only)? 1488.3 yards
What needle size did you use?
Main needle: 3.0 mm (Addi)
Smaller needle: 2.5 mm (Karbonz) for garter hem
Bind-off neck: 2.25 mm DPN
Bind-off frontbands: 2.0 mm DPN

Were you able to obtain gauge with these?
My final gauge and measurements, after it was washed and laid flat, dry:
Gauge in stockinette: 23 sts and 34 rows. As mentioned before, my stitch gauge is looser than the patternstates, but since the ribbing narrows the width, it comes out with perfect measurements. The pattern states a 26 stitch gauge, but I would suggest to check if this is correct, especially since the ribbing pulls in and narrows the width.

• Body circumference: 116 cm (the ribbing pulls the width in and makes it narrower)
• Body length from armhole: 32 cm (slightly shorter due to the ribbing, pulling it up a bit)
• Drop shoulder width: 21.5 cm
• Neck width: 19.5 cm
• Upper sleeve circumference: 35 cm
• Sleeve length: 44 cm

Did the project come out to the dimensions specified? (please block your item before measuring) - see above, in previous point. Most measurements are as in pattern.