Moonlit Cardigan

Materials:

• RED HEART® Boutique Midnight® (® Art. E786, Available in 2.5 oz (70g), 153 yd (140m) balls): 6 (7, 9, 11, 13) balls 1937 Moonlight
• Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5.5mm [US 9] circular needle, 30” (75 cm) or longer, and 5.5mm [US 9] set of double-pointed needles
• Stitch markers
• stitch holders
• four 2” (50mm) buttons
• yarn needle

GAUGE: 16 sts = 4” (10 cm); 22 rows = 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette st (k on right side, p on wrong side).
CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge.

Directions are for size Small. Changes for sizes Medium, Large, 1X and 2X are in parentheses

Finished Bust: 39 (42½, 47, 51½, 57½)” [99 (108, 119.5, 131, 146) cm], not including front bands
Finished Length: 20½ (21½, 22, 23½, 24)” [52 (54.5, 56, 59.5, 61) cm]


Special Stitches
ssk = Slip next 2 stitches, one at a time, as if to knit to right needle, insert point of left needle through front of sts, knit these sts together through back loop.


Notes

1. The sweater is worked, back and forth in rows, in one piece from lower edge up to underarms. At underarms piece is divided for armholes and fronts and back worked separately.

2. Circular needle is used to accommodate large number of stitches. Work back and forth in rows as if working with straight needles.

3. Sleeves are worked in rounds, using double-pointed needles, directly into the armhole openings.


Moonlit Cardigan Chart

BODY

Beginning at lower edge with circular needle, cast on 155 (169, 187, 205, 229) sts.
Rows 1 and 2: Knit.
Row 3 (right side): K2, *p1, k1; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 4: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows until piece measures 10” (25.5 cm) from beginning, end with a wrong side row.
Work in Stockinette st (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) until piece measures 13” (33 cm) from beginning, end with a wrong side row. Piece is now divided and fronts and back are worked separately.


Right Front
Row 1 (right side): K35 (39, 42, 48, 54), k2tog, k1, slip next 6 (6, 8, 10, 12) sts onto a holder for underarm, slip next 67 (73, 81, 83, 91) sts
onto another holder for back, slip next 6 (6, 8, 10, 12) sts onto another holder for underarm, slip last 38 (42, 45, 51, 57) sts onto another holder for left front—37 (41, 44, 50, 56) sts.
Row 2: P1, p2tog, purl to end of row—36 (40, 43, 49, 55) sts.
Row 3: Knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—35 (39, 42, 48, 54) sts.
Repeat last 2 rows 1 (2, 3, 3, 4) more times—33 (35, 36, 42, 46) sts remain.
Next Row: Purl.


Shape Neck
Row 1 (right side): K1, ssk, knit to end of row—32 (34, 35, 41, 45) sts. Place a marker in first stitch of this row for collar placement.
Row 2: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 17 (19, 19, 23, 24) more times—15 (15, 16, 18, 21) sts.
Bind off.


Back
With right side facing, return the 67 (73, 81, 83, 91) back sts to needle.
Row 1 (right side): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—65 (71, 79, 81, 89) sts.
Row 2: P1, p2tog, purl to last 3 sts, p2tog through back loops, p1—63 (69, 77, 79, 87) sts.
Repeat last 2 rows 1 (2, 3, 3, 4) more times—59 (61, 65, 67, 71) sts remain.
Work even in Stockinette st until back measures same as right front. Bind off

Left Front
With right side facing, return the 38 (42, 45, 51, 57) left front sts to needle.
Row 1 (right side): K1, ssk, knit to end of row—37 (41, 44, 50, 56) sts.
Row 2: Purl to last 3 sts, p2tog through back loops, p1—36 (40, 43, 49, 55) sts.
Row 3: K1, ssk, knit to end of row—35 (39, 42, 48, 54) sts.
Repeat last 2 rows 1 (2, 3, 3, 4) more times—33 (35, 36, 42, 46) sts remain.
Next Row: Purl.


Shape Neck
Row 1 (right side): Knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—32 (34, 35, 41, 45) sts. Place a marker in last stitch of this row for collar placement.
Row 2: Purl.
Repeat last 2 rows 17 (19, 19, 23, 24) more times—15 (15, 16, 18, 21) sts.
Bind off.

Sew shoulder seams.

SLEEVES (make 2)

With right side facing, slip one set of 6 (6, 8, 10, 12) underarm sts onto one double-pointed needle, place a marker at the center of these sts for beginning of round, pick up and k60 (64, 68, 74, 76) sts evenly spaced around armhole and distribute sts evenly onto double-pointed needles - 66 (70, 76, 84, 88) sts. Rounds 1–4: Knit.
Round 5: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1—64 (68, 74, 82, 86) sts.
Repeat last 5 rounds 17 (17, 18, 19, 19) times—30 (34, 38, 44, 48) sts.
Next Round: Purl.
Next Round: Knit.
With 2 strands of yarn held together, bind off as if to purl.
Repeat for other sleeve.

FINISHING

Collar
With wrong side of cardi facing and circular needle (work back and forth in rows), pick up and knit sts evenly spaced across neck edge between markers, picking up one st in the end of each row and in each bound off st. Note: Do not remove markers.
Row 1 (wrong side of collar, right side of cardi): Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Repeat last 2 rows until collar measures 4” (10 cm), end with a right side row.
With 2 strands of yarn held together, bind off as if to purl.

Buttonhole Band
With right side facing, pick up and knit sts evenly spaced across right front edge, picking up one st for every 2 rows and ending at collar marker.
Row 1 (wrong side): Purl.
Place 4 markers across edge for button placement.
Row 2 (buttonhole row): [Knit to marker, bind off 4 sts, cast on 4 sts] 4 times, knit to end of row.
Row 3: Knit.
With 2 strands of yarn held together, bind off as if to purl.


Buttonband
With right side facing and beginning at collar marker, pick up and knit sts evenly spaced across left front edge, picking up one st for every 2 rows.
Row 1 (wrong side): Purl.
Rows 2 and 3: Knit.
With 2 strands of yarn held together, bind off as if to purl.
Sew buttons to buttonband, opposite buttonholes. Weave in ends. Block lightly if desired.