Keep it Simple with This Ribbed Cardigan

My love of cardigans is well documented, and I think I’m about to add another one to my must-knit list. While sometimes I love some good colorwork or fancy techniques, sometimes it is awesome to keep it simple. Summer, for instance, but really pretty much any time when you’re feeling like there’s a little too much going on and you need a bit of comfort from your knitting.

And if you can knit something that will give you even more comfort as the weather gets cooler, so much the better.

Enter the Leruo cardigan from Noma Ndlovu. This pretty little cropped, ribbed, V-neck, open front cardigan is worked in one piece from the top town and includes raglan shaping for a comfy fit. To add sleekness to the open fronts, the edgings are worked in double knitting for a smooth stockinette look that doesn’t curl.

The rest of the body and sleeves are worked in 2 by 2 ribbing, so it should be a pretty quick and easy project and even great travel knitting if you’re planning to do any of that this year.

As shown, the length is a bit cropped but you can always add a little length depending on how you plan to wear it. The suggested yarn is wool, but if you made it in a cotton blend, for example, the shorter length would be perfect for wearing over sun dresses. Add a little length (for me, anyway) and it’s perfect for layering in the cooler months.

However long you make it, the pattern comes in 10 sizes with finished bust measurements ranging from 34 to 60.75 inches, or 86.5 to 154.5 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 0-4 inches, or 0-10 cm, of positive ease, and the fronts don’t meet in the middle so there’s a wide range of fit options built into those sizes.

You can grab the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

Knit a Super Cozy Boxy Cardigan

A Lovely Cardigan to Knit for Summer

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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