When I saw Britt-Marie’s new sweater design during a Shibui event on zoom, I knew it would be a part of my wardrobe! Cara is a relaxed fit sweater knit in Shibui Twig. The combination of linen, recycled silk and merino make for a lovely fabric. It has amazing drape while still remaining crisp.
Cara has big bold stripes that look great in either neutral colors, like my Suit and Bone version, or in bright colors like Lotus and White. The sweater is slightly cropped, something I usually change, but I really like it. It makes it look summery and swingier (Is that a thing?) It looks great with jeans, but it would equally cute over a dress or a cute pair of white pants.
Right now, I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands, so I asked a friend to knit a shop sample for us. Linda is a beautiful and very experienced knitter, and I could not be happier with the finished sweater.
Linda suggested that you knit the swatch in the lighter color. More of the darker color is used in the sweater so that should help you avoid any "yarn chicken" scenarios. That said, you always have your swatch if you run into trouble for any project!
Linda used metal needles and she got gauge on the recommended size 3 needle. If you are someone who tends to knit a bit tighter, you might want to start your gauge swatch on a size 4 needle. When you block your swatch, please note that Twig tightens up when wet, so be a bit more aggressive on blocking before you measure your swatch and when you block your finished garment.
If you would like to lengthen your sweater you might want to do a bit of planning. For some additional length, you can add a couple of rows to each stripe. Britt-Marie says if you want to add even more length, you can add another stripe and finish off with the lighter color. You do want to make sure the bottom stripe is a bit wider as it balances out the sweater. In the pattern the bottom stipe is 4 rows longer than the other stripes.
Cara is a perfect summer sweater and I hope you enjoy wearing yours as much as I do, mine!
Britt-Marie in her Cara pullover.