When I first saw the ‘living in lace’ mood board for this issue of Knitty, I was immediately inspired. I adore lace. Seeing a book of Victorian-inspired lace knitting patterns was one of my first draws to this craft. I’ve always loved historical fashion, and the way garments and textiles tell a story.

Lace can be anything you want it to be. An all over pattern, a panel, a hemline, a neckline, a simple repeat, or complex motifs, the choices are endless! In my opinion, one of the best things about lace is its versatility. There’s another thing that lace knit stitches remind me of: feathers. Strong, yet ethereal, the feathers of beautiful birds are so inspirational. For the Kingfisher sweater, I looked to my feather and lace inspiration, paired with a striking color combination of blue and white.

A two-color rib is worked along the hem of the sweater, which then transitions into a dainty stranded colorwork motif that is reminiscent of the silhouette of birds. Then you transition into the main lace panel where yarn overs, decreases, and bobbles dance along the surface creating a feather inspired lace. A square-shaped neckline offsets some of the more feminine details and gives a modern touch. The sleeves have a dramatically long cuff in two-color rib, and a smaller version of the lace panel is worked along the bishop-shaped length. Finally, a saddle shoulder is worked to perfectly echo the shape of the square neck. Whether you pair this pullover with a casual pair of jeans or dress it up for a night out, I can guarantee this sweater is one you will wear often.

The Kingfisher Sweater is knit using Rozetti Yarns Nymph. This yarn is a DK-weight chainette-style blend of 84% cotton and 16% polyamide. It has a silky soft feel and lovely halo that I think wonderfully compliments the inspiration of feathers. Nymph comes in a broad palette of 15 colors ranging from soft pastels to jewel tones, with both warm and cool shades available. The cotton base makes this a great 3-season yarn choice, and also perfect for anyone who may be sensitive to animal fibers.

SIZE
XS (S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest circumference at underarm: 30.25 (33.75, 37.5, 41, 44.75, 48.5, 52, 55.75, 59.25, 63) inches / 77 (85.5, 95.5, 104, 113.5, 123, 132, 141.5, 150.5, 160) cm
Length From Shoulder: 20 (20.5, 21, 22, 22.5, 23, 24, 24.5, 25, 25.5) inches/ 51 (52, 53.5, 56, 57, 58.5, 61, 62, 63.5, 65) cm

MATERIALS
Yarn
Rozetti Yarns Nymph 84% cotton, 16% polyamide; 50g/125yds
MC 109 Secret Garden; 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) skeins;
CC 113 Swan; 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5) skeins

Yarn Characteristics
Nymph is a unique, dk-weight chainette yarn that blends 84% cotton and 16% polyamide. The polyamide fibers are blown through the hollow-core cotton base, giving this yarn a silky-soft texture and feathery halo. Alternatively, any smooth, round dk-weight yarn with good stitch definition will make a suitable substitute. To use an alternative yarn while maintaining the halo shown in the sample, you may choose to hold a laceweight strand of mohair or alpaca together with your chosen yarn for a similar effect.

Recommended needle size
always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter’s gauge is unique
Needle A: US #6/4mm preferred needles for knitting flat
Needle B: US #7/4.5 mm preferred needles for knitting flat

Notions
stitch markers
yarn holders or waste yarn
yarn needle

GAUGE
22 sts x 26 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in Two Color Rib patt with needle B
22 sts x 26 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in Lace Panel with needle A
22 sts x 26 rows = 4 inches/10 cm In Little Feathers patt with needle B

PATTERN NOTES
Knitty’s list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.

This sweater is knit flat in pieces, working from the bottom up. Two colors of yarn are used for the ribbed hem and a small colorwork section, and then the main color is used for the body. The sleeves are knit flat and seamed to the body using mattress stitch, and the neck edging is picked up and worked in the round after seaming.

In this pattern, you will be working a colorwork pattern flat. Please take care to carry floats across the WS of the work throughout. I recommend placing stitch markers on either side of the main Lace Panel for the Front/Back and Sleeves while working.