The time has come to show you the first of my new design, the fitted pullover Saxi with a cowl knitted in Donegal Yarns, Donegal Tweed (also called Soft Donegal) 3.8/1nm discovered at The Handweavers Studio in London. The design itself began its life as a submission for the Winter 2020 issue of the magazine Pom Pom Quarterly. As it was not accepted, I put it aside for awhile, until I found the perfect Donegal Tweed yarn!
I have combined two cable patterns and one textural pattern, all used in different patterns in the past: The center cable is from my Cable Round Sweater, while the Honeycomb pattern is from my Neva vest and the check pattern is from Yaelle. The cowl has cables from the Cable Round pattern all around.
Saxi is a fitted cabled pullover that ends in an I-cord crown around the crew neckline. The play of texture begins with the round cable shape mirrored in the honeycomb pattern and continues with purl bands in all the stitch patterns. The squareness of the check pattern offers a contrast to the cable and ends the texture in the side of the pullover. Named Saxi after the Saxon in Norse is this sweater knitted in the Donegal Tweed yarn. A cowl crowns the pullover and can be worn folded as a high collar or as a headband.
The pullover is knitted in pieces and seamed using a 3.25 mm/US 3 needle and a 24 stitches and 34 rows gauge. The neckband is worked in the round. Stitches are picked up and knitted from the first round of the neckband for the I-cord bind off decoration. The cowl is knitted in the round and can be worn folded double as a high collar, see above, or standing high, see below.
I have graded the pattern into sizes XS to 5XL, with a bust circumference of 85 to 159 cm/33.5 to 62.5″. In these photos taken by Michael in our back garden I wearing size S with a 4 cm/1.5″ positive ease.
The test knit will begin on the 23rd of August, as the first of my new designs to be test knitted this Autumn. But long before that I will show you how stunning model Aksa Mortensen looked in this pullover, photographed by Eivind Røhne.
