The time has come to show you the first of my four new designs made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in their lovely Ask yarn, Ekilana. The yarn kit is already available directly from their website ull.no, while the test knit of the pattern begins on the 13th of March in my Ravelry group. Named Ekilana, a female name from Greenland, is this oversized poncho styled sweater with a central cable panel and a high collar. Small cables play on a striped textural background, with stockinette stitches in the sides. The sleeves are worked in stockinette stitch in the round, to allow the cables to shine. Ekilana is worked in pieces for the ultimate fit and knitted in the airy Norwegian combed yarn Ask from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

Ekilana is knitted by my skilled sample knitter Airin Hansen using a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle with a gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows in Stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ after blocking. In these photos taken in my studio by Michael, I am wearing the one sized Ekilana with 106 cm/41.75″ positive ease. It has a bust circumference of 194 cm/76.5” and I have added a size adjustment note. If you want to change the width of the poncho, remove, or add sets of 14 stitches to each Back and Front to keep the shoulder shaping stitch count. This will make a 6.5 cm/2.5” difference on each part and 13 cm/5” difference on the bust circumference.

The poncho is knitted in two parts, back and forth for the body, while the sleeves are worked in the round. The provisional cast on edge all parts are replaced by an I-cord bind off at the end. The collar is worked in the round and ends in an I-cord bind off.

Here is a detail of the cable and the front neck. Before the test knit is completed I will show you how wonderful it looked on Emmalin Williams at our photoshoot in last December.