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With the New York Sheep and Wool Festival coming up this weekend, along with my annual Rhinebeck pattern sale (you’ll find all of the details below), it’s time to celebrate with a cable motif that’s so nice, I used it twice: the Until Forever Cardigan and Until Forever Blanket.

I was knee-deep in swatching various ideas for a cardigan when my dog passed away in June after a short battle with cancer. I would sit outside on our patio, trying out different patterns and making my notes, and she would lie in a chair next to me, keeping me company while she tried to enjoy the sun on her back. I’m certain that the (still raw) emotion tied to those moments can be felt in these designs, as I hoped to create something that would last forever, that you would cherish forever.

Luckily for me, I had an abundant pile of worsted-weight, natural colored merino wool from Catskill Merino to work with (a fortuitous purchase from Rhinebeck last year)! This is, by far, one of my favorite yarns to work with for its combination of softness and stitch definition.

The cardigan had to have all of the hallmarks of a forever garment: enough room to wear a layer underneath (whether buttoned or not), classic cabled texture, deep pockets, and a cozy shawl collar to chase away the chill without overpowering you around the neck. Above all, it’s a unisex design that’s been designed to be size-inclusive, with 10 sizes to suit every knitter and every recipient.

In keeping with my desire to create something that would have a forever home in your wardrobe, the cardigan features professional knitwear details that enhance its style and fit. The pockets feature the same motif as the back of the cardigan, and the pocket facings are actually knit as part of the body, leaving only the pocket linings to sew to the wrong side of the garment during finishing.

The shoulders are designed so that the shoulder seam sits on the back. This type of shaping, sometimes called English tailoring, removes the bulk of the seam from the top of the shoulder so that the cardigan flows neatly over the shoulder instead. In this instance, it also gave me an opportunity to create a lovely design detail. (I won’t lie – there were a few false starts with the math on this one across 11 different sizes! Pythagoras to the rescue.)

One other detail that isn’t as obvious, but still enhances the final fit, is the short-row sleeve shaping at the top, or cap, or the sleeve. Adding a few short rows at the top of the sleeve helps it to curve around the shoulder point more smoothly so that the sleeve doesn’t pull up at the cuff.

While a professional fit is always important to me, so is the knitting experience. To simplify the construction, the fronts and back are knit in one piece from the bottom hem up to the armholes. From the armhole upward, each of the fronts and the back are knit separately and seamed together at the shoulders. The sleeves are picked up and worked in the round down from the shoulder. Then the shawl collar is picked up and worked flat. Add your pocket linings and your buttons and voilà!

Having finished knitting and sizing the pattern for the cardigan, I was surprised (maybe amused!) to discover that I still wanted to work with the cable motif. With a dive back into my stash to turn up the perfect, naturally silver Cormo/Cross worsted-weight yarn from Foxhill Farm, the Until Forever blanket was underway.

Because I can never leave well enough alone, I had some fun changing the cable pattern slightly, so that some diamonds twisted to the left and some twisted to the right. I love how well-suited this motif is to a blanket. Once you’re comfortable with the pattern repeat, it feels intuitive and provides so much texture as it develops. The pattern definitely has that “one more row” feel about it before you can put it down!

In addition to the ribbing on the top and bottom edges, I also added garter stitch at the long edges to echo the garter stitch inside some of the diamonds and ensure that the blanket lies flat. The pattern includes three sizes, for a stroller blanket, a lap throw, and an afghan, and guidance on how to modify the pattern to create your own custom size depending on your yardage.

So there you have it. If you’re in the mood for a fast and gratifying project, the blanket is a wonderful way to engage your hands as the Autumn nights draw in (and maybe make a gift for someone special)! If you’re up for creating a garment that you’ll turn to time and again, I hope that you find this new cardigan to be a thoughtful and unique addition to your knitting repertoire. Both of these patterns reflect my personal aesthetic and also speak to what I value as a designer: creating something timeless with my own hands that has meaning, and memories, woven into it.

You can find the cardigan pattern here at DCD or here on Ravelry.

You can find the blanket pattern here at DCD or here on Ravelry.

If you’ll be at Rhinebeck, please say hello! The yarn makers featured in these designs, Catskill Merino and Foxhill Farm, also will be at Rhinebeck! Supporting these small, women-owned flocks and businesses is at the heart of what the weekend is about.

Let’s move on to the fun sale news. From now until midnight EDT on Monday 10/23/2023, ALL of my self-published patterns, including BOTH of these new designs, are 25% off with NO code needed!

And if you’re curious, here’s just a sampling of the 50+ other designs that are included in addition to the Until Forever Cardigan & Blanket: