Knitting pattern - Vortex Cardigan

Vortex is a cardigan knit in the round, an original design by Louise Robert for Biscotte Yarns.

I had this design in my mind for several years: I wanted to create a cardigan knitted in the round, starting from the outside to end at the center / middle of the back ... A bit like a vortex that is characterized by a decreasing swirl around a rotating axis. - Louise

2019-01-17 NEW RELEASES - This pattern contains the original version with 3 appendices and the end of document: The first appendix gives you the instructions to work a BRIOCHE border instead of the garter stitch from the original one. The second appendix is offering you an alternative end with a cable band. The third appendix gives you instructions about introducing stranded colorwork in your Vortex.

Sizes – XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

Schematic with final measurements and instructions to adjust length are available in the pattern.

Materials Required

• Yarn – Biscotte Yarns DK PURE 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins.
• Needles – Circular needles 4.5mm (US#7) – Cable length 100 cm (40’’) & + (or size needed to obtain gauge) If you want to work the brioche border version, you will need 3.5mm circular needles as well.
• Notions – Stitch markers (8 markers of the same color, 4 markers of the same color but different than the first 8 and a marker to identify the beginning of rounds) If you want to work the alternative cable band ending, you will need a cable needle.

Gauge - 18 sts & 22 rows = 10 cm in Stockinette stitch.

NOTES – This cardigan is knit in the round beginning with the border that runs around the cardigan to finish in the middle/center of the back. As it is knit all around the body, you can have fun using multiple colors in random order to create unique stripes.

In the first part of the knitting, all odd row/rounds have 8 increases and 8 decreases identified by the different color markers (so the number of the stitches remains the same.)

YARN COLOR – You can use several colors to knit this cardigan since rows/rounds runs all around the edge and encircles the entire cardigan's lap, it will create a nice pattern!

I didn’t add any information about colors changes in this pattern because the rows/rounds are too large to tell accurately how many rounds you may knit with one skein for each size (and I didn’t want to complicate the pattern by adding extra instructions about color changes)…

But, if you want to know about the original (garter stitch border) version shown here, I used the following colors (1 skein of each):

• Fleur de cerisier
• Granite rose (Pink granit)
• Bisque
• Cozumel
• Aigue Marine
• Caraïbes (Caribbean)

I worked color changes on 12 rounds (1 round NEW SKEIN, 3 rounds LAST SKEIN, 2 rounds NEW SKEIN, 2 rounds LAST SKEIN, 3 rounds NEW SKEIN, 1 round LAST SKEIN).

I worked size large and I was able to knit about 20 rounds with one skein on the beginning of the project. I used the same color sequence on the sleeves…

Now, about the brioche border version with stranded colorwork and cable band in the back, I used the colors in random order, according to my inspiration: