Silk Garden Jacket

Free Knitting Pattern

I couldn't resist buying 8 skeins of Noro (affiliate link) Silk Garden Yarn at the craft show I visited last summer. When I decided to start knitting a jacket, it appeared that there was not enough yarn and I didn't have a clue what I was going to knit from this wonderful yarn. After knitting a couple of samples I decided that I needed to add some solid color yarn to balance the contrasting color changes in the Noro (affiliate link) yarn. You can see the result on the pictures below. I hope you'll like it.

Note: Noro (affiliate link) yarn skeins have each color change only once. When starting the front and side parts of the front make sure to start with the same color to achieve color symmetry.

Size: 12/14 (42/44)

Materials: Noro (affiliate link) Silk Garden Yarn 249 - 8 skeins 50 g/122 yds (110 m)
Berroco (affiliate link) Ultra Alpaca Oceanic Mix 6285 Yarn - 5 skeins, 100g/215 yds
Needles 2.5 (3 mm) and 4 (3.5 mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
7 wooden buttons

Gauge:16 sts x 26 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm).

Patterns:
Stocking Stitch
Rib:1 k, 1 p
Cable:1, 3, 5 and 7 rows - 8 k.
2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 - 8 p.
Row 9: C8F (Cable 8 Front).
Repeat rows 1-10.

Directions: Back and front consists of 3 parts each. The side parts of back and front and cable inserts of back and front are knitted as one piece each.

Front

Right Front

Central part
Cast on 5 sts on 4 (3.5 mm) needles with Noro (affiliate link) yarn and knit stockinette stitch. In every odd row increase for 1 stitch on both sides of the row until there are 37 sts + 2 selvedge sts.
Continue to increase for 1 st at the beginning of the row and decrease for 1 st at the end of the row. The amount of stitches should remain the same. Knit for 23 in. (57 cm)
Begin shaping the neckline by decreasing for 1 st at the beginning of the right side row 8 times.
Knit 8 rows without decreasing at the beginning of the row.
Continue to work for 6 more rows increasing for 1 st at the beginning of the right side row.
Now begin shaping shoulder line: decrease for 1 st at the beginning of the knit row and at the end of the row until 5 sts remain. Cast off.

Left front
Mirror the right front.

Cable inserts:
cast on 16 sts with Berroco (affiliate link) yarn on 4 (3.5 mm) needles.
Knit 1 edge st, 3 p, cable on 8 sts, 3 p, 1 edge. Continue for 50 in. (128 cm). Cast off.
Knit 2 inserts.

Side part of the right front and right back
cast on 20 sts with Noro (affiliate link) yarn on 4 (3.5 mm) needles. Continue stocking stitch for 50 in. (128 cm). Cast off.
Knit 2 side panels.

Back central panel
Cast on 12 sts with Noro (affiliate link) yarn on 4 (3.5 mm) needles.
Knit 1 selvedge sts, 1 k, cable on 8 sts, 1 k, 1 selvedge st.
Increase for 1 st on both sides of the cable as follows: k 1, yo, cable on 8 sts, yo, k 1. Work stockinette on both sides of the cable.

Knit until there are 72 sts including edge sts.
Now continue increasing for 1 st on both sides of the cable and start decreasing for 1 sts at the beginning and the end of each odd row to maintain the same amount of stitches.
Knit thus for 25" (64 cm).
To shape the neck line start knitting each half of the back separately, decreasing 1 st in each odd row starting from the center of the row. Work thus for 16 rows.
To shape the shoulder line continue decreasing for 1 st in each row for 10 rows. Cast off.

Sleeves

Cast on 34 sts on 2.5 (3 mm) needles. Knit rib for 14 rows. In the las row increase evenly for 16 sts
Continue on 4 (3.5 mm) needles. Knit as follows: 1 edge st, 20 p, cable on 8 sts, 20 p, 1 edge st. Knit reverse stocking stitch on both sides of the cable.
Knit for 18" (45 cm) increasing evenly for 34 sts on each side. Cast off.

Finishing:

Join seams of the middle panels with the seams of the cable panels. Join seams of the cable inserts with the seams of the side panels. Join top of the sleeves with the other side of the side panels. Join sleeve seams and side seams. Pick up on circular 2.5 (3 mm) needles approx 200 st with Berroco (affiliate link) yarn on the bottom of the jacket. Knit rib for 2" (5 cm), cast off.

Button bands
Cast on on circular 2.5 (3 mm) needles approx 10 st with Berroco (affiliate link) yarn and knit rib to make button bands for 23 in (57 cm). On the right band make 7 buttonholes as follows: yo, k2tog. Cast off. Sew bands to the center of the front panels.

Collar
Pick up on circular 2.5 (3 mm) needles 104 sts with Berroco (affiliate link) yarn on the neck edge and the short sides of buttonhole bands and knit rib for 6.5" (16 cm). This is a half of the collar. Start increasing evenly the collar stitches while knitting another 6.5" (16 cm) of rib. Add total 50 sts. Cast off.
Sew buttons on.

Enjoy!