Twist Collective Belem Knitting Pattern

Belem Cardigan by Kate Gilbert

What is Being Made

Belem is a fitted cardigan designed by Kate Gilbert, featured in Twist Collective. This garment is a buttoned cardigan with lace detailing, offered in nine sizes ranging from 33 inches to 52 ½ inches bust measurement (84 to 133.5 cm). The cardigan features a classic construction with a body worked from the bottom up and sleeves that transition from circular to flat working. The finished length ranges from 21 ¾ inches to 26 inches (55 to 66 cm), making it a versatile piece intended to be worn with 0–2 inches of ease.

Construction and Techniques

Overall Approach: Belem is worked using a hybrid construction method that combines multiple techniques for an efficient and elegant finished garment. The cardigan is worked bottom-up, beginning with the body and progressing upward to create a seamless integration of design elements.

Body Construction: The body is worked in one piece from the bottom up to the underarms using circular needles worked flat. The knitter begins by casting on stitches using the long-tail method and circular needle, creating the front, back, and opposite front sections in a single continuous piece. The body is worked even until it reaches the appropriate length before splitting at the underarms. At the split point, stitches are bound off to create armholes, and the fronts and back are then worked separately.

Sleeve Construction: The sleeves employ a transition technique, beginning worked in the round to the underarms, then switching to working back and forth in rows for the cap shaping. This hybrid approach allows for seamless sleeve caps while maintaining the efficiency of circular knitting for the body of the sleeve.

Lace Integration: The lace pattern is knit from the back and then grafted to the front, creating a sophisticated design detail. This technique allows the lace to be worked independently and then seamlessly joined, ensuring precise alignment and a professional finish.

Seaming: The cardigan uses seaming to join components, particularly where the lace is grafted and where sleeves are attached to the body.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Belem cardigan incorporates several fundamental knitting stitches and patterns:

• Ribbing: A k2, p2 (knit 2, purl 2) ribbing pattern is used for the lower body, creating elasticity and a finished edge. The ribbing is worked for 2 inches (5 cm) from the cast-on edge and is maintained at the front edges with edge stitches (k3 at each edge).
• Stockinette Stitch: The main body fabric is worked in stockinette stitch, providing a smooth, classic canvas for the design.
• Lace Stitches: Lace patterning is incorporated as a design feature, though the specific lace motif details are referenced in the full pattern instructions.
• Increases and Decreases: The pattern includes strategic increases every 8th row (repeated multiple times) to create shaping and fit. Decreases are worked at the armholes and during cap shaping to create the garment's silhouette.

Materials

Yarn: The suggested yarn for Belem is Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, a premium natural fiber yarn. Each skein contains 123 yards (120 meters) and weighs 1 ¾ ounces (50 grams). The yarn is composed of 100% Fine Highland Wool, providing warmth, durability, and a refined appearance. The pattern calls for 9 to 15 skeins depending on the finished size, with the sample shown in size 35 ¾ inches (91 cm) using the color #1309 Earth Ivy.

Needles: The pattern requires Size 6 US (4 mm) circular needles in a length of 24–48 inches (60–120 cm), depending on the bust size being knitted. Additionally, Size 6 US (4 mm) needles in the knitter's preferred style are needed for working the sleeves and other sections. The use of circular needles for flat working allows for comfortable handling of the garment during construction.

Sizing and Fit

Belem is available in nine sizes with bust measurements of 33, 35 ¾, 38 ½, 41 ¼, 44 ¼, 47, 49 ¾, and 52 ½ inches (84, 91, 98, 105, 112.5