Our Classic Knit Jacket embraces the Japanese aesthetic principle of kanso. Kanso is the idea that a sense of grace and calm emerges from designs that are pared down to their most basic forms.

To keep our Jacket simple, we knit up a timeless silhouette in smooth stockinette stitch. Our no-fuss approach highlights the unique beauty of Purl Soho’s Lanecardate Feltro, a super cozy and sturdy blend of superfine wool and angora.

Knit from the top down with set-in sleeves, we also kept our Classic Knit Jacket’s construction as easy as can be. Simple, elegant, and refined… Kanso! -Kristy

Materials

• 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 9) skeins of Purl Soho’s Lanecardate Feltro, 75% superfine wool, 25% Caregora angora. We used the color Medium Gray (Grigio 3).
• US 15, 32-inch circular needles
• US 15, 16-inch circular needles
• A set of US 15 double pointed needles
• Two jumbo stitch markers
• Stitch holders or scrap yarn

Gauge

10 stitches and 14 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Sizes

36 (39 ¼, 42 ½, 45 ½, 48 ¾, 52)

• Finished Chest Circumference: 36 (39 ¼, 42 ½, 45 ½, 48 ¾, 52) inches
• Finished Length from Shoulder to Bottom Edge: 22 (23, 23 ¼, 24 ¼, 24 ½, 25 ¾) inches
• Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 13 ½ (14, 14, 14 ½, 14 ½, 15 ¼) inches
• Finished Length from Underarm to Cuff: 16 ¾ (17, 17, 17 ½, 17 ½, 18) inches

EASE: This garment is designed with a 4- to 6-inch ease around the chest.

SAMPLE: The sweater pictured here is Women’s Size 42 ½ inches.

Notes

Abbreviations

Inv inc (invisible increase): Pick up stitch from row below next stitch and place it on the left needle. Knit picked up stitch and then knit the original stitch. [1 stitch increased]

Wrp-t (wrap and turn):

• On the right side: Keeping the yarn in back, slip the next stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right needle. Bring the yarn to the front. Return the slipped stitch to the left needle. Bring the yarn to the back. Turn the work so the wrong side is facing you.
• On the wrong side: Keeping the yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right needle. Bring the yarn to the back. Return the slipped stitch to the left needle. Bring the yarn to the front. Turn the work so the right side is facing you.

For more information about wrapping and turning, and also about working wraps together with wrapped stitches, visit our Short Rows Tutorial

Techniques + Tips

2-stitch I-cord Bind Off

Cable cast on 1 stitch.

*Knit the first stitch on the left needle, then knit the second and third stitches together through the back loops.

Slip the two stitches on the right needle back to the left needle and repeat from * until you have bound off all stitches, and you are back at the beginning of the round (two I-cord stitches remain on right needle).

To finish, cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Remove the first stitch from the right needle and pull on the loop of the stitch to bring the tail through so that there is no longer a loop, just a tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitch on right needle.

With a tapestry needle, neatly join the end of the I-cord to the beginning by threading the yarn underneath the first bound-off stitch.

Weaving in the Ends of Lanecardate Feltro

Unravel the tail into three separate strands, and weave in each strand separately. This will prevent a bulky ridge in your finished knitting.

Pattern

Back

Begin

Use a long-tail cast on to cast 36 (38, 40, 42, 44, 46) stitches onto the 32-inch circular needles. Do not join for working in the round.

Set-up Row (wrong side): P10 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13), pm (place marker), p16 (16, 16, 18, 18, 20), pm, p10 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13).

Shape Shoulders

Short Row 1 (right side): [Knit to marker, sm (slip marker)] twice, k3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t (see Notes).

Short Row 2 (wrong side): [Purl to marker, sm] twice, p3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, k3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 4: Purl to wrapped stitch from previous wrong side row, purl wrap together with wrapped stitch, p3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 5: Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, knit to end.

Row 6: Purl to wrapped stitch from previous wrong side row, purl wrap together with wrapped stitch, purl to end.

Work in stockinette stitch (removing stitch markers) until piece measures 5 (5 ½, 5 ¼, 5, 5 ½, 5 ½) inches, measured at side of Armhole, ending with a wrong side row.

Shape Armholes

Increase Row (right side): K2, inv inc (see Notes), knit to last 3 stitches, inv inc, k2. [2 stitches increased]

Next Row (wrong side): Purl.

Repeat the last two rows 3 (3, 4, 5, 5, 6) more times. [44 (46, 50, 54, 56, 60) stitches]

Cut yarn and place stitches on stitch holder or scrap yarn.

Front

Pick Up at Shoulders

With right side of Back facing you and using 32-inch circular needles, join yarn and pick up 10 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13) stitches along the cast-on edge (for Right Front); skip center 16 (16, 16, 18, 18, 20) cast-on stitches (for Back Neck); with a separate ball of yarn, pick up 10 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13) stitches along the remaining cast-on edge (for Left Front). [10 (11, 12, 12, 13, 13) stitches for each Front]

Shape Shoulders

Note: Work the Left and Right Fronts at the same time, using separate balls of yarn for each Front.

Set-up Row (wrong side): Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- Purl to end.

Short Row 1 (right side): Right Front- Knit to neck edge; Left Front- K3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 2: Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- P3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Right Front- Knit to neck edge; Left Front- Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, k3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 4: Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- Purl to wrapped stitch from previous wrong side row, purl wrap together with wrapped stitch, p3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4), wrp-t.

Short Row 5: Right Front- Knit to neck edge; Left Front- Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, knit to end.

Row 6: Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- Purl to wrapped stitch from previous wrong side row, purl wrap together with wrapped stitch, purl to end.

Shape Neck

Row 1 (right side): Right Front- Knit to 3 stitches before neck edge, inv inc, k2; Left Front- K2, inv inc, knit to end. [1 stitch increased at each neck edge]

Row 2 (wrong side): Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- Purl to end.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one (1, 1, 2, 2, 2) more time(s). [12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 16) stitches each Front]

Cast on for Front Neck + Continue Fronts

Row 1 (right side): Right Front- Knit to neck edge, turn so that wrong side is facing you, cable cast on 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 7) stitches, turn so that right side is facing you; Left Front- Knit to end.

Note: While working the next row on the Left Front, knit the stitch next to the newly cast-on stitches through the back loop, if there is a noticeable gap.

Row 2 (wrong side): Left Front- Purl to neck edge, turn so that right side is facing you, cable cast on 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 7) stitches, turn so that wrong side is facing you; Right Front- Purl to end. [18 (19, 20, 21, 22, 23) stitches each Front]

Work even in stockinette stitch until Fronts measure 5 (5 ½, 5 ¼, 5, 5 ½, 5 ½) inches from pick-up row, measured at side of Armhole.

Shape Armholes

Row 1 (right side): Right Front- Knit 2, inv inc, knit to neck edge; Left Front- Knit to last 3 stitches, inv inc, k2. [1 stitch increased at each Armhole edge]

Row 2 (wrong side): Left Front- Purl to neck edge; Right Front- Purl to end.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three (3, 4, 5, 5, 6) more times. [22 (23, 25, 27, 28, 30) stitches each Front]

Cut yarn for Right Front.

Body

Join Back and Fronts

With their wrong sides facing you, slip the Back stitches onto the needles, next to the Left Front stitches, then slip the Right Front stitches onto the needles, next to the Back stitches. Resume with the yarn attached to the Left Front and the right side facing you.

Cast on for Underarms + Continue

Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of Left Front, * turn so that wrong side is facing you and cable cast on 1 (3, 3, 3, 5, 5) stitch(es) for Left Underarm, turn so that right side is facing you,** knit to end of Back, repeat from * to ** for Right Underarm, knit to end of Right Front. [90 (98, 106, 114, 122, 130) stitches]

Work in stockinette stitch until Body measures 13 ½ (14, 14, 14 ½, 14 ½, 15 ¼) inches from Underarms, ending with a right side row.

Knit Edging

With right side facing and starting at bottom corner of Right Front, pick up 2 stitches for every 3 rows up center edge of Right Front.

With right side still facing, pick up 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 7) stitches along Right Front Neck cast-on; 2 stitches for every 3 rows around Right Neck edge; one stitch in each stitch across Back Neck; 2 stitches for every 3 rows around Left Neck edge; 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 7) stitches along Left Front Neck cast-on; and 2 stitches for every 3 rows down center edge of Left Front.

With right side facing and working across the bottom body stitches first, bind off all stitches using 2-Stitch I-Cord Bind Off (see Notes).

Sleeves

Pick Up

With the right side facing you and using 16-inch circular needles, begin at center of an Underarm and pick up 16 (17, 18, 20, 21, 22) stitches evenly up one side of Armhole to where the Front and Back join; pick up 16 (17, 18, 20, 21, 22) stitches evenly down other side of Armhole to center of Underarm. Place marker for end of round and join to work in the round. [32 (34, 36, 40, 42, 44) stitches]

Shape Sleeve Cap

Short Row 1: K22 (23, 24, 27, 29, 30), wrp-t.

Short Row 2: P12 (12, 12, 14, 16, 16), wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, wrp-t.

Short Row 4: Purl to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, purl wrap together with wrapped stitch, wrp-t.

Repeat Short Rows 3 and 4 seven (eight, nine, ten, ten, eleven) more times.

Next Row: Knit to wrapped stitch from previous right side row, knit wrap together with wrapped stitch, knit to end-of-round marker. Resume working in the round.

Next Round: Knit to end, knitting last wrap together with wrapped stitch.

Knit 2 rounds.

Shape Sleeve

Note: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Decrease Round: Ssk, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [2 stitches decreased]

Continuing in stockinette stitch (knitting each round), repeat the Decrease Round every 1 (1, 1, 3, 3, 3) inch(es) 2 (2, 2, 4, 4, 5) more times. [26 (28, 30, 30, 32, 32) stitches]

Continue in stockinette stitch, until sleeve measures 16 ¾ (17, 17, 17 ½, 17 ½, 18) inches from Underarm (or desired length).

Bind off all stitches using 2-Stitch I-Cord Bind-Off (see Notes).

Work second Sleeve same as the first.

Weave + Block

Weave in ends (see Notes) and block as desired.