The last few days the weather has gotten up into the sixties and I have enjoyed eating my lunch outside sitting in the sun! By noon my sweater is discarded and a lightweight top is perfect. However, when I first get up in the morning, it is quite a different story. We still have an occasional freeze warning and it definitely drops into the 40s as soon as the sun goes down. This is spring in New England and it is the reason that my wardrobe includes several light weight cardigans. in fact I use these all summer long, often taking one to throw on when I am inside with air conditioning.
The Fiona cardigan by Stylearc Patterns is the perfect cardigan for this time of year. I whipped mine up in a light gray sweater knit that I picked up several years ago at Paron Fabrics in New York in the clearance section. Stylearc Patterns are from Australia. They are available as printed patterns that you can order from Australia, or as a pdf download from their etsy shop. I used the pdf download. and made a size eight. I don't have a serger (it is on the wish list) and so sewed the cardigan on my sewing machine using the overlock stitch. The pattern is simple to put together and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to sew sweater knits. If you would like some tips on sewing with sweater knits, this article from Seamwork magazine is helpful.
A few words of caution - I love the look of the stylearc patterns, but their directions are essentially non-existent. You need to know what you are doing! There are no cutting layouts, so you need to note how many of each piece to cut out. On this particular pattern, the sweater band is composed of two pattern pieces - one that is cut out twice and one that is cut out four times. This is marked on the pattern piece, but if you just go by the pictures, which only shows one layer, you could get yourself in trouble. The sleeve narrows quite a bit as it approaches the lower arm. This wasn't a problem for me as I have skinny lower arms and intended to put this over short sleeve or sleeveless tops. Even with skinny arms, you may want some additional room, and if you intend to wear the cardigan over a 3/4 or long sleeve top, you will definitely want more room!
With a serger, the Fiona top could definitely be whipped up in an afternoon. In fact, you will probably spend as much time taping the pdf pattern together as you will sewing the cardigan! Give the Fiona Cardigan and sweater knits a try, you won't be disappointed.