Hitofude goes viral

Hitofude Cardigan KAL

By Hiroko Fukatsu

 

The Yarn Club is delighted to host a Knit-A-Long to the ever-popular Hitofude Cardigan by Hiroko Fukatsu. This lace cardigan was published in October 2013 and continues to be one of the top patterns on Ravelry. The Yarn Club has over 30 active knitters who have recently completed their project, just started their project or are starting their second Hitofude now.  Designer Fukatsu says she is just an ordinary housewife who loves knitting. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.  The word Hitofude means brushstroke.  And this cardigan is just that.  It is constructed in one continuous knit.  WOW! 

The cardigan she says was designed so that you never have to break your yarn while knitting it. No scissors needed, just a continuous knit.   It is also a very simple lace repeat with only 8 rows in the pattern. 

The pattern comes in six sizes and can easily be altered. Any fingering weight yarn will work. At The Yarn Club we are seeing great results using Anzula Breeze, Madelinetosh Merino Light and the new Dandelion, Neighborhood Fiber Company’s Rustic Fingering and Studio Sock, Juniper Moon Farm’s Zooey, Anzula Cloud…. Just to name a few! While working this pattern up in a wool or alpaca blend will add some warmth for year round wear we also recommend trying linen for the humid and hot summers on the beach!

The Hitofude construction is the most complex concept to understand while knitting this cardigan. Fukatsu has you start at the top with provisional cast-ons. You will complete the upper back and sleeves, then close the sleeves and work down to the bottom. Many knitters say the construction is similar to a shurg.

Join us at The Yarn Club on Fridays at noon to work on this pattern or online through our Ravelry group. We have a dedicated thread to this KAL and will post our progress, tips and more!