I recently got the opportunity to test the Twin Peaks Cardigan by Winter Wear Designs. I initially was drawn to the cardigan because I loved the design of the back yoke. The first cardigan that I made had the “Twin Peaks” back yoke and was made at thigh length. I used the optional inseam pockets because everything is better with pockets. I was so excited to make myself something so cozy that works during the end of pregnancy and when I am no longer pregnant.
I used a rib knit from my stash that I probably found in the Dallas Fabric District. It was super stretchy horizontally (100%+) and had a small amount of vertical stretch (barely 25%). This back yoke took some patience, but I love the way the stripes look on the back yoke. My tip for getting good points on the yoke is to use the same sewing technique as when you sew a V-neck.
Next, I made a hip length cardigan with the regular back yoke out of sweater knit from Sincerely Rylee. I love that Suzanne included a plain yoke version with a lining so that I could use some of my more unstable sweater knits and not have to fuss with the points of the peaks if I wanted a quicker project. The particular sweater knit had a very loose weave and was super stretchy in both directions.
The hip length cardigan does not have optional pockets included in the pattern because an inseam pocket would hang past the hem. I still wanted pockets because I think it is so comforting to shove your hands in a warm pocket when wearing a cardigan; so, I added a patch pocket to this one. I think they turned out great!
Patch Pocket Tutorial
(1) When cutting out all your pattern pieces, take the pattern piece for the front of the cardigan and make your pocket pattern piece by cutting the bottom of the pattern at 8.5 inches above the bottom of this piece. You will want to cut two pockets that are mirror images.
(2) Hem the top of the pocket by 3/4 of an inch. I used my twin needle, but you can also use a stretch stitch on your sewing machine or your coverstitch.
(3) Match the pocket piece with where it will ultimately go. Then, flip the pocket to the back of the front panel so that the right side of the pocket faces the wrong side of that front panel. Sew or serge the bottoms together. Your seam allowance should be the same as the hem allowance. Flip the pocket back to the right side of the cardigan and press. Now, you should have right side of cardigan facing the wrong side (or inside) of your pocket.
(4) Pin (or use wonder clips or stay stitch) your pocket sides to the front so that it does not flop around during the rest of construction.
(5) Follow the rest of the instructions in the pattern to construct your cardigan. Notice that you will only need to hem the back of the cardigan during the hemming instructions and will want to catch the side seam in your hemming if any of it is showing on the right side of the finished cardigan.
You can grab a copy of the Twin Peaks cardigan pattern here.
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Photo Credit: My wonderful friend, Aimee Wilson
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