Kanapu - shining (te reo Māori)

When the days are warming but you still need an extra layer, Kanapu is perfect. It is worked with a strand of alpaca / silk lace weight and a stand of silk / mohair lace weight yarn held together to create a cozy laying piece. The yoke is cast on and short rows are worked before increases and a simple but effective lace panel is worked reflecting the light dancing through those fresh spring leaves. The yoke is finished, and the sleeves are separated before the body is worked down straight with no shaping to a simple rib hem. The sleeves are put back on the needles and worked straight down to a ¾ length with no shaping before a decrease round is worked and finished with a simple rib cuff. There are two options for the neckline, either no neckband except for the cast on edge to create a soft, floaty look or a simple rib neckband if preferred and depending on how your yarn is sitting. The sample is knit to a waist / high hip length but being top down you can knit to the length you desire.

Needles and Notions
US 6 / 4 mm circular needles 32” / 80 cm long and for small circumference knitting.
Adjust needle size as needed to obtain correct gauge.
Circular stitch markers, tapestry needle and waste yarn.

Yarn
Sample knit with a strand each held together of Malabrigo baby silkpaca lace (50 gm and 420 yds / 385 m in colour 037 lettuce) and Debbie Bliss Angel 70% mohair and 30% silk lace (25gm and 229 yds / 210 m in colour Ecru)
Approximately 710 (765, 842, 984, 1104, 1202, 1312, 1444) yds / 650 {700, 770, 900, 1010, 1100, 1200, 1320} m of each lace weight yarn required.

Skills
knit and purl
cast on and bind off
simple lace
increasing and decreasing
German short rows

Fitting recommendations
Kanapu is intended to be worn with 1 – 4” / 2.5 – 10 cm of ease around the bust and 2- 5” / 5 – 12.5 cm ease in the upper arm. To work out which size to knit, take your actual bust measurement then knit the next size up from this, which will then give you the recommended ease. For example, if your actual bust circumference is 39 1/2” / 100cm you would knit the 42 1/2” / 108 cm size garment which would give you 3” / 7.5 cm of ease in the bust and 4” / 10 cm in the upper arm.