The Lotus Yoke story

an@phamtastic.studio (An Pham) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

I had the motif before I had the sweater. It sat in a sketchbook for most of a winter while I knit other things and pretended it wasn’t waiting.

The first yoke

The first version used four colours and a twelve-round repeat. It was beautiful on the needles and wrong on the body: the petals landed exactly on the shoulder line and folded in half.

Knit the swatch. Then knit it again, in the round, at the size you actually plan to wear.

Left to right: attempts one through three.

What changed

Eight repeats instead of six, so the petals narrow before the shoulder.
Short rows at the back neck before the chart begins.
A plain round between each motif band, which is also where sizing lives.

Pattern · SweaterLotus Yoke$9

The pattern is up now, in eight sizes. Thank you for reading along.

Your first cables, without a cable needle

an@phamtastic.studio (An Pham) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Cable needles are fine. They are also one more thing to drop under the sofa. Here is how to cross two stitches over two without one.

The cross

Slip the first two stitches off the left needle and hold them in front.
Knit the next two.
Return the held stitches to the left needle and knit them.

Practice on the Harbour Socks, which have exactly one cable to learn.

Phamtastic Knits journal

The Lotus Yoke story

The first yoke

What changed

Your first cables, without a cable needle

The cross