by Deb White

In traditional Japanese clothing, the hapi coat was a shorter kimono, usually worn by tradespeople. The back was embroidered or printed with a shop’s logo, or left plain. These days, a hapi coat is worn during special celebrations. The back of the coat is often printed with family crests, or with colorful embroideries. This jacket's features -- fingertip length, asymmetrical opening, embroidered details, narrow sleeve cuffs, knitted shoulder pads -- give it an Asian-influenced style, but in a slimming package.

The yarn is a “super polar”, so makes for a fast knit. The asymmetrical front allows the wearer to adjust the fit -- so much so that you could even use this as your maternity coat, with the buttons closer to the middle of the left front, and then moving the buttons back into the expected spots post-baby. The knitted shoulder pads give the piece a little more definition -- letting the fabric fall from a straight line from the shoulders down. If you choose, you could even line your hapi coat with fabric giving you a jacket suitable for all but the coldest weather.

This jacket is easier to knit than it might appear. The colored design on the back is done in duplicate stitch, not fair isle. You knit the design in reverse stockinette stitch [knit on the WS, purl on the RS] in the main color. Then using a darning needle and a contrasting color of yarn, you make running stitches over the "bumps" made from the reverse stocking stitch. Also, there are no buttonholes, just loops knitted in when you cast off.

model: Margaret Paul photo: Deb White

Chest: 47[57] inches -- allow 7-10 inches of ease
Length: 30[32] inches

MATERIALS

[MC] Tibet by Naturally [98.8% wool, 1.2% elastane; 51yds/47m per 50g skein]; color: black 01; 21[25] skeins
[CC] Vario by Zitron [100% wool; 32.5yds/30m per 50g skein]; color: 60, a red-orange combination; 2[2] skeins

Note: You can substitute any super polar yarn. You will need 987[1175]m of MC and 60m of CC in one of the following:

Jaeger Celeste / Gedifra Gigante / Mondial King Merino / OnLine Mistral
Rowan Biggy Print / Rowan Big Wool / Sirdar Denim Ultra  / Spinrite White Buffalo

1 set US #15/10mm straight needles
1 24-inch or larger US #11/8mm circular needle
4 large stitch holders
1 blunt darning needle
7[8] wooden toggle buttons
1 flat button

9.5 sts/12 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch with larger needle
[Note that this is a tighter gauge than recommended on ball band.]

Back

Beginning with the back and the larger needles, CO 58[70] sts. Work 10 rows in garter rib as follows:

Row 1: Purl.

Row 2: Knit.

Row 3: Knit.

Row 4: Purl.

Row 5: Purl.

Row 6: Knit.

Row 7: Knit.

Row 8: Purl.

Row 9: Purl.

Row 10: Knit.

Row 11: [RS] knit.

Continue in St st until work measures 14[16] inches, ending with a WS row.

Begin pattern

K28[34] sts, p2, k to end of row.

Next row: P27[33], k1, p2, k1, p to end of row.

Refer to chart A for the rest of the design.

Next row: With MC, P21[28], k1, p6, k1, p to end.

Next row: K22[29], p1, k4, p1, k to end.

Next row: P23[30], k1, p2, k1, p to end.

Next row: K24[31], p2, k to end.

Next row: P24[31], k2, p to end of row.

Repeat last two rows 4 times [or 10 rows total] ending with WS row.

Next row: Knit 23[30], p4, k to end.

Next row: P22[29], k6, p to end.

Next row: K21[28], p8, k to end.

Next row: P22[29], k6, p to end.

Next row: K23[30], p4, k to end.

Next row: P24[31], k2, p to end.

Continue in St st until piece measures 30[32] inches. K across 17 sts, place on holder, BO sts to last 17 sts, k last 17 sts and place on holder. These live sts will be finished later with three-needle bind off.

Left Front

With MC and larger needles, CO 40[50] sts. Work 10 rows in garter rib as for back [see above]. Continue in St st until piece measures 19.5[21.5] inches ending with a knit row. From here, shaping for the two sizes is the same. BO 8 sts at the beg of next row, p to end. Continue in St st. When the piece measures the same as the back to the CC stripe, end with a knit row, change to CC and purl one row.

Change back to MC, and start to decrease for neck as follows: With RS facing: K2, k2tog, k to end.

Next row: P to last 4 st, sl 1, p1, psso, p2.

Repeat these two rows until 17 sts remain. Continue in St st [if required] until the back and front are the same length. Put the 17 sts on a holder.

Right Front

Right front begins the same as left front. With MC and larger needles, CO 40[50] sts. Work 10 rows in garter rib as for back [see above]. Continue in St st until piece measures 19.5[21.5] inches ending with a knit row. BO 8 sts at the beg of next row, p to end. Continue in St st. When the piece measures the same as the back to the CC stripe, end with a knit row, change to CC and purl one row.

Change back to MC and start decreasing for the neck

First row [after CC row]: BO 3 sts, work to end.

Next row: Purl.

Next row: BO 3, k10, p1, k6, p1, k6, p1, k to end. This establishes the pattern on the yoke.

Refer to chart B for the pattern.

Continue binding off 3 sts at the start of each knit row while following the stitch pattern [chart B] until 17 sts remain [Note: On smaller size, your last decrease is 2 stitches, not 3] Place the remaining sts on holder.

Chart B

Each x represents a reverse stocking st-Purl on RS, Knit on WS, in CC.
The other stitches are knit on RS, purl on WS, in MC.

Finishing Shoulders

Shoulders are finished with a 3-needle bind off.

Begin with right shoulder: Hold the wrong sides of the front and back together. Using MC and larger needle, start at the outside shoulder edge with the back of the sweater facing you: put the needle through the first st of the back, then through the first st of the front. K the 2 together. Then put needle through the second back st and through the next st on front holder. Knit the two together as one. You now have 2 sts on the right hand needle. Slip the first st over the second as you do to bind off. Continue until all 17 stitches are cast off.

This will result in a raised ridge at the shoulder line. If you would prefer a more traditional shoulder line, place right sides together, and complete as described.

Do the same for left shoulder.

Sleeves

The sleeves are basically the same for both sizes. Using larger needles and MC, pick up and knit 44 sts around the armhole, from the point where you cast off the 8 sts on the front to the same point on the back. Work one row. Using cable cast on, CO 8 sts at the end of this row. [To work cable cast-on: Knit in the front and back of the last st, then knit in the front and back of this new stitch. Continue until there are 8 new sts.] You will have 52 sts on needle.

Work the next row, then CO 8 sts at the end of the row in the same fashion [60 sts].

Work in St for 1[3] inches, ending with a purl row.

Decrease Row: K1, sl 1, k1, psso, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Repeat decrease row every 4^th row until 32 sts remain.

Try the sweater on, checking for sleeve length. You may wish to knit a little more, or not. End with a p row.

Cuff

With MC, purl one row.

Next row: Change to smaller needles, knit, decreasing 2 st. evenly.

Next row: Change to CC -- K one row.

Next row: P with CC.

Next row: Change to MC. Knit 2 rows, then BO all sts purlwise.

Repeat for the other sleeve.

Finishing sleeve

Sew the sleeve seam. You may wish to use a finer yarn in the same color and composition as the main color to make the sewing a little easier.

Edging
Using MC and smaller needles, pick up and knit 54 sts up the right front, 1 extra to ease around corner [2 if it looks tight], 35 st across the yoke to the shoulder, 20 st across the back of the neck, 24 stitches across the yoke.

K one row.

P one row.

Change to CC and p 1 row.

K the next row with CC.

Change to MC and p 2 rows.

Starting from the left front: BO 1 st. Make button loop. [K into the front and back of the next st. K into the front and back of this new st. Then k into the front and back of this second new st --total of 3 new sts.] Resume knitting to the “corner” on the right front [just about at the CC stripe] make a 2^nd button loop. Space the 5[6] more button loops down the front, with the last 6 inches from the bottom. Finish row, then BO all sts firmly, not tightly.

Collar
Using MC and the smaller needle, and starting 9 inches from the top buttonhole on the right front, pick up and knit 54 stitches, ending 3 inches from the first button loop you made [on the left front].

Next row: Purl.

Pattern row 1: K2 in MC, *P1 CC, k1 MC* repeat from * to * to the last 2 sts. K2 MC.

Pattern row 2: P the MC sts with MC, K the CC st in CC.

Repeat these 2 pattern rows once more.

Repeat first pattern row once more.

Next row: Using MC only, knit.

Next row, BO purlwise, making a button loop at the end of the collar that is on the right front side.

With WS facing and CC, pick up 50 sts along the second row down of the collar. Work in St st until the facing is the same size as the collar. BO all sts. Whip stitch in place.

Shoulder pads

With MC and larger needles, CO 14 sts. Knitting every row, make a square. BO all. Fold the square in half diagonally, and whip stitch around the edges. Make 2.

Using a single strand of CC and a blunt darning needle, make a running stitch over each of the purl “bumps” you knit into the back and the front yoke. The running stitches are stitched vertically (from bottom of the knitted stitch to the top) not horizontally. This adds color to your knitting, without using fair isle techniques.
To sew up the sleeves and the sides, you might prefer a finer yarn of the same color and composition as the MC.

Sew on your buttons, stitch in your shoulder pads. The flat diagonal goes parallel to the shoulder seam, and the point of the triangle points to your neck].

Sew the flat button on the inside opposite the buttonhole on the left front.