Alby Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Alby Cardigan by Quail Studio for Mode at Rowan

What Is Being Made

The Alby is a classic knitted cardigan designed by Quail Studio and published as a digital pattern by Mode at Rowan. This garment is constructed as a button-front cardigan with a traditional fitted silhouette, available in nine size options ranging from 71-76 cm chest (28-30 inches) through to 152-157 cm chest (60-62 inches). The actual finished chest measurements range from 113 cm to 193 cm, providing comfortable wearing ease across the size range.

Knitting Techniques

The Alby cardigan employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for advanced beginners. The garment construction begins with a ribbed cuff worked flat on straight needles, followed by a transition to stockinette stitch for the main body. The pattern includes shaping at the back neck and shoulders, indicating structured tailoring. The use of stitch holders and stitch markers throughout the pattern suggests careful management of stitches during armhole and neckline shaping. The circular needles specified for certain sections indicate that portions of the garment may be worked in the round or require longer needles to accommodate a larger number of stitches.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: A 1x1 rib pattern (alternating knit and purl stitches) forms the cuffs and welts, creating elasticity and a finished appearance
• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the main body of the cardigan, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, classic fabric
• Decreases: The pattern incorporates "work 2 tog" decreases during the ribbed sections, used to shape the garment and adjust stitch counts before transitioning to stockinette

Materials and Tools

The Alby cardigan is knitted using Chunky Wool yarn by Rowan, a worsted-weight fiber requiring 9 to 17 balls of 100-gram skeins depending on the finished size (the sample shown was photographed in the colorway Palm 018). The pattern requires 6.5mm (US 10½) needles for the ribbed sections and 7mm (US 10½) needles for the main stockinette stitch body, with the 7mm needles providing the correct tension. A pair of 6.5mm circular needles at least 150 cm long is also specified, suggesting their use for managing larger stitch counts or working specific sections. Additional notions include stitch holders for securing stitches during shaping and stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and structural points.

Tension and Gauge

The pattern specifies a tension of 13 stitches and 16 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over stockinette stitch using the 7mm (US 10½) needles. Achieving correct gauge is essential for the cardigan to fit as intended across all nine size options.