AMANO Yaya Cardigan Knitting Pattern

AMANO Yaya Cardigan

What is Being Made

The AMANO Yaya Cardigan is a seamless, top-down knitted cardigan designed by Martha Wissing for the Fall Winter 16/17 collection. This garment features a reversible stitch pattern and is constructed using circular needles to accommodate the large stitch counts required for the design. The cardigan is available in multiple sizes to fit different measurements.

Construction Techniques

This cardigan employs a seamless, top-down construction method, which means knitting begins at the center back neck and progresses downward toward the hem. This approach eliminates the need for seaming and allows for easy adjustments during the knitting process. The garment uses raglan-style increases to shape the shoulders and sleeves, with yarn-over increases placed at marked intervals to create the characteristic raglan lines.

The body is worked flat on a circular needle initially, then divided to separate the sleeves from the body. The sleeves are subsequently worked in the round using double-pointed needles, while the body continues in flat rows. This hybrid approach—combining flat and circular knitting—is a hallmark of modern top-down cardigan design.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern used throughout the cardigan is reversible, meaning it looks intentional on both sides. The pattern combines knit and purl stitches in a structured arrangement. Specifically, the main body features alternating rows of knit and purl stitches worked between raglan markers, creating a textured, reversible fabric. The pattern is shown with the purl side facing in the design.

Additional stitches employed include:

• Yarn-overs (yo) – used for raglan increases to create decorative, intentional holes that define the shoulder shaping
• Knit stitches (k) – the foundation stitch for the majority of the garment
• Purl stitches – used to create texture and reversibility in the main pattern sections
• Decreases (k2tog and SSK) – employed on the sleeves to taper them toward the cuff
• Garter stitch edging – applied at the sleeve cuffs, created by alternating purl and knit rounds

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The cardigan is designed to be worked with circular needles in two sizes: a smaller circular needle for the initial cast-on and edgings, and a larger circular needle for the main body sections where stitch counts are highest. Double-pointed needles (dpns) in both smaller and larger sizes are required for working the sleeves in the round.

While specific yarn fiber content and weight are not detailed in the pattern instructions provided, the AMANO yarn company offers the pattern support and yarn recommendations through their website at amanoyarns.com. The yarn choice should be appropriate for the needle sizes specified and should provide the drape and structure necessary for a reversible stitch pattern to display effectively on both sides of the fabric.

Sizing and Finished Measurements

The Yaya Cardigan is offered in six sizes with varying stitch counts. The pattern includes multiple options for cast-on stitches—ranging from 80 to 108 stitches—to accommodate different finished garment widths. Sleeve length is standardized at 12 inches from the underarm to the cuff, with the main body depth measuring approximately 19 to 20½ inches from the center back neck.