Ben's Jacket Cascade PacificFree Knitting Pattern

Ben's Jacket Cascade Pacific Free Knitting Pattern

Project Overview

Ben's Jacket is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Linda Voss Plummer and featured in the Cascade Yarns pattern collection. This structured jacket project combines classic knitting techniques with decorative cable work, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills looking to expand their technical repertoire. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and includes multiple size options to accommodate various measurements.

Garment Construction and Design

The jacket is constructed using a traditional set-in sleeve method with a hood feature, creating a versatile layering piece. The design incorporates a button-front closure with four evenly spaced buttonholes positioned along the left front edge. The garment features a structured silhouette with garter stitch edging that frames the piece and provides stability, while stockinette stitch forms the primary fabric body. A decorative cable panel runs vertically down each front, adding visual interest and textural depth to the design.

Sizing and Measurements

The pattern offers five size options with corresponding yardage and stitch counts. The back piece begins with cast-on counts ranging from 60 to 80 stitches depending on size selection. Body length measurements progress from 12½ inches in the smallest size to 16½ inches in the largest size, measured from the cast-on edge to the armhole. Armhole depth ranges from 5½ to 8¼ inches across the size range. The hood is constructed by joining stitches from both front pieces and the back, with a center stitch marked for symmetrical increases.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

Primary Stitches: The jacket utilizes stockinette stitch as the main fabric, created by alternating knit and purl rows. Garter stitch, formed by knitting every row, appears in the ribbed edging sections and front bands, providing a textured, elastic finish that resists curling.

Cable Work: Two cable techniques form the decorative front panel. The C4L (Cable 4 Left) stitch is worked by slipping 2 stitches to a cable needle and holding it to the back, knitting 2 stitches from the main needle, then knitting the 2 stitches from the cable needle. The C4R (Cable 4 Right) reverses this process by holding the cable needle to the front. These cables are worked in an 11-stitch repeat panel with a pattern sequence that creates a twisted, interlocking visual effect.

Shaping Techniques: The pattern employs cast-off shaping at the armholes and front neck edge to create the jacket's fitted silhouette. A three-needle bind-off joins the shoulder seams with right sides facing, creating a strong, neat seam. Hood increases are worked using the kfslb (knit front and slip back) method, which creates a new stitch by knitting into the front and back of the same stitch. These increases are spaced every 6 rows and positioned symmetrically on either side of a marked center stitch.

Button Closure: Buttonholes are created using a bind-off method, where 2 stitches are bound off on the right side row, then 2 new stitches are cast on over the bound-off stitches using the backward loop method on the following wrong-side row.

Materials Required

The project calls for Cascade Pacific yarn, with yardage requirements of 3 to 5 balls depending on the selected size. The pattern specifies Size 7 knitting needles or the size needed to achieve the correct gauge. A cable needle is essential for manipulating the cable stitches, and a 24-inch circular needle (or appropriate length for the selected size) is required for constructing the hood section.

Gauge and Tension

The pattern establishes a gauge of 20 stitches over 4 inches, measured in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is critical for proper fit, as the jacket's finished measurements depend directly on consistent tension throughout the project.

Construction Sequence

The jacket is worked in separate pieces: the back, left front, and right front are knitted individually from the bottom up. The back piece begins with a garter stitch border, then transitions to stockinette stitch for the body. Armhole shaping occurs through bind-offs at the beginning of rows. The front pieces mirror the back construction but include the cable panel detail and button closure elements. After all pieces are complete, the shoulders are joined using the three-needle bind-off technique. The hood is then picked up from the neckline stitches and worked in stockinette stitch with symmetrical increases to create the proper