Berroco Flaherty Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Flaherty Cardigan by Norah Gaughan

What Is Being Made

The Flaherty is a classic cardigan sweater designed by renowned knitwear designer Norah Gaughan, featured in Norah Gaughan Vol. 15. This garment is crafted for intermediate knitters and comes in seven sizes to fit bust measurements from 30 inches up to 54 inches, with finished bust measurements ranging from 32 to 56 inches. The cardigan offers a finished length between 25½ and 28½ inches depending on size, and is designed with approximately 2 inches of ease for comfortable wearing.

Techniques Used

The Flaherty cardigan is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create both visual interest and structural integrity. The garment is worked flat, meaning it is knitted on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier shaping and seaming. The cardigan is worked bottom-up, beginning at the lower edge and progressing upward toward the shoulders, which is a traditional and intuitive construction method.

Cable patterns are a prominent design feature of this cardigan, adding texture and visual depth to the finished piece. The garment is seamed, with individual pieces joined together using mattress stitch or similar seaming techniques to create clean, professional-looking seams. This construction method requires careful attention to gauge and stitch counts to ensure pieces fit together properly.

Stitches Used

The Flaherty incorporates multiple stitch patterns to create its distinctive look. The pattern includes charted cable patterns that form the decorative elements of the cardigan. Stockinette stitch is used for sections requiring smooth, classic fabric. Knit 2, purl 2 ribbing (k2/p2 rib) is employed for the cuffs, hem, and button bands, providing elasticity and a finished appearance that helps the garment maintain its shape.

Materials and Specifications

This pattern calls for Berroco Blackstone Tweed yarn in color 2675. The yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 10 to 18 balls of 50-gram weight, providing sufficient yardage for the complete cardigan across all size options.

The pattern requires two sizes of knitting needles: size 5 (3.75mm) needles for ribbed sections and size 7 (4.5mm) needles for the main fabric and charted patterns. A 36-inch circular needle in the smaller size is needed for working the ribbed sections, and a cable needle is essential for manipulating stitches during cable pattern work. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, plus five buttons measuring 1¼ inches for the cardigan front closure.

Gauge Information

Achieving proper gauge is critical for this project. The pattern specifies that 19 stitches and 25 rows equal 4 inches in charted pattern using the larger needles, while 18 stitches and 25 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch using the larger needles. For the ribbed sections worked on smaller needles, the gauge is 25 stitches and 27 rows in k2/p2 rib. The pattern includes the reminder to check gauge before beginning, as variations in individual knitter tension can significantly affect finished measurements.