Berroco Ida Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Ida Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Berroco Ida is an intermediate-level cardigan designed by Alison Green. This garment features a classic cardigan silhouette with a lace rib pattern detail and raglan sleeves. The cardigan is available in eight sizes, ranging from 34" to 62½" bust circumference, with finished lengths between 16½" and 21" depending on size. The design is shown in size 38" with approximately 6" of ease for a comfortable, relaxed fit.

Construction Technique

The Berroco Ida is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed approach worked flat. The body is knit in one piece from the cast-on edge to the underarm, eliminating the need for multiple seams in the body section. Once the body reaches the underarm, it is divided into separate back and front pieces. The sleeves are worked in the round to the underarm using double-pointed needles, then transitioned to flat knitting for the raglan cap shaping. This hybrid construction method combines the efficiency of circular knitting with the shaping control of flat knitting.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern used in the Berroco Ida is Lace Rib Pattern, which features a multiple of 9 stitches plus 4. This four-row repeat combines knit and purl stitches with yarn overs and a centered double decrease (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over) to create an openwork lace effect integrated into a rib structure. The pattern alternates between wrong-side purl rows and right-side knit rows with the lace decreases. After the ribbed cuff section, the body transitions to Stockinette Stitch (St st), which provides a smooth, classic fabric base for the cardigan.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Berroco Ida is designed to be worked in Berroco Quechua, a yarn that comes in 50-gram hanks. The pattern requires 6 to 13 hanks depending on size, with the sample shown using color #1349 Espresso. The recommended gauge is 24 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch on the larger needle.

Needle requirements include:

• 32" circular needles in sizes 3 (3.25 mm) and 5 (3.75 mm)
• One set of four double-pointed needles (dpns) in sizes 3 (3.25 mm) and 5 (3.75 mm)
• Waste yarn for holding stitches
• One stitch marker

The pattern recommends using the specified Berroco Quechua yarn to ensure accurate finished measurements and proper gauge. Checking gauge before beginning is emphasized as essential for achieving the correct finished dimensions.