Berroco Outside the Sock Kanti Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Outside the Sock Kanti Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Kanti is an intermediate-level cardigan designed by Alison Green, available in nine size options ranging from 35½" to 71½" bust circumference when closed. This garment features a sophisticated construction method where the body is knitted in one piece to the underarms before being divided for the back and fronts, followed by raglan sleeve caps worked back and forth in rows. The finished cardigan includes six 5/8" buttons for closure and is designed with positive ease of 2–4" for a comfortable, relaxed fit.

Techniques Used

The Kanti employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished structure. The body is constructed as a seamless piece worked from the bottom up to the underarms, demonstrating intermediate-level shaping and construction skills. Sleeves are worked in the round to a length of 12" before transitioning to flat rows for the raglan sleeve cap shaping. This hybrid approach—combining circular knitting for the sleeve body with flat knitting for the cap—requires competency in switching between different working methods. Lace patterns are incorporated into the design, adding visual interest and texture variation. The pattern requires blocking after completion to achieve accurate finished measurements, which is essential for proper gauge and fit.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is Stockinette Stitch (St st), which forms the foundation of the cardigan's smooth, classic appearance. In addition to stockinette, the design incorporates lace patterns that create decorative openwork sections. The pattern uses stitch markers to help track increases, decreases, and pattern repeats throughout construction. Waste yarn is employed to hold stitches temporarily during the division of body sections, a standard technique for managing multiple stitch groups during complex garment assembly.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

This cardigan is designed to be knitted with Berroco Vintage Sock yarn in the colorway #12077 Guava. Yardage requirements range from 3 balls (100 grams each) for the smallest sizes to 6 balls for the largest size, providing approximately 300–600 grams of yarn depending on the chosen size.

Needles required: One 32" circular needle in size 3 / 3.25 mm and one in size 4 / 3.5 mm, plus one set each of double-pointed needles or preferred small-circumference needles in both sizes for working the sleeves in the round. The pattern recommends adjusting needle size as needed to obtain the specified gauge.

Gauge specifications: 26 stitches and 32 rows over 4" in Stockinette Stitch using the larger (size 4 / 3.5 mm) needles, and 23 stitches and 32 rows over 4" in the lace patterns using the larger needles. Gauge is measured after blocking, making it essential to knit and block a gauge swatch before beginning the project.

Additional notions: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping, waste yarn for holding stitches during construction, and six 5/8" (15 mm) buttons for the cardigan front closure.