Berroco Rhys Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Rhys Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Berroco Rhys is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Alison Green from Berroco Book #414. This garment is available in eight sizes, ranging from 37 inches to 64 inches in bust measurement, with finished lengths between 16 and 19 inches. The cardigan is worked flat on needles and features a sophisticated lace pattern integrated into the body of the garment.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing for easy adjustments to length during the knitting process
• Worked flat: Rather than working in the round, this cardigan is constructed using flat knitting on straight or circular needles, with seaming required to join the pieces together
• Lace patterning: A charted lace pattern is incorporated into the design, creating decorative openwork details throughout the garment
• Seamed construction: Individual pieces are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished cardigan

Stitches Used

The Rhys cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with charted lace work. The ribbed edging at the lower edge is worked using a knit 3, purl 1 rib pattern, which provides elasticity and structure to the hem. The main body is worked in stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows) with the lace pattern integrated via a chart that knitters follow row by row. The charted pattern is repeated multiple times across the body of the garment, creating a balanced, symmetrical design.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rhys cardigan is designed to be knitted with Berroco Cambria yarn in the colorway Sycamore. This yarn is worked at a gauge of 21 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch and the charted pattern on the larger needles. The pattern requires 6 to 11 hanks of Berroco Cambria (each hank weighing 50 grams), depending on the size being knitted.

Two sizes of knitting needles are required: size 4 (3.50 mm) needles for the ribbed cuff and initial setup, and size 6 (4.00 mm) needles for the main body of the cardigan. A 29-inch circular needle in size 4 (3.50 mm) is also needed, likely for finishing details such as neckbands or button bands. The pattern also calls for 3 stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and construction points.

Design Details

The cardigan is designed with positive ease of 3 to 6 inches, meaning the finished bust measurement will be larger than the wearer's actual bust measurement for comfortable fit. The pattern includes detailed shaping instructions, including a moving row that adjusts stitch marker placement to accommodate the expanding lace pattern as the garment grows. This intermediate-level project requires knitters to follow a multi-row chart accurately and manage multiple pattern elements simultaneously, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques.