Blake Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Blake Cardigan in Rowan Merino Aria

What Is Being Made

The Blake Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Lisa Richardson. This garment features a sophisticated construction with multiple size options ranging from a bust circumference of 71–76 cm up to 152–157 cm, accommodating a wide range of body types. The cardigan is worked in pieces and finished with shaped shoulders, making it a structured, tailored garment suitable for layering.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished appearance. The primary construction method involves working flat pieces that are later assembled. Cable techniques are central to the design, with the pattern incorporating cable crosses that create visual interest and texture throughout the garment. The shoulders are shaped using a bias bind-off method, where stitches are gradually decreased over multiple rows to create a smooth, angled shoulder seam rather than a sharp right angle. This technique ensures a professional fit and appearance at the armhole.

The left front panel demonstrates the complexity of the pattern, with stitch placement carefully calculated to ensure the cable motifs align properly across different sizes. The pattern uses stitch abbreviations and row-by-row instructions to guide knitters through the construction process, requiring attention to detail and pattern reading skills typical of intermediate-level projects.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch (knit stitch on both right and wrong sides) for edge stitches and structural elements
• Stockinette stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) as the base fabric
• Reverse stockinette stitch (purl on right side, knit on wrong side) used as contrast texture between cable panels
• Cable crosses executed using two primary cable abbreviations:
  • C12B (cable 12 back): Six stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held to the back of the work, six stitches are knitted from the main needle, then the six held stitches are knitted to complete a 12-stitch cable cross
  • C12F (cable 12 front): Six stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held to the front of the work, six stitches are knitted from the main needle, then the six held stitches are knitted to complete a 12-stitch cable cross
• Purl and knit combinations creating a textured stitch pattern that frames the cable motifs

Materials

The Blake Cardigan is designed to be knitted with Rowan Merino Aria yarn, a premium merino wool blend. The pattern specifies yarn requirements based on finished bust size, with quantities ranging from 22 to 28 balls of 50-gram weight depending on the size selected. This yarn choice provides a soft, breathable fiber suitable for a cardigan that can be worn across multiple seasons.

Knitting needles required include one pair of size 7 needles for the main fabric and one cable needle for executing the cable crosses. The cable needle is essential for manipulating stitches during the C12B and C12F techniques that define the cardigan's visual character.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 10 cm = 21 stitches and 22 rows in the stitch pattern using size 7 needles. Achieving this gauge is critical for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The cardigan is available in nine sizes, with finished bust measurements progressing in approximately 10–11 cm increments to ensure a proper fit across the full range of body measurements.