Classic Elite Yarns Buckhannon Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Buckhannon Cardigan

Project Overview

The Buckhannon is a classic cardigan design originally published in Every Day Knits 1407, a printed collection from Classic Elite Yarns. This cardigan features a simple, timeless silhouette worked entirely in garter stitch, making it an excellent project for knitters seeking straightforward construction with elegant results. The design is worked in Mohawk wool, a premium yarn that provides warmth and durability for this versatile garment.

Construction Method

The Buckhannon is constructed using a top-down, seamless approach, beginning at the neck edge and progressing downward. This method allows for easy fitting adjustments and eliminates the need for seaming, resulting in a more refined finished garment. The yoke is shaped through strategic increases that are distributed across the front, back, and sleeve sections. At the base of the armholes, the work divides, allowing the lower body and sleeves to be worked separately back and forth in rows, providing flexibility in garment customization.

Yoke and Shaping

The yoke begins with a cast-on of 112 to 128 stitches, depending on size. Stitches are divided into sections for the right front, right sleeve, back, left sleeve, and left front using stitch markers to maintain clear section boundaries. The yoke shaping employs increase rows worked on the right side, with increases placed strategically one stitch before each marker using make-one-right (m1-r) and make-one-left (m1-l) techniques. These increases add 8 stitches per increase row: one stitch to each front, and two stitches each to the sleeves and back. This balanced shaping creates a well-proportioned garment that fits smoothly across the shoulders and upper body.

Stitch Techniques

The Buckhannon is worked entirely in garter stitch, the most fundamental of knit stitches, created by knitting every row. This creates a reversible fabric with horizontal ridges on both sides, offering both visual interest and practical durability. The pattern incorporates one-row buttonholes worked at the right front edge, a refined technique that creates neat, functional openings without interrupting the overall fabric pattern. These buttonholes are positioned at regular intervals (every 2½ to 3 inches, depending on size) and are completed using slip stitches and the cable cast-on method to reinforce the buttonhole opening.

Buttonhole Placement and Technique

Buttonholes are strategically placed along the right front edge, with nine buttonholes total worked throughout the yoke and body sections. The first buttonhole is positioned on the wrong-side row following the third increase row. The one-row buttonhole technique involves slipping stitches purlwise with yarn in front or back, passing stitches over one another to create the opening, and then using a cable cast-on to rebuild the stitches on the return row. This method produces clean, durable buttonholes that integrate seamlessly with the garter stitch fabric.

Materials and Yarn

The Buckhannon is designed to be knitted in Mohawk wool, a yarn offered by Classic Elite Yarns. Mohawk wool provides excellent stitch definition in garter stitch and offers the warmth and resilience expected from a quality wool cardigan. The pattern accommodates multiple sizes, allowing knitters to select the appropriate yardage and needle size for their desired finished dimensions.

Sizing and Fit

The pattern is available in multiple sizes, with cast-on quantities ranging from 112 to 128 stitches and varying numbers of increase rows (4 to 37 additional repeats depending on size). This range allows knitters to customize the finished cardigan to their preferred fit and body measurements, with the top-down construction method enabling real-time fitting adjustments as the garment is worked.

Design Credit

The Buckhannon cardigan was designed by Susan Mills and represents a timeless approach to cardigan construction that emphasizes simplicity, wearability, and the natural beauty of garter stitch fabric.