Classic Elite Yarns Ibis Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Ibis Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Ibis is a women's cardigan designed by Julie H. Rose, originally published in Birdsong 1502. This garment features a distinctive wide neckline with a drawstring tie closure that allows the wearer to adjust the neckline opening to their preferred fit. The cardigan is worked in ¾ length sleeves and showcases decorative eyelet circles and ruffled edges throughout the design. The wide neck opening is intentionally designed to be adjustable, providing versatility in styling from modest to more daring neckline presentations.

Construction Method

The Ibis cardigan is worked using a bottom-up, seamless construction approach. The lower body is knitted in one piece to the underarms, eliminating seams in this section. The sleeves are then worked separately back and forth in rows before being joined to the body. Once the sleeves and body are connected, the yoke is worked seamlessly to the base of the collar, creating a unified garment with minimal seaming.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan begins at the lower edge and is worked upward toward the shoulders and neckline
• Seamless Knitting: The body and sleeves are joined and worked together without traditional seams
• Lace Work: Decorative lace patterns, including eyelet circles, are incorporated throughout the design
• Worked Flat: The sleeves are worked flat in rows rather than in the round, allowing for shaping and pattern placement
• Cable Cast-On: The initial stitches are cast on using the cable cast-on method to create a sturdy foundation edge
• Ruffle Construction: A ruffled body edge is created through strategic decreasing that shapes the lower portion of the cardigan

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Ibis cardigan employs several key stitches and stitch patterns to create its distinctive appearance:

• Double Lifted Increase (DLI): This increase technique is worked by inserting the right-hand needle from back to front into the stitch below the next stitch on the left-hand needle, lifting the loop onto the left-hand needle, and knitting it. The next stitch is then knitted normally. The left-hand needle is then inserted from back to front into the second stitch below the stitch on the right-hand needle, lifting that loop onto the left-hand needle and knitting it through the back loop to avoid twisting. This technique increases two stitches and creates the eyelet circles characteristic of the design. Removable markers are recommended to identify the center stitch of each double lifted increase, which should be moved up as work progresses
• Lace Border Pattern: A seven-stitch lace border repeat is used, incorporating yarn overs, knit two together decreases, slip-slip-knit decreases, and slip-knit-pass-slipped-stitch-over decreases. The pattern alternates between right-side rows featuring yarn overs and decreases, and wrong-side rows with purled stitches and corresponding decreases. The lace border pattern repeats over ten rows, with rows 6 through 10 consisting of five purl rows that create a textured transition
• Stockinette Stitch: Used as the base fabric in sections of the cardigan
• Garter Stitch: Edge stitches are worked in garter stitch (knit on all rows) to frame the stockinette sections
• Decrease Stitches: The pattern employs knit two together (k2tog), slip-slip-knit (ssk), purl two together (p2tog), and slip-knit-pass-slipped-stitch-over (sk2p) decreases to shape the garment and create lace details
• Yarn Overs: Yarn overs (yo) are used throughout the lace patterns to create the eyelet circles and decorative openwork

Materials

The Ibis cardigan is designed to be worked with yarn from Classic Elite Yarns, a company known for outstanding yarns and brilliant designs. The pattern is worked on two needle sizes: a smaller needle is used for the initial cast-on and ruffle section, while a larger needle is used for the main body and lace sections. This needle size transition helps create the ruffled effect at the lower edge of the cardigan. The specific yarn weight and yardage requirements are detailed in the full pattern, which is available as a downloadable PDF from Classic Elite Yarns