Classic Elite Yarns Let's Dance Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Let's Dance Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Let's Dance is a V-neck cardigan with an oversized fit, originally published in Sing 1507. This intermediate-level knitting project features an allover lace stitch throughout the garment, creating an elegant and textured appearance. The cardigan is designed to be worn with approximately 7 inches of positive ease, offering a relaxed and comfortable silhouette. It is available in six sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, and 2XL, with finished bust measurements ranging from 36¾ inches to 58½ inches.

Construction Techniques

The Let's Dance cardigan is worked flat in rows from the bottom up, using a seamed construction method. The lower body is knitted back and forth in one piece to the armholes, then divided for working the back and fronts separately to the shoulders. This bottom-up approach allows for easy fitting adjustments and straightforward shaping at the armholes and neckline.

The sleeves are worked in the round using circular needles, creating seamless tubular sleeves that are later sewn into the armholes during finishing. This hybrid construction—combining flat knitting for the body with in-the-round knitting for the sleeves—provides both structural integrity and design flexibility.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern used throughout the Let's Dance cardigan is the Feathered Squares, an allover lace motif. This pattern repeat consists of 12 stitches across and 24 rows (or rounds) vertically, creating a balanced, repeating geometric design.

The Feathered Squares pattern incorporates several fundamental lace techniques:

• Knit stitches on right-side rows and all rounds, creating the solid structure of the pattern
• Purl stitches on wrong-side rows, which are worked as knits when encountered on right-side rows, adding texture and definition
• Yarn overs, which create the characteristic openwork and lacy appearance of the design
• Double decreases (sk2p), paired with yarn overs to maintain stitch count while creating the feathered effect
• K3tog (knit 3 together) decreases, used in specific positions within the pattern repeat

When working the Feathered Squares chart in flat rows, odd-numbered chart rows represent right-side rows, while the unlabeled rows between them are wrong-side rows. When working in the round, all chart rows are read from right to left as right-side rounds. During shaping, if there are insufficient stitches to complete a double decrease with both its companion yarn overs, the stitches are worked in stockinette stitch instead, maintaining garment integrity.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Let's Dance cardigan is designed to be knitted with Classic Elite Yarns, a brand known for outstanding quality and brilliant design. The pattern is worked using smaller circular needles for the lower body cast-on, which accommodates the 199 to 319 stitches required across the six size options. The lower body length varies from 27 inches in the smallest size to 30¼ inches in the largest size, providing appropriate proportions for each size range.

While the specific yarn weight and fiber content are not detailed in the provided pattern excerpt, the construction method and stitch pattern suggest a yarn suitable for lace knitting that will showcase the Feathered Squares motif effectively. The use of circular needles allows for the seamless transition from the lower body to the divided fronts and back, as well as the in-the-round sleeve construction.