Classic Elite Yarns Rosaline Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Rosaline Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Rosaline is a classic, season-less V-neck cardigan designed by Tonia Barry. This garment features a timeless silhouette with front bands worked in a contrasting color, making it a versatile piece suitable for various occasions and seasons. The cardigan is available in multiple sizes to accommodate different fit preferences.

Construction Technique

The Rosaline cardigan is constructed using a seamless, top-down method, which means knitting begins at the neck edge and progresses downward toward the hem. This approach offers several advantages: it allows for easy fitting adjustments during the knitting process, eliminates the need for seaming, and creates a smooth, professional finish. The pattern begins with a small cast-on at the neck and systematically increases stitches to shape the yoke and body.

At the base of the raglan yoke, the piece divides, allowing the body and sleeves to be worked separately. The sleeves are worked in the round, which maintains continuity in the stitch pattern and eliminates side seams on the sleeves themselves.

Shaping and Increase Techniques

The Rosaline employs several specialized increase techniques to create its fitted silhouette:

• Neck Increases: Worked as a Neck Inc row on the right side, using make-one-left (m1-l) and make-one-right (m1-r) techniques at the edges to create the V-neck shaping. These increases are worked every right-side row for the first phase, then every other right-side row (every fourth row) for subsequent shaping.
• Raglan Increases: Multiple raglan increase rows are used to shape the yoke. The basic Raglan Inc row increases 8 stitches total (2 stitches at each of the four raglan lines marked by stitch markers). Variations include the Raglan Body Inc row (4 stitches increased: 1 stitch each front, 2 stitches on back) and the Raglan Sleeve Inc row (4 stitches increased: 2 stitches each sleeve).
• Sleeve Decreases: Once sleeves are separated and worked in the round, a Sleeve Dec round is used near the cuff, employing ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit two together) decreases to taper the sleeve opening.

Stitch Patterns

The Rosaline features two primary stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The main fabric of the cardigan, created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows. This creates a smooth, classic appearance that showcases the yarn's qualities.
• 2 x 2 Rib: A textured stitch pattern used for finishing details, particularly the front bands. The 2 x 2 Rib is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches and alternates between knit and purl stitches in a regular pattern. Row 1 (right side) is worked as K3, *p2, k2; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, p2, k3. Row 2 (wrong side) reverses this as P3, *k2, p2; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, k2, p3. These two rows are repeated to create the characteristic ribbed texture.

Materials and Tools

The Rosaline is designed to be worked with Classic Elite Yarns yarn and requires a larger circular needle for the yoke and body sections. The pattern accommodates multiple size options, with cast-on counts ranging from 42 to 74 stitches depending on the desired finished size. Stitch markers are essential for tracking the raglan shaping lines throughout the construction process.

Skill Level

This pattern is suitable for intermediate knitters who are comfortable with top-down seamless construction, working with stitch markers, and executing various increase and decrease techniques. The combination of V-neck shaping and raglan yoke increases worked simultaneously requires careful attention to pattern instructions.