Classic Elite Yarns Supersonic Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Supersonic Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Supersonic is a knitted cardigan featuring an elegant leaf and lace stitch pattern. This garment is designed to be worn with generous positive ease, with finished measurements approximately 6 inches larger than the wearer's bust measurement. The cardigan is suitable for intermediate-level knitters and was originally published in Fall 2012 in Top Notch, a printed collection of designs by Classic Elite Yarns.

Construction Technique

This cardigan is constructed using the bottom-up method, meaning pieces are knitted from the lower edge upward. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, and pieces are subsequently seamed together. This traditional approach allows for precise shaping and the integration of decorative stitch patterns throughout the front panels.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Supersonic employs two primary stitch patterns:

• 2 x 2 Ribbing: A classic ribbed texture worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2. This stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in a 2-by-2 pattern (K2, P2) and is used for the lower edge ribbing, which measures approximately 1¼ inches when worked for 9 rows.
• Leaf and Lace Pattern: The signature decorative element of this cardigan, worked over a 30 to 34-stitch section. This charted pattern is notable for its variable stitch count across rows. The pattern begins with 34 stitches, gradually decreases to a minimum of 30 stitches at the midpoint, and then gradually increases back to 34 stitches over a 24-row repeat. Knitters should count each chart section as 34 stitches when checking stitch counts, even on rows where the temporary decrease is in effect. The Set-up Row is worked once to establish the chart pattern, after which Rows 1–24 are repeated throughout.

Stitches outside the marked chart sections are worked in stockinette stitch, creating a smooth background that allows the leaf and lace motif to stand out prominently.

Shaping Details

The cardigan incorporates both side and neck shaping. Side decreases are worked using the ssk (slip, slip, knit) decrease technique on right-side rows, with 5 rows worked even between decrease rows. The V-neck shaping is created by decreasing just before the first chart marker on right-side rows, while the stitch count between the chart section and the row end remains constant through the shoulders, creating a balanced neckline.

Materials

This pattern is designed to be worked with yarn from Classic Elite Yarns and requires needles appropriate for the chosen yarn weight. The pattern provides multiple sizes with varying stitch counts: 70 stitches, 74 stitches, 82 stitches, and 86 stitches for the left front, accommodating different finished measurements. Stitch markers are necessary to denote the chart sections during construction.