Classic Elite Yarns Latharna Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Latharna Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Latharna is a sophisticated cardigan designed for experienced knitters. This garment combines elegant shaping techniques with decorative lace detailing, featuring a button-front closure with eight 5/8" buttons. The cardigan is available in six sizes ranging from XS to 2XL, making it accessible to a wide range of body measurements. The design allows for customization through blocking, enabling knitters whose ideal finished bust measurement falls between two sizes to select the smaller size and block to their desired width.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Latharna is worked seamlessly from the needles bottom up, meaning construction begins at the lower body edge and progresses upward toward the shoulders. This approach eliminates the need for seaming the body pieces together, resulting in a more refined finish.

The cardigan employs a combination of raglan and saddle shoulder shaping, which creates smooth, contoured armholes and shoulder lines. The yoke shaping is worked flat using circular needles, allowing the knitter to easily manage the increasing number of stitches as the garment expands from the body into the yoke and sleeves.

Diagonal eyelet lines form the primary lace feature throughout the body. These eyelets are strategically placed and contain varying numbers of stockinette stitches between yarn over-decrease pairs depending on the size being knitted. This thoughtful design allows the body to be blocked wider if necessary, providing flexibility in the finished dimensions.

Stitches Used

The Latharna utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace techniques:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary fabric stitch, worked in rows and rounds, creating a smooth, classic knit surface
• 1 x 1 Ribbing: Used for the lower edge and cuffs, worked both in rows (with an odd number of stitches) and in the round (with an even number of stitches), alternating knit and purl stitches to create elasticity
• Yarn Overs (yo): Creates the eyelet holes that form the diagonal lace pattern lines
• Decreases (ssk and k2tog): Paired with yarn overs to maintain stitch count while creating the lace pattern and shaping the garment

Materials and Gauge

The Latharna requires circular knitting needles in US size 3 (3.25 mm) in two lengths: a 16" needle for working smaller circumferences and a 32" needle for larger sections. Double-pointed needles (dpn) in the same size are also needed for sections with too few stitches for circular needles.

Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, removable stitch markers for identifying key stitches and the diagonal eyelet lines, and stitch holders for temporarily securing stitches during yoke construction.

The gauge is 22 stitches and 32 rows/rounds over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, measured after blocking. Achieving correct gauge is essential for proper fit, as the cardigan is constructed using specific stitch counts that determine the finished bust measurements across the six available sizes.

Yarn Specifications

While the PDF content does not specify the yarn weight, fiber content, or yardage requirements, the gauge of 22 stitches per 4 inches indicates a fingering to sport weight yarn is appropriate for this project. The use of US size 3 needles further confirms this yarn weight range, as these needles are standard for finer yarns that produce delicate, refined fabrics suitable for lace work.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated for experienced knitters. The combination of seamless construction, raglan and saddle shoulder shaping, lace pattern work, and careful stitch management throughout the yoke requires solid foundational skills and the ability to troubleshoot potential issues during construction.