Debbie Bliss Lace Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Debbie Bliss Lace Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Debbie Bliss Lace Cardigan is a sophisticated knitted cardigan featuring an intricate lace pattern throughout. This garment is designed as a button-front cardigan with long sleeves and comes in three sizes to fit chest measurements of 82-97 cm (32-38 in), 102-117 cm (40-46 in), and 122-137 cm (48-54 in). The finished cardigan features a chest width of 120, 160, or 200 cm depending on size, with a length of 54-60 cm and sleeve lengths ranging from 45-48 cm.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using bottom-up knitting, meaning the pieces are worked from the lower edge upward. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with individual pieces that are later seamed together. The primary design element is an elegant lace pattern that runs throughout the body and sleeves, created through strategic yarn overs and decreases that form openwork motifs.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The lace cardigan employs a variety of fundamental and decorative knitting stitches:

• Knit and purl stitches form the foundation of the fabric and create texture contrast with the lace
• Yarn overs (yo) create the openwork characteristic of lace patterns
• Decreases including ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit two together) balance the yarn overs and shape the lace motifs
• Slip, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, k2tog, psso) creates double decreases for more dramatic shaping within the lace
• Knit into front and back (kfb) for increases where needed
• Purl two together (p2tog) for decreases on wrong-side rows

The lace pattern repeats across rows in a structured sequence, with alternating right-side rows containing the decorative yarn overs and decreases, and wrong-side rows worked primarily in purl stitches to set the pattern. The cardigan begins with a ribbed edge worked in knit two, purl two (k2, p2) ribbing to provide structure and elasticity.

Materials

This pattern calls for Debbie Bliss Nell yarn, a premium yarn available exclusively through lovecrafts.com. The yardage requirements are 8, 10, or 12 balls of 50g/1¾oz per ball depending on size, worked in the color Lilac (05). The cardigan is worked on 6mm (US 10) knitting needles. The garment is fastened with 7 or 8 buttons depending on size.

Gauge and Difficulty

The tension for this project is 15 stitches and 16 rows to a 10cm/4in square over the lace pattern using 6mm (US 10) needles. This is an intermediate-level project, suitable for knitters with experience in working lace patterns and seaming garment pieces together. The combination of lace work with shaping and seaming requires attention to stitch counts and pattern placement.