Diagonal Square Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Diagonal Square Cardigan Knitting Pattern Overview

The Diagonal Square Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitting project from Lion Brand that uses a creative geometric construction method. This cardigan is built from simple shapes—squares, rectangles, and long strips—that are knit individually and then seamed together to form the finished garment. The innovative design approach makes this pattern accessible to knitters with some experience while producing a sophisticated, modern cardigan.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a fully finished cardigan with long sleeves, button front closure, and a tailored fit. The garment is available in four sizes: Small (finished chest 40 inches), Medium (44 inches), Large (48 inches), and XL (52 inches), with lengths ranging from 24 to 25 inches. The cardigan features nine 7/8-inch buttons for closure and is designed as a classic layering piece.

Construction Technique

The Diagonal Square Cardigan uses a distinctive modular construction method. Rather than knitting the cardigan in traditional pieces, the pattern breaks the garment into geometric components:

• Four diagonal squares knit on the bias, which form the primary body structure
• Four rectangles also knit on the bias, which complete the body panels
• Two long strips knit in straight garter stitch, which form the side seams and armhole edges

The back is assembled from two squares positioned at the top and two rectangles at the bottom. Each front consists of one square at the top and one rectangle at the bottom. This modular approach allows knitters to work on smaller, manageable pieces before seaming them together with invisible garter seams. The long strips are then attached along the sides, with stitches picked up along the garter ridges to create the armholes and side seams in one step.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

Garter stitch is the primary stitch used throughout this entire cardigan. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row, which produces a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges on both sides. This stitch is ideal for this pattern because it creates visible garter ridges that serve as guides for picking up stitches during assembly.

Additional techniques include:

• Casting on to begin each piece with the specified stitch counts
• Increasing on each side of the sleeves at regular intervals to create the proper sleeve cap shaping
• Invisible garter seaming (also called bump-to-bump seaming), which joins pieces by sewing through the horizontal bumps created by garter stitch, resulting in nearly invisible seams
• Picking up stitches along garter ridges to attach the long strips and create the armhole openings

Materials and Tools

This pattern calls for Lion Brand Homespun yarn in the color Regency (or a color of your choice). The yardage requirements vary by size: 5 skeins for sizes Small and Medium, and 6 skeins for sizes Large and XL. Homespun is a bulky-weight yarn that works up quickly and creates a soft, textured fabric.

Needles required include Size 10.5 (6.5 mm) circular needles measuring 29 inches in length. Circular needles are used even for flat knitting in this pattern to accommodate the width of the pieces. The pattern also specifies nine 7/8-inch buttons (JHB #86822 Rushmore Marbled Navy is shown as the example).

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 12 stitches plus 24 rows equals 4 inches (10 cm) over garter stitch when worked with the larger needles. Checking gauge before beginning is emphasized as critical to ensure the finished cardigan meets the intended dimensions.

Sleeve Construction

The sleeves are knit separately using the larger needles. Stitches are cast on (31 to 35 stitches depending on size) and increased on each side at regular intervals—every 8 rows for size Small, and every 6 rows for sizes Medium, Large, and XL. The increases are worked 10 to 13 times to reach the final stitch count of 51 to 63 stitches. Sleeves are worked to a length of 17.5 inches before the stitches are placed on a holder for later attachment.