Ella Rae Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Ella Rae Olivia Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Ella Rae Olivia Cardigan is a knitted cardigan garment designed in five size options ranging from Small to XX-Large, with finished bust measurements from 37¾ inches to 54¼ inches (96 cm to 138 cm). This is a classic button-front cardigan with a structured fit, featuring a full length from shoulder of 22½ to 25½ inches (57 to 65 cm) and sleeve lengths ranging from 17 to 18½ inches (43 to 47 cm).

Knitting Techniques

The Olivia Cardigan employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished design:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is worked from the bottom upward, beginning with casting on stitches for the back piece and progressing toward the shoulders and neckline.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional seaming and finishing.
• Stranded Colorwork: The pattern incorporates stranded knitting technique with two colors of yarn held simultaneously. The yarn not in active use is stranded loosely across the wrong side of the work and woven in every 3 to 4 stitches to prevent long floats and maintain fabric integrity.
• Seed Stitch Ribbing: The cardigan begins with a moss stitch (also called seed stitch) border, which is created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. This provides a textured, non-rolling edge ideal for button bands and cuffs.

Stitches Used

The primary stitches featured in the Olivia Cardigan include:

• Seed Stitch (Moss Stitch): Formed by alternating K1, P1 across rows, creating a bumpy, textured fabric. The pattern specifies 12 rows of seed stitch at the lower edge before transitioning to the main pattern.
• Stockinette Stitch: Used as the base fabric for the stranded colorwork sections, providing a smooth canvas for the two-color patterning.
• Increase Stitches: Make One (M1) increases are used strategically in Row 13 to shape the garment and establish the stitch count for the main body.
• Bind-Off Stitches: Used to shape armholes and finish edges throughout the construction.

Stranded Colorwork Pattern

The cardigan features a 14-row pattern repeat worked in stranded knitting with two distinct colors. The pattern is worked from a provided chart, with specific beginning and ending row instructions for each size to ensure proper alignment of the colorwork design across the front, back, and sleeves.

Materials and Yarn

The Olivia Cardigan is designed to be worked in Ella Rae Cashmereno Sport, a fine-weight yarn available in two color options for this project:

• Yarn A (Main Color): 7, 7, 8, 8, or 9 skeins of 50g in shade 32 Malachite, depending on size.
• Yarn B (Contrast Color): 5, 5, 6, 6, or 7 balls of 50g in Ella Rae Cashmereno Sport Speckled shade 107 New Neapolitan, depending on size.

The yarn choice provides a lightweight, breathable fabric suitable for layering, with the speckled texture of the contrast yarn adding visual interest to the stranded colorwork sections.

Needles and Notions

The pattern requires two pairs of needles in different sizes to create varying gauges:

• US 3 (3.25 mm) needles: Used for the initial seed stitch ribbing and edge work, creating a tighter, more elastic fabric that frames the garment.
• US 5 (3.75 mm) needles: Used for the main body and stranded colorwork sections, creating a slightly more relaxed gauge for the primary fabric.

Additionally, the pattern calls for 5 buttons for the front closure, making this a classic five-button cardigan design.

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