Ida Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Ida Cardigan in Berroco Quechua

What Is Being Made

The Ida Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Alison Green. This garment features a classic cardigan silhouette with a body knit in one piece to the underarm, then divided for the back and front panels. The sleeves are worked in the round to the underarm before transitioning to a raglan cap construction knit in rows. The cardigan is available in eight sizes, ranging from a 34-inch bust (closed) up to 62½ inches, with corresponding lengths from 16½ inches to 21 inches.

Techniques Used

The Ida Cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that contribute to its intermediate difficulty level. The body is constructed using a seamless in-the-round method on circular needles, which reduces finishing work and ensures a polished final garment. Sleeves are also worked in the round using double-pointed needles, providing a seamless sleeve cap. The pattern incorporates a decorative lace rib pattern for the ribbed edging, which requires understanding of yarn-over increases and slip-stitch decreases. The raglan cap shaping is accomplished through decreases worked in rows, creating a fitted armhole and shoulder area. Gauge is critical to this project, and knitters are advised to check their gauge carefully before beginning to ensure accurate finished measurements.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used throughout most of the Ida Cardigan is stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric. The pattern features a decorative Lace Rib Pattern that is worked at the cast-on edge and likely throughout the ribbed sections. This lace rib pattern is based on a multiple of 9 stitches plus 4 additional stitches and repeats over 4 rows. The pattern combines knit and purl stitches with yarn-overs (yo) and a centered double decrease (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over—abbreviated as slip 1, k2tog, psso). This creates an elegant openwork effect within the ribbed edging. The combination of stockinette stitch and lace rib provides both structure and visual interest to the finished cardigan.

Materials and Specifications

The Ida Cardigan is designed to be knitted with Berroco Quechua yarn, a worsted-weight option that comes in 50-gram hanks. The pattern shown is made in color #1349 Espresso. Yardage requirements range from 6 hanks for the smallest size to 13 hanks for the largest size. The recommended gauge is 24 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the larger needles after blocking.

Needles required include:

• 32-inch circular needles in size 3 (3.25 mm) for ribbing and initial cast-on
• 32-inch circular needles in size 5 (3.75 mm) for the main body in stockinette stitch
• One set of four double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 3 (3.25 mm) for sleeve ribbing
• One set of four double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 5 (3.75 mm) for working sleeves in the round

Additional notions include waste yarn for holding stitches during construction and one stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points. The pattern is presented as a downloadable PDF format, allowing knitters to access instructions digitally and print as needed.