James C. Brett Weekend Jacket Cardigan Knitting Pattern

James C. Brett Weekend Jacket

What Is Being Made

The James C. Brett Weekend Jacket is a women's cardigan-style jacket designed by Sandi Prosser. This garment is suitable for everyday wear and is available in five sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, and Extra Extra Large. The finished bust measurements range from 37 inches (94 cm) for size Small to 52 inches (132 cm) for size Extra Extra Large, with corresponding lengths between 25.5 inches (65 cm) and 27.75 inches (70.5 cm). The jacket features a structured design with garter stitch edging, a collar detail, and armhole shaping.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to create the finished garment:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The jacket is worked from the bottom edges upward, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and adjust length as needed.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, making this an accessible project for knitters who prefer traditional flat knitting methods.
• Seamed Assembly: Individual pieces are joined together using seaming techniques to create the finished jacket, providing clean, professional-looking seams.
• Armhole Shaping: The pattern includes strategic cast-on increases to shape the armholes, creating proper sleeve cap depth and fit.
• Collar Shaping: A 12-stitch collar is cast on during the construction process and worked in garter stitch for a defined neckline.

Stitches Used

The James C. Brett Weekend Jacket utilizes fundamental knitting stitches suitable for intermediate knitters:

• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row, garter stitch forms the foundation of the design. It is used extensively for the edging (4.5 inches / 11.5 cm on the lower edge), the collar, and the first and last 12 stitches of each row to create neat, finished edges.
• Stockinette Stitch Variation: The main body pattern alternates knit and purl stitches in a structured sequence (K1, P1 pattern), creating a textured surface while maintaining the garment's drape and structure.
• Pattern Stitch: The repeating four-row pattern (rows 1–4) combines garter stitch borders with the knit-purl pattern in the center, maintaining continuity throughout the garment pieces.

Materials and Gauge

The James C. Brett Weekend Jacket is designed to be knitted with James Brett Marble Chunky yarn in color #8 Jeweltone. This chunky-weight yarn comes in 200-gram balls, with each ball containing 341 yards (312 meters). The pattern requires 4 balls for sizes Small through Large, and 5 balls for Extra Large and Extra Extra Large, making this a relatively quick project suitable for weekend knitting.

Knitters will need one pair of size 5.50mm (US 9) knitting needles or the size required to obtain the correct gauge. Stitch markers are also recommended to help track pattern repeats and shaping points.

The recommended gauge is 15 stitches and 23 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in pattern stitch using size 5.50mm (US 9) needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished garment meets the intended measurements and drapes correctly. The chunky yarn weight combined with this gauge creates a fabric with good structure and warmth, ideal for a casual weekend jacket.