Jody Long Bute Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Jody Long Bute Cardigan from The Alba Collection

What Is Being Made

The Bute is a seamed, bottom-up cardigan designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 81-86 cm (32-34 inches) in size S through 122-127 cm (48-50 inches) in size XXL. This garment features a full length of 70-74 cm (27½-29 inches) from shoulder, with sleeve lengths of 46-48 cm (18-19 inches) depending on size. The cardigan is part of The Alba Collection and showcases a sophisticated intarsia color pattern worked throughout the body and sleeves.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques to create its finished structure. The garment is worked flat on straight needles from the bottom up, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the shoulders and neckline. The construction is seamed, with pieces joined together after individual sections are completed. The most distinctive technique featured in this design is intarsia, a color-work method where separate balls of yarn are used for each distinct block of color. When colors meet within a row, the yarns are twisted together on the wrong side to prevent holes from forming—a critical step in quality intarsia work. The pattern includes shaping at the armholes through strategic decreases and shoulder shaping through cast-offs, with markers placed to denote the base of armhole openings.

Stitches Used

The Bute cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches executed with precision. The lower edge begins with a ribbed cuff worked in alternating knit and purl stitches (K1, P1 rib pattern), which creates elasticity and helps the garment sit close to the body. After the initial ribbed section, the main body transitions to stockinette stitch (st st), which is created by knitting all stitches on right-side rows and purling all stitches on wrong-side rows. This smooth, flat fabric serves as the foundation for the intarsia color pattern, which is worked entirely within the stockinette stitch structure. The pattern repeats over 44 rows, allowing the color design to develop consistently across the garment pieces.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Bute cardigan is knitted using Jody Long Alba yarn, a premium yarn available in two colorways for this design. Yarn A (Pigeon 002) is required in quantities of 3-6 balls of 100g depending on size, with larger sizes requiring more yardage. Yarn B (Magpie 004) is needed in 2-3 balls of 100g across all sizes. The project requires two pairs of straight needles in different sizes to achieve proper tension and fabric characteristics. 3.25 mm (US 3) needles are used for the initial ribbed cuff section, creating a tighter, more elastic fabric at the garment edges. 3.75 mm (US 5) needles are used for the main body and sleeve sections after the cuff is complete, allowing the stockinette stitch and intarsia pattern to develop at the correct gauge. A 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needle is also listed in the materials, likely for finishing details such as neckline or button bands. The project is worked to a tension of 23 stitches and 31 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over patterned stockinette stitch using the 3.75 mm needles, making accurate gauge swatching essential before beginning.