Jody Long Kamala Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Jody Long Kamala Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Kamala is a classic knitted cardigan from the Jody Long FLORA Collection, designed for experienced knitters. This garment is constructed as a button-front cardigan with set-in sleeves, available in six sizes ranging from Small (to fit bust 81-86 cm / 32-34 in) through XXXL (to fit bust 132-137 cm / 52-54 in). The cardigan features a full length of 66-75 cm (26-29½ in) from the neck shoulder point, with consistent sleeve length of 46-47 cm (18-18½ in) across all sizes.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques suited to experienced knitters:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower edges upward, beginning with the back piece
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished garment
• Lace detailing: The pattern incorporates lace elements, including a decorative picot cast-on edge and yarn-over lace stitches that create openwork detail
• Shaping techniques: The pattern introduces various shaping methods to achieve proper fit across multiple sizes, with increases and decreases worked evenly across rows

Stitches Used

The Kamala cardigan utilizes fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The primary stitch throughout the main body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Garter stitch: Used for edge definition and transition rows
• Yarn-over lace (yo, K2tog): Creates the decorative lace pattern worked as *yo, K2tog, rep from * across rows, producing an open, eyelet-like texture
• Picot cast-on: A decorative edge technique using alternating cast-on and cast-off stitches to create a scalloped, ornamental border

Materials

The Kamala cardigan requires specific materials to achieve the intended fabric and drape:

• Yarn: Jody Long FLORA yarn in the shade Cherry Blossom 005 (shown in pattern). Yarn quantities are based on average requirements and are approximate: 7 x 100g for Size S, increasing to 11 x 100g for Size XXXL
• Needles: Two pairs of needles are required—2.75 mm (US 2 / no 12) needles for the picot cast-on edge and initial lace rows, and 3.25 mm (US 3 / no 10) needles for the main body and sleeves worked in stockinette stitch
• Notions: 12 buttons for the front cardigan closure

Tension and Gauge

Achieving proper tension is essential for this cardigan to fit correctly across all sizes. The pattern specifies two different gauges depending on the stitch pattern: 24 stitches and 31 rows to 10 cm (4 in) measured over stockinette stitch using 3.25 mm needles, and 24½ stitches and 33½ rows to 10 cm (4 in) measured over the sleeve pattern, also using 3.25 mm needles.

Pattern Structure

The pattern is written with instructions for the smallest size (Small) given in the main text, with changes for larger sizes provided in square brackets. Repeat figures in round brackets indicate the number of times a sequence should be worked. Where only one figure appears without size variations, that instruction applies to all sizes. A figure of 0 indicates that no stitches, times, or rows are worked for that particular size.