Jojoland Diagonal Matrix Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Jojoland Diagonal Matrix Cardigan and Waistcoat

What is Being Made

The Jojoland Diagonal Matrix is a top-down knitted cardigan or waistcoat designed for intermediate knitters. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a fitted garment with a sophisticated diagonal texture pattern. The design is available in three sizes with bust measurements of 33½", 36", and 38½", making it suitable for a range of body types. The pattern uses a seamless construction method that begins at the neckline and works downward, allowing for easy customization and fitting adjustments as you knit.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance and structure:

• Top-Down Construction: The garment is knitted beginning at the neck and progressing toward the hem, which allows knitters to try on the piece as they work and adjust length as needed.
• Worked Flat: The pattern is primarily worked flat on needles rather than in continuous rounds, allowing for easier stitch manipulation and pattern reading.
• Worked in the Round: Certain sections incorporate circular knitting techniques, particularly for yoke shaping and body sections.
• Seamed Construction: The finished pieces are seamed together using a tapestry needle, creating clean, professional seams that contribute to the garment's polished appearance.
• Cable Techniques: The pattern incorporates cable stitches, specifically T2B (Twist 2 Back) and T2F (Twist 2 Front) maneuvers that create the diagonal matrix texture. These techniques involve slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them in front or behind the work, and crossing them over adjacent stitches to form twisted cable patterns.
• Wrap and Turn (W&T): Short-row shaping is used to create custom fit and shaping in the garment, particularly in the yoke area. This technique involves wrapping stitches and turning work to add depth and dimension to specific sections.
• Increases: Make One (M1) increases are used throughout the pattern to add stitches gradually as the garment expands from the fitted neckline to the wider bust area.

Stitches Used

The Jojoland Diagonal Matrix pattern combines fundamental and intermediate stitches to create its textured appearance:

• Garter Stitch: Used as the foundation stitch for gauge measurement (20 stitches × 40 rows = 4" square), providing a stable, textured base.
• Knit Stitch (k): The primary building block throughout the pattern.
• Purl Stitch (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create contrast and texture, particularly in the diagonal pattern repeats.
• T2B (Twist 2 Back): A cable technique where one stitch is slipped to a cable needle and held behind the work while the next stitch is purled, then the held stitch is knitted. This creates a rightward-leaning diagonal line.
• T2F (Twist 2 Front): A cable technique where one stitch is slipped to a cable needle and held in front of the work while the next stitch is purled, then the held stitch is knitted. This creates a leftward-leaning diagonal line.

The pattern repeats these stitches across 8 rows (R1 through R8) to build the diagonal matrix texture. Each row contains multiple repeats of the stitch pattern, with the number of repeats varying by size (9, 10, or 11 times depending on the chosen size). The combination of twisted cables and purl stitches creates the characteristic diagonal crossing pattern that gives this design its name and visual appeal.

Materials

The Jojoland Diagonal Matrix pattern requires the following materials:

• Yarn: 8, 9, or 10 balls of Jojoland Rhythm or Rhythm Superwash yarn (yardage varies by size). The yarn is 100% wool with 110 yards per ball, providing approximately 880 to 1,100 total yards depending on size selected. The sample garment shown in the pattern was created using Rhythm Superwash in color RS76.
• Needles: One 4 mm/U.S. size 6 circular needle, chosen primarily for its length to accommodate the cast-on stitches and expanding stitch count. The length of the circular needle is particularly important for this top