Juniper Moon Farm Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Juniper Moon Farm Violet Bolero Jacket

Project Overview

The Violet Bolero Jacket is a short, fitted cardigan design from the Tropical Summer Collection, created by designer Ursula O'Connor. This knitted bolero is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed approach and worked flat on straight needles. The garment features a sophisticated silhouette with tailored shaping, making it an elegant layering piece suitable for warm-weather styling.

What Is Being Made

This is a bolero-style cardigan jacket available in four sizes: Small (to fit bust 32-34"), Medium (34-36"), Large (36-38"), and X-Large (38-40"). The finished width at the underarm ranges from 37" to 43" depending on size, with a short length of approximately 17½" to 20½". The sleeve seam measures between 15½" and 17", creating a cropped, three-quarter sleeve profile typical of bolero styling. This garment is ideal for layering over dresses or tank tops during warmer months.

Construction Techniques

The Violet Bolero Jacket employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the knitter begins at the lower edge and works upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which allows for traditional row-by-row knitting. The pieces are then seamed together using mattress stitch or similar techniques to join the back, fronts, and sleeves into a finished garment.

The pattern begins with a decorative bell edging at the lower edge, which creates a scalloped or shaped hem detail. This edging is achieved through a series of strategic decreases using slip-stitch and knit-together techniques that gradually reduce the stitch count from the initial cast-on, creating visual interest and a refined finish.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern used throughout the body of the jacket is Double Moss Stitch (abbreviated as Db.ms.st.), a textured, reversible stitch pattern. Double Moss Stitch is worked as follows:

• Row 1: Knit 1, Purl 1 across
• Row 2: Knit all knit stitches and purl all purl stitches
• Row 3: Knit all purl stitches and purl all knit stitches
• Row 4: Knit all knit stitches and purl all purl stitches

This four-row repeat creates a subtle, bumpy texture that adds visual depth and sophistication to the finished fabric. The Double Moss Stitch is a classic choice for structured garments as it provides good stitch definition and helps the fabric maintain its shape.

The bell edging incorporates additional techniques including yarn back (yb), slip stitch (sl), knit two together (K2tog), and pass slipped stitch over (psso) to create decorative decreases that shape the lower edge. These decreases are strategically placed to reduce the stitch count from 219-255 stitches down to 74-86 stitches by the time the Double Moss Stitch body begins.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Violet Bolero Jacket is designed to be knitted with Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus Rainbow yarn in colorway 208 Nautical Twilight. The yardage requirement is 4 to 5 cakes of 100g each, depending on the size being knitted (Small and Medium require 4 cakes; Large and X-Large require 5 cakes).

Knitting needles required are US 9 (5.5mm) long straight needles. The use of long needles accommodates the wide stitch counts needed for the back piece, which begins with 219 to 255 stitches depending on size.

The recommended gauge is 16 stitches and 23 rows over a 4-inch (10cm) square when working Double Moss Stitch with US 9/5.5mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the proper finished measurements and garment fit.

Design Details and Finished Measurements

The Violet Bolero Jacket features carefully graded sizing with proportional increases across the