Madelinetosh Tea Leaves Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Madelinetosh Tea Leaves Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Tea Leaves Cardigan is a feminine cardigan designed by Melissa Labarre, knit in the round from the top down. This garment features subtle garter stitch trims and is available in six sizes with finished chest measurements ranging from 34 inches (86.4 cm) to 48 inches (122 cm). The cardigan is designed to be worn with zero to a small amount of positive ease, making it a fitted, elegant piece suitable for layering or wearing as a standalone garment.

Techniques Used

The Tea Leaves Cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest:

• Top-down construction: The sweater is knit from the yoke downward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and the ability to try on the garment as you work
• Seamless knitting in the round: The majority of the garment is worked circularly, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish
• Garter stitch trims: Subtle garter stitch details are incorporated throughout, adding texture and visual definition to the design
• Yarn overs and increases: The pattern uses k1f/b (knit into front and back) increases strategically placed throughout the yoke to create shaping and the cardigan's silhouette
• Decreases: K2tog (knit two together) decreases are used to shape the yoke and create the fitted neckline area

Stitches Used

The Tea Leaves Cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in a structured pattern:

• Knit stitch: The primary stitch forming the base fabric of the cardigan
• Purl stitch: Used in alternating rows to create garter stitch texture and subtle visual interest
• Garter stitch: Created by knitting every row (when working flat) or alternating knit and purl rows (when working in the round), providing a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges
• K1f/b (knit into front and back): An increase stitch that creates two stitches from one, used throughout the yoke increases to shape the garment
• K2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the neckline and yoke shaping rows

Materials

The Tea Leaves Cardigan pattern specifies the following materials:

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino, which is 100% merino wool with 210 yards (192 meters) per 100 grams. The colorway used in this pattern is "Tannehill." Yardage requirements vary by size: 5 skeins for sizes XS and S, 6 skeins for sizes M and L, and 7 skeins for sizes XL and XXL.

Needles: The pattern requires one set of US 7 (4.5 mm) double point needles, one US 7 (4.5 mm) 32-inch (80 cm) circular needle, and one US 6 (4 mm) 32-inch (80 cm) circular needle. The use of two different needle sizes allows for gauge control and creates the subtle textural variations in the garter stitch trims. Knitters should adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge for their individual tension.

Finished Measurements: The cardigan is available in six sizes with chest measurements of 34 inches (86.4 cm), 36 inches (91.4 cm), 40 inches (101.6 cm), 42 inches (107 cm), 46 inches (117 cm), and 48 inches (122 cm). The length from the lower edge to the shoulder ranges from 22.5 inches (57 cm) to 25 inches (63.5 cm) depending on size, with a consistent underarm length of 15 inches (38 cm) across all sizes.