Malabrigo Pinebank Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Pinebank Cardigan: Stranded Knit Design

What is Being Made

The Malabrigo Pinebank is an intermediate-level zigzag cardigan designed by Amy Micallef, featured in Malabrigo Book 8: In Central Park. This top-down knit cardigan is sized for Small, Medium, and Large, with finished bust measurements of 38½" (41", 43½") and lengths ranging from 23" to 25½" depending on size. The garment features a distinctive zigzag stitch pattern created through strategic increases and color work, with four ¾" buttons for closure.

Techniques Used

The Pinebank cardigan employs two primary construction techniques:

• Top-down construction: The cardigan is worked from the top down, beginning with increases that shape the body and create the zigzag visual effect. Multiple increase rows are strategically placed throughout the pattern, with increases worked using make-one (M1) techniques to add stitches at regular intervals.
• Stranded colorwork: The design incorporates color changes across multiple rows, with stitch markers and color charts guiding the knitter through the pattern repeats. The stranded technique involves carrying unused yarn colors across the back of the work while knitting with the active color.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Pinebank utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in a structured pattern:

• Knit and purl stitches: The base of the garment uses stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows) with edge stitches worked in garter stitch (knit every row) for a finished selvage.
• Make-one increases (M1): These increases are worked at regular intervals—typically every 2-4 stitches—to create the expanding zigzag silhouette. The pattern includes multiple increase rows spaced 6-8 rows apart, with increases distributed across the width to maintain shaping.
• Color chart repeats: The stranded colorwork follows 8-stitch repeats worked across the width of the piece, with chart rows typically spanning 7-8 rows before the next color change. This creates a consistent, repeating pattern throughout the cardigan body.
• Selvage stitches: Edge stitches (k1 at beginning and end of rows) maintain clean edges for seaming and finishing.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Pinebank cardigan is worked in Merino Worsted by Malabrigo, a worsted-weight merino wool yarn. Each hank contains 3½oz/100g and approximately 210 yards/192 meters. The color palette includes:

• 4, 5, or 6 hanks of #150 Azul Profundo (main color, depending on size)
• 1 hank each of #152 Tiger Lily (contrast color 1)
• 1 hank each of #10 Fluo (contrast color 2)
• 1 hank each of #12 Very Berry (contrast color 3)
• 1 hank each of #7 Cadmium (contrast color 4)

Needles: The pattern requires multiple needle sizes and types to accommodate different sections:

• One size 8 (5mm) circular needle, 32"/80cm long for the main body
• One size 6 (4mm) circular needle, 24"/60cm long for edges only
• One set of five size 8 (5mm) double-pointed needles (dpn) for sleeve work

Additional Notions and Finishing

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern requires stitch markers to track pattern repeats and color changes, stitch holders to secure stitches during construction, and four ¾"/19mm buttons for the cardigan front closure.

Pattern copyright by Malabrigo Yarn, Montevideo, Uruguay. Individual, non-commercial use only.