Noro Striped Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Noro Striped Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Noro Striped Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan sweater designed in five size options ranging from X-Small to X-Large. The finished measurements span bust widths from 32½ inches (82.5 cm) to 50 inches (127 cm), with garment lengths between 26½ inches (67.5 cm) and 28½ inches (72.5 cm), and upper arm circumferences from 11¼ inches (28.5 cm) to 15½ inches (39.5 cm). This is a classic cardigan construction suitable for intermediate knitters seeking a wearable, striped layering piece.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using several fundamental knitting techniques that define its construction method:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it progresses and adjust length as needed.
• Worked flat: The cardigan is knitted on straight needles in flat rows rather than in the round, creating distinct front and back pieces that are later seamed together.
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces are joined using seaming techniques, with selvage stitches incorporated along edges to facilitate clean, professional seaming.
• Striped colorwork: The design features stripes created by alternating between two Noro Tennen yarn colors throughout the garment.

Stitches Used

The Noro Striped Cardigan employs essential knitting stitches and stitch techniques commonly used in cardigan construction:

• Ribbing: Used for the cast-on foundation and bind-off edges, ribbing creates an elastic, fitted edging. The pattern specifies maintaining the rib pattern during bind-off by knitting knit stitches and purling purl stitches (or casting off in ribbing using UK terminology).
• Increases: The pattern incorporates increase techniques including knit-in-front-and-back increases and make-one increases (both knitwise and purlwise variations) to shape the garment at strategic points.
• Decreases: Decreases such as knit-two-together and purl-two-together are used to shape the cardigan, particularly at armholes and necklines.
• Selvage stitches: Edge stitches are maintained along seamed edges to create clean, professional finishing when pieces are joined together.
• Chart-based stitch work: The pattern uses stitch charts that may include "no stitch" notations in shaded spaces where stitches have been decreased or not yet made, requiring knitters to skip over these spaces while working the remaining charted stitches.

Materials

The Noro Striped Cardigan is worked in Noro Tennen yarn, a premium fiber choice that creates the signature striped colorwork:

• Yarn: 4 (4, 5, 6, 6) x 100g hanks of Noro Tennen in color #24 (designated as A, the primary color) and 1 x 100g hank of Noro Tennen in color #53 (designated as B, the contrasting stripe color). The yardage and fiber content specifications are contained within the Noro Tennen yarn line.
• Needles: One pair of size US 8/5mm straight needles for working flat, plus one size US 8/5mm circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 cm) long, used for picking up stitches and working certain sections. Needle size should be confirmed by knitting a gauge swatch to obtain the specified gauge before beginning the project.
• Notions: Stitch markers (either contrasting yarn or purchased markers) are used to mark pattern repeats and shaping points throughout construction.

Pattern Notes

Knitters should pay attention to several important techniques referenced in the pattern. The pick-up-and-knit and pick-up-and-purl methods are used to add stitches along finished edges, such as when working button bands or necklines. Knitwise and purlwise insertions ensure stitches are worked in the correct orientation. The pattern uses standard abbreviations and may reference both US and UK knitting terminology, with cast-on corresponding to UK cast-on and bind-off corresponding to UK cast-off. Proper gauge is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements, making a gauge swatch a critical first