Noro Belted Knitting Pattern

Noro Belted Cardigan Vest

What Is Being Made

The Noro Belted is a complex knitted cardigan vest designed by Theresa Schabes. This garment is sized for Small, Medium, Large, and 1X, with finished bust measurements ranging from 36 to 52 inches (91.5 to 132 centimeters) and length measurements from 25 to 28 inches (63.5 to 71 centimeters). The cardigan vest features a belted design, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various occasions and seasons.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several advanced knitting techniques to create its complex construction. Short row shaping with wrap and turn (w&t) is a primary technique used throughout the design, allowing the knitter to create contoured shaping without cutting the yarn. This method involves slipping stitches, moving yarn between needles, and working wrapped stitches together with their corresponding stitches on the needle. The pattern also incorporates slip stitches, which are passed from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle without being worked, creating a refined edge and texture.

Stitches Used

The Noro Belted cardigan vest utilizes several fundamental and decorative stitches. Reverse stockinette stitch and garter stitch form the primary fabric bases, each with specific gauge requirements. The pattern includes knit front and back (kfb) and purl front and back (pfb) increases, which create new stitches by working into both the front and back loops of a single stitch. Yarn overs are used to create additional stitches and contribute to the garment's texture and design details. Slip, slip, knit/purl (ssk) decreases are employed to shape the garment while maintaining a neat appearance. The pattern also uses work even sections, where the knitter continues in the established stitch pattern without increasing or decreasing.

Materials and Tools

The Noro Belted cardigan vest is crafted using Noro Silk Garden yarn in colorway #84, with yardage requirements of 9 to 14 skeins of 50-gram weight depending on the size being knitted. The project requires US 8/5mm circular needles measuring 24 inches long for the main fabric and US 7/4.5mm needles for ribbing or edging work. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points. Knitters should achieve a gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches in reverse stockinette stitch, or 18 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches in garter stitch, using the larger needles.