Ovington Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Ovington Cardigan by Quail Studio

What is Being Made

The Ovington is a knitted cardigan designed by Quail Studio for Mode at Rowan. This intermediate-level garment features a classic cardigan silhouette with a button front closure and is available in nine sizes ranging from 71-76cm to 152-157cm chest measurements (28-30 inches to 60-62 inches). The finished cardigan chest measurements range from 102cm to 182cm (40¼ inches to 71¾ inches), offering a comfortable fit across multiple sizing options.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Ovington cardigan employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest. The garment begins with stockinette stitch as the foundational fabric for the body sections. A distinctive design feature involves knitting together stitches from the needle with corresponding cast-on stitches, creating a folded hem detail at row 33. The pattern incorporates lace patterning as a primary design element, which is worked after the initial stockinette sections. Shaping is achieved through strategic decreases and increases, particularly on the left front where decreases are carefully matched with corresponding increases to maintain stitch count and create balanced shaping.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined into more complex stitch patterns. Stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows) forms the base fabric for initial sections. The lace pattern is created using yarn forwards (yfwd) for eyelet increases paired with decreases including slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) and knit 2 together (K2tog). These decrease techniques are worked in specific sequences—for example, the lace repeat includes the sequence "sl 1, K1, psso, K4, yfwd, K1, yfwd, K4, K2tog"—creating an openwork design. The pattern also incorporates purl stitches as turning rows to define the folded hem sections.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Ovington cardigan is designed to be worked in Rowan Alpaca Haze, a luxury yarn fiber. The pattern requires 14 to 25 balls of Alpaca Haze (25 gram balls), depending on the size being knitted, with yardage increasing proportionally across the size range. The photographed sample is shown in the colorway Jasmine 014. The yarn is worked held double, meaning two strands are held together throughout construction to achieve the desired fabric weight and drape.

The pattern calls for 4mm (US size 6) needles in two configurations: a pair of straight or short needles for working flat sections, and 4mm circular needles measuring at least 120cm long for the front band. The circular needle length accommodates the large number of stitches required for the front band application. Working tension is established at 26 stitches and 26 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over the lace pattern using 4mm needles with yarn held double.

Pattern Structure and Components

The Ovington is constructed from multiple pieces: a back, left front, and right front, which are later joined. The back panel is cast on with significantly more stitches than the front panels—ranging from 133 to 237 stitches depending on size—creating a wider base that will be shaped. Front panels are cast on with fewer stitches (42 to 90 stitches) and feature the matched decrease and increase shaping. All sections begin with stockinette stitch for 15-16 rows before transitioning to the lace pattern work. The pattern includes specific instructions for managing stitch counts when there are insufficient stitches to complete both beginning and ending stitch sequences, allowing for flexibility in smaller sizes.

Additional supplies required include stitch holders for managing live stitches during construction, a standard requirement for cardigan assembly.