Plymouth Yarn Women's Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Women's Cardigan - Moon Shadow Pattern No. 3327

What Is Being Made

The Plymouth Yarn Women's Cardigan is a sophisticated knitted garment designed for a comfortable, slightly relaxed fit. This cardigan features a distinctive bell-shaped silhouette created through strategic lace patterning and shaping techniques. The garment is available in six sizes ranging from Small to XXXL, with finished chest measurements from 32 ¼" to 52 ¾" and lengths from 21 ½" to 24". The cardigan is constructed with long sleeves that also feature a bell shape, and is finished with three buttons from Dill for closure.

Construction Techniques

This cardigan is worked using a bottom-up construction method, meaning the body and sleeves are knitted starting from the lower edges and working upward toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight and circular needles, with pieces that are later seamed together to create the finished cardigan. The lace technique is a primary design element, creating an open, airy fabric that contributes to the garment's elegant appearance and the characteristic bell shape at the body and sleeves.

The pattern incorporates M1 purlwise increases as a special technique to add stitches while maintaining the integrity of the stitch pattern. The body is constructed with garter stitch borders on the first and last two stitches of every row, which creates a neat, finished edge and helps with seaming. The center section features stockinette stitch surrounded by the decorative lace pattern, creating visual interest and dimensional shaping.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is the Banded Vertical Trellis, a lace pattern worked over a multiple of 2 stitches plus 1. This eight-row repeat pattern combines knit and purl rows with yarn overs and decreases to create an open, lattice-like texture:

• Yarn overs (yo) create the openwork characteristic of lace
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases that pair with yarn overs
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases that create directional decreases within the pattern
• Stockinette stitch (st st) used in the center panel for contrast and smooth texture
• Garter stitch used for selvage edges and structural borders
• Purl stitches integrated throughout the pattern for texture and shaping

The Banded Vertical Trellis pattern is worked for five complete repeats (40 rows total) on the body, creating a substantial lace section. Stitch markers are used to delineate the center stockinette section from the surrounding lace pattern sections.

Materials and Gauge

The cardigan is knitted with Plymouth Yarn Moon Shadow in color 10 Forest Moon. The yardage requirement ranges from 8 balls (50g each) for the smallest size to 13 balls for the largest size. The yarn is worked on US Size 8 (5mm) needles, which include both circular needles (32" to 40" depending on size) and straight needles for flat construction.

Two distinct gauges are specified for this pattern. In stockinette stitch, the gauge is 20 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches on US Size 8 needles. In the Banded Vertical Trellis lace pattern, the gauge is 18 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches on the same needle size. The difference in gauge between the two stitch patterns is important for achieving the intended finished measurements and the bell-shaped silhouette.

Additional materials include a US Size H (5mm) crochet hook for finishing details, stitch holders for managing stitches during construction, and two stitch markers for tracking pattern sections. Three buttons from Dill are required to complete the cardigan's button closure.