Plymouth Yarn Ladies Jacket Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Ladies Jacket - Pattern No. 3431

What Is Being Made

This is a ladies cardigan jacket designed for a classic, comfortable fit. The finished garment is available in five sizes ranging from 40" to 56" bust circumference, with a finished length of 18" across all sizes. The jacket features a button front closure with two buttons and includes shaped sleeves that are worked as part of the main body pieces rather than as separate components.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting pattern for a cardigan-style jacket that falls under the coats and jackets category. The design is ideal for crafters seeking a structured, wearable garment with straightforward construction.

Techniques Used

The Plymouth Yarn Ladies Jacket employs several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The jacket is worked from the bottom edge upward, beginning with cast-on stitches at the lower edge of each piece
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted back and forth on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for easy shaping and seaming
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces (back, left front, and right front) are sewn together at the shoulders and side seams, with sleeves integrated into the side seams
• Increases for sleeve shaping: Sleeve cap shaping is achieved through strategic increases worked at the beginning and end of rows at specific intervals
• Buttonhole construction: Two buttonholes are created using yarn-over and knit-two-together decreases positioned 3 stitches in from the front edge
• Picked-up edging: The jacket trim is created by picking up stitches along the front edges and neckline, then binding off for a finished edge

Stitches Used

This pattern is built almost entirely on garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row. Garter stitch produces a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges and provides excellent structure for a jacket. The simplicity of using primarily one stitch makes this pattern accessible while still achieving a polished, professional appearance. The only stitch variations are the yarn-over and knit-two-together combinations used for the buttonholes and the basic bind-off techniques used to finish edges.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern calls for Baby Alpaca Worsted yarn in color 108 Burgundy. Yardage requirements vary by size: the smallest size (40") requires 6 skeins of 100g each, while the largest size (56") requires 10 skeins. This luxurious yarn choice provides softness and warmth appropriate for a jacket garment.

Needles and Notions

Construction requires US size 7 and US size 8 circular needles in 24" length. The larger needles (US 8) are used for the main body pieces, while the smaller needles (US 7) are reserved for the finishing trim. Two buttons are required for the front closure.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches equals 4 inches when worked in garter stitch using size US 8 needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the finished bust measurements of 40, 44, 48, 52, or 56 inches. The pattern provides detailed stitch counts for each size throughout the instructions to ensure proper fit.

Construction Overview

The jacket is constructed in three main pieces: a back panel and two front panels. The back piece is cast on with 80 to 112 stitches depending on size, then shaped with increases at both edges to form the sleeve caps. The front pieces follow a similar construction method with increases worked at one or both edges to create the appropriate sleeve and body shaping. All pieces are worked to a finished length of 18 inches before binding off. The pieces are then seamed together at the shoulders and along the sides, with the side seams reversed approximately 3½ inches from the cuff to create a turn-up detail. Finally, stitches are picked up around the front edges and neckline and bound off to create a neat, finished trim.