Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Borage Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Borage Cardigan

Garment Overview

The Borage Cardigan is a sophisticated knitted cardigan designed by Rosemary Drysdale. This elegant piece is crafted using a luxurious yarn blend and features a refined construction method suitable for intermediate to advanced knitters. The cardigan is available in six sizes ranging from Small to 3X, with finished bust measurements from 35 inches to 56¾ inches and lengths from 21½ inches to 25 inches.

Yarn and Materials

This cardigan is knitted using Stacy Charles Fine Yarns LUNA, a premium yarn composed of 71% super kid mohair, 20% silk, and 9% lurex. This luxurious fiber blend creates a soft, lustrous fabric with subtle shimmer. The pattern requires 7 to 13 balls of yarn depending on size, with each ball weighing 0.88 ounces and containing 232 yards of yardage. The featured colorway is #43 marina blue. Additional materials include size 7 (4.5mm) needles, eight ⅜-inch diameter buttons for the front closure, stitch markers, a stitch holder, and a yarn needle for finishing.

Knitting Techniques

The Borage Cardigan employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the pieces are knitted starting from the lower edges and working upward toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easy shaping and seaming. All pieces are subsequently seamed together using the yarn needle, creating clean, professional-looking seams. The pattern utilizes two strands of yarn held together throughout construction, which creates a thicker fabric and contributes to the cardigan's structured drape.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Borage Cardigan features two primary stitch patterns:

• Seed Stitch: Used for the lower edge ribbing, seed stitch creates a textured, elastic border that provides structure and prevents curling. This stitch is worked for the first 5 rows of each front and back piece.
• Stockinette Stitch: The main fabric of the cardigan is worked in stockinette stitch, which creates the smooth, classic knit appearance. Stockinette is achieved by knitting all stitches on right-side rows and purling all stitches on wrong-side rows.

Shaping and Construction Details

The pattern incorporates several essential shaping techniques to create a well-fitted garment. Decreases are accomplished using specialized methods including knit 2 together (K2tog), purl 2 together (P2tog), and slip-slip-knit (ssk) or slip-slip-purl (ssp) decreases. These techniques are employed strategically at the armholes, neckline, and shoulder areas to create proper garment fit and structure.

The cardigan features shaped armholes created by binding off stitches at the armhole edge and then working decreases on subsequent right-side rows. The neckline is carefully shaped through a series of bind-offs and decreases at the neck edge, including binding off 6 stitches once, followed by additional 2-stitch bind-offs and single-stitch decreases worked every right-side row. This graduated shaping creates a professional neckline suitable for button band placement.

Gauge and Fit

The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch using two strands of yarn held together. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit, as variations will affect the finished bust measurement and length of the cardigan. Knitters are advised to knit a gauge swatch before beginning the project to ensure accurate sizing.

The cardigan features a button front closure with eight buttons spaced along the front bands, making it a practical and stylish layering piece. The combination of the luxurious LUNA yarn, refined shaping, and classic construction methods results in a timeless cardigan suitable for various occasions.