String Cassatt Cardigan Knitting Pattern

String Cassatt Cardigan

What is Being Made

The String Cassatt Cardigan is a sophisticated, button-front cardigan designed by Lidia Karabinech. This garment is crafted to be worn with generous positive ease and is available in three sizes: Small (bust 40"/101.5 cm), Medium (bust 44½"/113 cm), and Large (bust 49"/124.5 cm). The finished length to shoulder measures 28"/71 cm, creating a classic, wearable silhouette suitable for layering and everyday wear.

Construction Technique

The Cassatt Cardigan is knitted using a bottom-up, seamed construction method, meaning the garment pieces are worked individually from the cast-on edge upward and then joined together with seams. This approach allows for precise shaping and control over the fit. The cardigan is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which is typical for garments that will be seamed together. The pattern includes detailed shaping instructions for the back, fronts, and sleeves, with strategic increases and decreases to create the cardigan's tailored shape.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout the Cassatt Cardigan is Stockinette Stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a flat knit side and a bumpy purl side. Stockinette Stitch is achieved by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. The pattern incorporates increases (using the M1 method) and bind-offs to shape the garment pieces. Specific shaping techniques include cast-on increases at the beginning of rows to expand the front panels and sleeve cap shaping through strategic bind-offs that create the shoulder seams.

Materials and Gauge

The Cassatt Cardigan is designed to be knitted with STRING CASHSETA yarn, a luxurious blend of 50% cashmere and 50% silk. The yardage requirements are 7 balls for Small, 8 balls for Medium, and 10 balls for Large, with each ball containing 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and 114 yards (105 meters). The pattern is shown in color 308856 electric blue, with an alternate color option of 200073 silver available.

Knitting needles required are size 7 (4.5mm) or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 24 rows equaling 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Stockinette Stitch after blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the cardigan to fit correctly, and the pattern emphasizes taking time to check gauge before beginning the project.

Additional materials include a size F (3.75mm) crochet hook (likely for finishing edges or picking up stitches), three stitch holders for managing live stitches during construction, a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming pieces together, and a 13-inch (33 centimeter) zipper for the front closure.

Pattern Notes

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and techniques detailed in the final pages of the PDF. The cardigan is intentionally designed with generous positive ease, meaning the finished bust measurement is significantly larger than typical body measurements for comfort and layering. The use of a premium cashmere-silk blend yarn elevates this cardigan to a refined, luxury garment suitable for both casual and more polished styling.