String January Colorblock Cardigan Knitting Pattern

String January Colorblock Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The String January Colorblock Cardigan is a knitted cardigan designed by Lidia Karabinech, featuring a striking two-color colorblock design. This garment is available in sizes Small through XL, with finished bust measurements ranging from 36 to 52 inches (91.5 to 132 cm) and a length to shoulder of approximately 30 to 33 inches (77 to 84 cm). The cardigan combines denim and sky blue tones for a sophisticated, modern aesthetic suitable for layering and everyday wear.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create a professional, finished garment:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing for easy adjustments to length and a natural progression through the garment sections.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, creating seamed sections that are joined together.
• Seamed Assembly: Individual pieces are knitted separately and then seamed together, providing clean, structured edges and allowing for precise shaping.
• Wrap and Turn Shaping: The pattern employs wrap and turn (w&t) techniques for shoulder shaping, creating smooth, graduated shoulder lines without visible steps or gaps.
• Decreasing for Shaping: Strategic decreases are worked to shape the armholes and create the cardigan's fitted silhouette.

Stitches Used

The January Colorblock Cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with specialized decreases for shaping:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the body of the cardigan, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. This produces the smooth, classic fabric that showcases the colorblock design and yarn qualities.
• 2x2 Ribbing: A textured rib pattern using alternating knit and purl stitches in groups of two, typically used for cuffs, waistbands, and other areas requiring elasticity and definition. The ribbing pattern is worked as *K2, p2* across the row.
• Left Double Decrease (LDD): A specialized decrease technique that slips two stitches to a cable needle, knits two stitches together twice, then incorporates the cable needle stitches. This creates a left-leaning decrease used for shaping.
• Right Double Decrease (RDD): The counterpart to the LDD, creating a right-leaning decrease for balanced shaping on opposite sides of the garment.

Materials

The String January Colorblock Cardigan is designed to be worked in STRING BREEZE, a luxurious blend yarn composed of 60% cotton, 20% cashmere, and 20% silk. This fiber composition creates a lightweight, breathable fabric with excellent drape and a soft hand, making it ideal for a cardigan suitable for multiple seasons.

The yardage and quantity requirements vary by size:

• Smaller sizes (Small and Medium) require 5 balls in the denim colorway (A) and 6 to 7 balls in the sky colorway (B)
• Larger sizes (Large and XL) require 6 balls in denim (A) and 8 to 9 balls in sky (B)
• Each ball contains 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and 136 yards (125 meters) of yarn
• The denim colorway is referenced as color 200833, while the sky colorway is color 200946

Needles required include one pair of size 8 (5mm) needles for the main fabric and one pair of size 7 (4.5mm) needles for ribbed sections, along with spare size 7 (4.5mm) needles, stitch holders, a cable needle, and a yarn needle for finishing. Achieving proper gauge—20 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch with the larger needles—is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements.