Swans Island Charlotte Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Charlotte Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Charlotte Cardigan is a classic, elegant cardigan designed for intermediate knitters. This seamless, top-down cardigan features refined design details including rolled edges, faux side seams, and decorative pointelle holes at the raglan armholes. The garment is versatile enough to dress up with pearls or dress down with jeans, making it a timeless wardrobe staple. Available in five sizes ranging from XS to XL, with finished bust measurements from 31 inches to 46 inches and lengths from 20½ inches to 25¾ inches.

Techniques Used

Seamless Construction: The Charlotte Cardigan is worked seamlessly from the top down, eliminating the need for finishing seams. This technique means that once you bind off, the cardigan is complete and ready to wear immediately.

Top-Down Method: Beginning at the neckline, the yoke is worked first, then the pattern divides for sleeves and body. This approach allows for easy adjustments to fit and eliminates guesswork about finished dimensions.

Worked in the Round: The cardigan utilizes circular needles and double-pointed needles to work in the round, which creates a smooth, continuous fabric and contributes to the seamless construction.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the cardigan, created by knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side for a smooth, classic fabric.
• Edge Pattern: A three-stitch panel featuring knit and slip stitches worked with yarn in front, creating decorative rolled edges. This pattern is repeated throughout the garment for a polished finish.
• Yarn Overs (yo): Used to create the pointelle holes at the raglan armholes, adding an elegant, lacy detail to the design.
• Decreases: Knit two together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases are used to shape the raglan armholes and ensure proper fit.
• Slip Stitches (sl): Utilized in the edge pattern and throughout for refined finishing details.

Materials

Yarn: Swans Island Natural Colors, 100% Organic Merino Wool in worsted weight. The pattern requires 3 to 6 skeins depending on size, with each skein containing 100 grams and 250 yards. The cardigan shown in the pattern was knitted in Robin's Egg Blue (discontinued; Sky Blue YW206 is suggested as a substitute). Note that an additional skein is required for the long sleeve option across all sizes.

Needles: US size 8 and 9 (5 and 5.5mm) straight needles, a 16-inch circular needle, and a set of 5 double-pointed needles in the same sizes, or sizes needed to obtain proper gauge.

Additional Supplies: Stitch markers and waste yarn for construction and pattern management.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 4¼ stitches by 6 rows over 1 inch in stockinette stitch using the larger needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished cardigan achieves the desired fit and dimensions.

Pattern Design by Deborah Wilder