Swans Island Dockside Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Dockside Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Dockside Cardigan is an intermediate-level women's cardigan designed by Jessica Anderson for Swans Island. This garment is available in six sizes ranging from XS to 2XL, with finished bust measurements from 34¼ inches to 52 inches. The cardigan features a classic button-front closure with three ¾-inch buttons and is designed to be worn with a 3¼ to 5-inch gap between the front bands when unbuttoned, depending on size. The finished length ranges from 24 to 26½ inches, making it a standard cardigan length suitable for layering.

Construction Techniques

The Dockside Cardigan is constructed using a seamless, top-down approach worked flat. This method allows knitters to try on the garment as they work and make adjustments to the fit before binding off. Working flat means the cardigan is knitted back and forth on circular needles rather than in the round, which is ideal for creating a traditional cardigan with front bands and button bands. The top-down construction begins at the neckline and progresses downward toward the hem, with shaping worked throughout to create proper armhole and waist shaping.

Stitches and Pattern Details

The Dockside Cardigan features two primary stitch patterns worked throughout the garment:

• Flat Textured Pattern: This is the main pattern stitch used across the cardigan. The pattern repeats over 10 rows, combining knit and purl rows to create visual texture. Rows 1-4 alternate between knit (right side) and purl (wrong side) rows. Rows 5-7 are worked entirely in knit stitches, followed by a single purl row (Row 8). Rows 9-10 repeat the knit-purl sequence of Rows 1-2. This creates a subtle, dimensional texture that adds visual interest while remaining accessible to intermediate knitters.
• Garter Stitch: Used as an accent element, garter stitch is created by knitting every row when working flat, or alternating knit and purl rounds when working in the round. This creates a reversible, bumpy texture often used for borders and bands.

The pattern includes standard abbreviations and techniques such as knit (k), purl (p), increases (inc), decreases (dec), yarn overs (yo), and various decrease methods including k2tog (knit 2 together), ssk (slip, slip, knit), p2tog (purl 2 together), and ssp (slip, slip, purl). Increases are worked using m1L (make 1 left) and m1R (make 1 right) techniques, as well as k1fb and p1fb (knit and purl into the front and back of the same stitch).

Materials and Tools

The Dockside Cardigan is designed to be knitted with Swans Island Natural Colors worsted-weight yarn, which is 100% organic merino wool. Each skein contains 100 grams and 250 yards of yarn. The yardage requirement varies by size, ranging from 5 skeins for the smallest sizes (XS, S, M, and L) to 6 skeins for the medium-large sizes (L and XL) and 7 skeins for the largest size (2XL). The color shown in the pattern is Oyster (Y237).

Knitters will need two sets of circular needles: US size 6 (4mm) and US size 8 (5mm), both in 24-inch length, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. Double-pointed needles in US size 6 (4mm) are also required for working smaller circumferences. Additional notions include stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn for holding stitches, a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming, and three ¾-inch buttons for the front closure.

Gauge

The pattern is designed to achieve a gauge of 4½ stitches and 7½ rows per 1 inch when working the textured pattern on the larger US size 8 (5mm) needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished cardigan matches the intended finished dimensions.