Swans Island Eleanor Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Eleanor Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Eleanor Cardigan is a seamless, versatile knit cardigan designed for intermediate knitters. This piece features a comfortable, classic silhouette with a modern aesthetic, offered in six sizes ranging from XS to 2XL. The cardigan is knit longer than typical cardigans, allowing the sleeves to be either turned up at the cuff for a cropped look or worn long to provide extra warmth on cold days. The finished garment includes a button band closure with seven ¾-inch diameter buttons.

Techniques Used

The Eleanor Cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up seamless construction method, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, professional finish. The body is worked flat on circular needles, while the sleeves are worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles. This hybrid approach combines the ease of flat knitting for the main body with the efficiency of circular knitting for the sleeves, resulting in minimal finishing work required after completion.

Stitches Used

The Eleanor Cardigan features two primary stitch patterns that work together to create visual interest and texture:

• Smocked Rib: An all-over fun-to-knit textured pattern that forms the main fabric of the cardigan body. This stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of 6 stitches and creates the distinctive smocked texture that gives the cardigan its character and visual appeal.
• K2, P2 Rib: A classic ribbed stitch pattern used for the sleeves, worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2. The ribbed sleeves provide both functional stretch and a modern contrast to the textured body, creating definition at the cuffs and wrists.

The ribbed sleeves offer practical elasticity to keep the cuffs fitted around the wrists while providing a contemporary design element that balances the texture of the smocked body.

Materials and Gauge

The Eleanor Cardigan is knit with Swans Island Natural Colors yarn in worsted weight, composed of 85% organic merino wool and 15% alpaca. Each skein contains 100 grams and yields 250 yards. The pattern shown features the colorway Seasmoke (YW221). Depending on the size being knitted, the project requires between 6 and 10 skeins of yarn.

Needles required include US size 6 (4 mm) circular needles in 32-inch length for the body and 16-inch length for the sleeves, as well as double-pointed needles in US size 6 (4 mm) for sleeve completion. Additional supplies include stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, a yarn needle for finishing, and seven buttons measuring ¾ inch in diameter.

The recommended gauge is 5½ stitches and 7 rows per inch when working the Smocked Rib pattern, and 6 stitches and 7 rows per inch in the K2, P2 Rib. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to achieve the desired finished dimensions.

Finished Dimensions

The Eleanor Cardigan is available in six sizes with the following finished bust circumferences and lengths:

• XS: 31" bust, 22½" length
• S: 35¼" bust, 23¼" length
• M: 39¾" bust, 24" length
• L: 44" bust, 24¾" length
• XL: 48½" bust, 25½" length
• 2XL: 52¾" bust, 26" length

All sizes feature a 1½-inch overlapping button band, allowing for adjustable fit and closure options.