Tahki Yarns La Jolla Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns La Jolla Cardigan Pattern Summary

Garment Overview

The La Jolla Cardigan, designed by Lidia Karabinech, is an easy-level knitted cardigan featuring a sophisticated striped colorwork design. This piece is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed approach and worked flat on straight needles, making it an accessible project for beginner knitters. The cardigan offers four finished bust sizes ranging from 37½ inches to 51 inches, with a length to shoulder measurement between 27½ and 29 inches, providing versatile sizing options for various body types.

Construction Techniques

This cardigan is worked in a bottom-up construction method, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward shaping and pattern management. Individual pieces—the back and two fronts—are knitted separately and later seamed together using a yarn needle, creating clean, professional-looking seams. This modular approach simplifies the knitting process and allows knitters to work at their own pace without managing a large number of stitches on circular needles.

Stitch Techniques and Pattern Details

The La Jolla Cardigan employs several fundamental knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st) forms the primary fabric of the cardigan. This classic stitch is created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, flat surface with a distinctive V-pattern texture.
• Seed Stitch is used for the ribbed edging at the lower edge of the cardigan. Worked over an odd number of stitches, Seed Stitch alternates single knit and purl stitches across each row, creating a textured, non-curling border that provides structural definition.
• Decrease stitches including k2tog (knit 2 together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit) are incorporated for shaping. These decreases create tapered waist shaping and armhole definition, with decrease rows strategically placed every 34 rows during the body section and every other row during armhole shaping.

Stripe Pattern and Colorwork

The cardigan features a multi-color striped design created by changing yarn colors at regular intervals throughout the knitting process. The stripe sequence repeats across the back and front pieces, using four distinct colors from the Tahki Newport yarn line: lilac (A), sky blue (B), purple (C), and fuschia (D). The stripe pattern spans 90 rows total, with color blocks varying in width from 4 to 20 rows, creating visual interest and movement throughout the garment. This striping technique adds complexity and visual appeal without requiring complex colorwork skills such as intarsia or fair isle techniques.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The La Jolla Cardigan is knitted using Tahki Newport yarn, a premium blend composed of 67% cotton, 23% linen, and 10% polyamide. This fiber composition creates a lightweight, breathable fabric ideal for warm-weather wear, with cotton providing comfort and linen adding durability and structure. The yarn is available in 1.75-ounce (50-gram) balls, each containing 137 yards (125 meters) of usable yardage. Depending on size, the project requires between 2 and 5 balls of each of the four colors, totaling 8 to 20 balls overall. The pattern specifies US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles for both the main body and a 32-inch circular needle for potential future modifications. A gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch should be achieved and verified before beginning the project.

Additional Materials and Notions

Beyond yarn and needles, the La Jolla Cardigan requires standard knitting notions including stitch holders for temporarily securing stitches during armhole and neckline shaping, markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and a yarn needle for seaming the finished pieces together and weaving in yarn ends. The pattern calls for a single button, which serves as a functional closure detail for the cardigan front.

Sizing and Fit

The cardigan is offered in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. The finished bust measurements range from 37½ inches (Small) to 51 inches (XL), with