Tahki Yarns Oak Bluffs Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Oak Bluffs Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Oak Bluffs Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Irina Poludnenko. This garment is worked flat on straight needles and features a classic button-front construction with seamed side seams. The cardigan is available in six sizes ranging from Small to 3X, with finished bust measurements from 39 inches to 57 inches and lengths from 23 to 28 inches. The design incorporates a positive ease of 5 to 7 inches, making it a comfortable, relaxed-fitting piece suitable for layering.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs seamed construction, meaning the front panels, back panel, and sleeves are knitted as separate flat pieces and then sewn together. The worked flat technique means all pieces are created using straight needles rather than circular needles for the main fabric. A 16-inch circular needle is used only for the neck edging. The pattern includes armhole shaping achieved through strategic bind-offs at the beginning of rows, and shoulder shaping with additional bind-offs to create proper garment structure. The design also features neck shaping worked with two separate balls of yarn simultaneously to create the front neck opening.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is a Lace Pattern worked over a multiple of 5 stitches plus 3. This lace pattern alternates between right-side and wrong-side rows, creating an openwork fabric. On right-side rows, the pattern uses knit stitches, k2tog (knit 2 together) decreases, yarn overs (yo) for creating lace holes, and ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases. The wrong-side rows combine knit and purl stitches, with special attention to the double yarn overs from the previous row. Edge stitches are slipped at the beginning of each row to create neat side edges. The pattern also incorporates stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and shaping sections.

Materials and Gauge

This cardigan is designed to be knitted with Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic Twist, a 100% mercerized cotton yarn. Each ball contains 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and yields 108 yards (99 meters). The project requires between 9 and 15 balls depending on the finished size selected. US size 6 (4.0mm) needles are used for the main fabric, with the same needle size in a 16-inch circular configuration for neck edging. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches in the Lace Pattern when blocked. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. Additional materials include stitch markers to track pattern sections and a yarn needle for seaming the finished pieces together.