Tahki Yarns Rosewood Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Rosewood Cardigan by Rosemary Drysdale

What is Being Made

The Rosewood Cardigan is a classic knitted cardigan designed for a comfortable, tailored fit. This garment is available in six sizes ranging from Small to 3X, with finished bust measurements from 37 inches (94 cm) to 57 inches (145 cm) and length options from 26 inches (66 cm) to 28.5 inches (72.5 cm). The cardigan features a structured silhouette with shaping at the waist, armholes, and neckline, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various occasions.

Knitting Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up approach, meaning the pieces are knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easy shaping and seaming. The finished pieces are seamed together to create the final garment structure, providing clean, professional-looking seams along the sides and underarms.

The design incorporates cable knitting as a decorative and structural element. Cable stitches add visual interest and texture to the cardigan while also providing subtle shaping through their dimensional quality. The pattern uses specific cable techniques including 6/6 Left Cross (6/6 LC) and 6/6 Right Cross (6/6 RC) stitches, which involve slipping stitches to a cable needle and crossing them over each other to create the characteristic twisted rope-like patterns.

Stitches Used

The Rosewood Cardigan employs two primary stitch patterns:

• Reverse Stockinette Stitch (Rev St st): This foundational stitch is created by purling on the right side and knitting on the wrong side. The pattern uses Reverse Stockinette for the lower hem section and as the main background stitch, creating a smooth, slightly textured surface that showcases the cable work.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The standard knit on right side, purl on wrong side stitch is used for the upper body portions of the cardigan, providing a classic, refined appearance.
• Cable Stitches: The 6/6 LC and 6/6 RC cable crosses create the distinctive cable pattern elements throughout the design. These stitches involve manipulating groups of six stitches at a time using a cable needle to create interlocking twisted patterns.

Materials and Gauge

The Rosewood Cardigan is designed to be knitted with Tahki Yarns TARA TWEED, a durable blend consisting of 80% wool and 20% nylon. This fiber content provides warmth, elasticity, and durability while the nylon adds strength and resistance to wear. The yarn is available in color #13 rosewood tweed, a warm, earthy tone. Yardage requirements range from 10 balls for the smallest size to 17 balls for the largest size, with each ball containing 122 yards (113 meters) of yarn and weighing 1.75 ounces (50 grams).

The pattern requires multiple needle sizes to achieve proper gauge and construction:

• Size 7 (4.5mm) needles: Used as the primary needles for most of the cardigan, worked in pairs for flat knitting
• Size 8 (5mm) needles: Specifically designated for cable work, allowing the cables to be worked at a slightly looser gauge for better definition
• Size 5 (3.75mm) needle: An extra needle used for picking up hem stitches during finishing
• Cable needle: Essential for holding stitches while crossing cables

The recommended gauge is 18 stitches and 26 rows equals 4 inches (10 cm) when working in Reverse Stockinette stitch using the smaller size 7 needles. Achieving proper gauge is critical for obtaining the correct finished measurements, and knitters are encouraged to knit and measure a gauge swatch before beginning the project.

Construction Details

The cardigan begins with a hemmed edge created by casting on stitches and working in Reverse Stockinette for 12 rows to establish the hem. The body is then shaped through strategic decreases at the sides every 3.5 inches for four times to create a fitted waist. The armhole shaping involves binding off a group of