Trendsetter Yarns I Icon - Boxed St. Shawl Collar & Ribbed Body Cardigan

Trendsetter Yarns I Icon Boxed St. Shawl Collar & Ribbed Body Cardigan

Project Overview

This knitted cardigan features a sophisticated combination of textural elements, combining a large ribbed body with a distinctive boxed stitch shawl collar. Designed by Barry Klein and published by Trendsetter Yarns in May 2018, this garment is worked from the bottom up using the seamed, flat construction method. The finished cardigan is designed to fit approximately 4 inches larger than the wearer's actual measurement, providing comfortable ease for layering.

Sizes and Finished Measurements

This pattern is available in four sizes:

• Small: 34 inches finished bust
• Medium: 38 inches finished bust
• Large: 42 inches finished bust
• Extra Large: 46 inches finished bust

Materials and Gauge

The cardigan is knitted using Trendsetter Yarns Icon yarn, with yardage requirements of 8, 10, 12, or 14 balls depending on size, with each ball weighing 50 grams. The pattern calls for three needle sizes: #6, #7, and #8 needles. The gauge is established at 18 stitches over 4 inches when working the large rib stitch pattern with a #7 needle, making this a standard worsted-weight project.

Stitches and Techniques

This cardigan employs two primary stitch patterns that create visual interest and textural contrast:

Large Rib Stitch (Lg. Rib St.): This foundational stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in groups of four, creating vertical columns that provide structure and elasticity to the body of the garment. The pattern is worked consistently across rows, with the right side showing *P4, K4* repeats and the wrong side mirroring this pattern.

Box Stitch (Box St.): A more complex textured stitch used exclusively for the shawl collar section, the box stitch creates a dimensional, blocky appearance. This stitch alternates between knit and purl groups in a shifting pattern across multiple rows, with rows 1 and 3 worked as *K4, P4*, rows 2 and 4 as *K4, P4*, rows 5 and 7 as *P4, K4*, and rows 6 and 8 as *P4, K4*. This creates a subtle geometric texture that distinguishes the collar from the ribbed body.

Construction Method

The cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed, flat approach. This means the back and front pieces are knitted separately in flat rows (rather than in the round), beginning at the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders. The pieces are later seamed together, allowing for precise shaping and the ability to work distinct stitch patterns in different sections.

Back Panel Construction

The back is cast on with 88, 96, 104, or 112 stitches depending on size, using a #7 needle and Icon yarn. The entire back is worked in the large rib stitch pattern. The knitter continues in this stitch until the piece measures 16 to 17 inches from the cast-on edge (varying slightly by size), or until reaching the desired body length. At this point, 8 to 10 stitches are bound off at the beginning of the next two rows to create a square armhole opening. The remaining stitches continue in pattern until the armhole depth reaches 8 to 9.5 inches, at which point all stitches are bound off in pattern.

Right Front Panel Construction

The right front is cast on with 64, 68, 72, or 76 stitches. The front is divided into two distinct sections: the body section, which contains 32 to 44 stitches worked in large rib stitch, and the collar section, which contains 32 stitches worked in box stitch. A stitch marker separates these two sections, allowing the knitter to maintain both patterns simultaneously as the piece is worked upward. The body section is worked to match the back length (16 to 17 inches), then 8 to 10 stitches are bound off at the armhole edge to create the square armhole. Following this bind-off, the knitter decreases one stitch within the large rib stitch section every third row, repeating this decrease 14 to 18 times. These decreases shape the neckline while the box stitch collar section remains constant. Once the armhole depth matches the back, the large