Trendsetter Yarns A Tiger - Box Stitch Overlapping Front Cardigan

Trendsetter Yarns A Tiger - Box Stitch Overlapping Front Cardigan

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted cardigan designed by Barry Klein, featuring a distinctive overlapping front closure and a straight body silhouette. The cardigan is available in five sizes (S, M, L, XL, 1X) with bust measurements ranging from 38 to 58 inches including ease and the overlap. The design emphasizes visual texture through strategic use of contrasting stitch patterns arranged in a geometric box formation across the garment.

Construction Techniques

The cardigan is worked flat on straight needles and constructed bottom-up, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the shoulders. The finished pieces are then seamed together to create the final garment. This traditional construction method allows for precise shaping and the ability to try on the piece as it develops. The overlapping front design is a signature feature, with the fronts intentionally larger than the back to create a layered, wrapped appearance at the center closure.

Stitches Used

The cardigan employs three primary stitch patterns to create its textured appearance:

• Box Stitch Pattern: The main decorative element, created by alternating blocks of stockinette stitch and reverse stockinette stitch. Each box section measures 13(15,17,19,21) stitches wide depending on size, and the pattern repeats vertically for 16(18,20,22,24) rows before alternating the box orientation. This creates a three-dimensional checkerboard effect across the body.
• Stockinette Stitch (Stock St.): Formed by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, this smooth, classic stitch creates one half of the box pattern contrast.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch (Rev. Stock St.): The inverse of stockinette, created by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows. This bumpy texture contrasts visually with the smooth stockinette sections to define the box pattern.
• Rib Stitch: Used for finishing edges, worked as *K4, P2* on row 1 and *K2, P4* on row 2, creating an elastic, fitted border.

Materials and Tools

This project uses Trendsetter Tiger yarn (color #62), a specialty yarn that adds visual interest to the stitch patterns. Yardage requirements are 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 balls of 50-gram weight depending on the size being knitted. U.S. size 7 and 8 knitting needles are required for this project. The pattern specifies working the main body with the size 8 needle, which produces a gauge of 18 stitches over 4 inches when measured in reverse stockinette stitch. This gauge is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The back piece is cast on with 78(90,102,114,126) stitches and worked in the alternating box stitch pattern until the piece reaches 15.5(16, 16, 16.5, 17) inches in length. Square armhole shaping is then introduced by binding off 5(7,9,11,13) stitches at the beginning of the next two rows, reducing the stitch count to 68(76,84,92,100) stitches. The armhole depth continues for 8(8.5, 9, 9.5, 9.5) inches before all stitches are bound off in pattern to maintain the textured appearance at the top edge.

The right front is cast on with 52(60,68,76,84) stitches and worked in the same box stitch pattern as the back. The overlapping front design is achieved through the larger cast-on width relative to the back, creating the characteristic layered effect at the cardigan opening. Armhole shaping mirrors the back piece, with the same bind-off quantities and depths applied to maintain consistent proportions across all sizes.

Design Features

The box stitch overlapping front is the defining characteristic of this cardigan. Rather than a traditional button-front closure, the generous front panels overlap each other, creating a wrap-like aesthetic. The geometric box pattern formed by alternating stockinette and reverse stockinette sections adds significant visual texture and contemporary style to the garment. The straight body silhouette with square armhole shaping creates a classic, structured fit that works well for various body types and styling preferences.