Trendsetter Yarns Impress Cardigan Crochet Pattern

Trendsetter Yarns Impress Reversible Tie Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Impress Reversible Tie Cardigan is a knitted cardigan designed by Barry Klein featuring a distinctive reversible tie detail that allows for customizable styling options. This garment is constructed with a straight, oversized body silhouette that creates intentional pleats when the ties are fastened. The ties can be positioned at the front, back, or omitted entirely based on personal preference and body style. The cardigan is available in five sizes ranging from Small to 1X, with finished bust measurements from 38 inches to 58 inches.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is created using a bottom-up construction method, where the garment pieces are knitted from the cast-on edge upward. The pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional row-by-row knitting. The finished pieces are then seamed together to create the complete garment. The reversible tie elements are made separately and added at the side seams, offering flexibility in how the cardigan is worn and styled.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (Stock St.): The primary stitch throughout the body and sleeves, created by knitting across on right-side rows and purling across on wrong-side rows. This creates a smooth, classic fabric with a V-shaped texture on the front and bumpy texture on the back.
• Ribbed Stitch (Rib St.): Used for the sleeve cuffs, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a 1x1 pattern. This elastic stitch creates a fitted, stretchy edge that helps the sleeves stay in place.

Materials and Tools

This pattern uses Trendsetter Yarns Impress yarn, which features color variation throughout each skein. The yardage required ranges from 3 to 7 balls of 150 grams each depending on size. Knitting needles in U.S. sizes #5 and #6 are required—the #5 needles are used for the ribbed cuff sections, while the #6 needles are used for the main stockinette stitch fabric. The pattern notes that Impress yarn changes shades naturally throughout each skein, and crafters may choose to use yarn from the inside or outside of the skein if they prefer specific color placement in different pattern pieces, though achieving uniform color flow across all pieces is not possible with this yarn.

Pattern Details and Gauge

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 22 stitches over 4 inches when using the #6 needle and Impress yarn in stockinette stitch. The back piece is cast on with 104 to 160 stitches depending on size and worked in stockinette stitch until reaching 16½ to 17½ inches from the cast-on edge. Square armholes are created by binding off 7 to 15 stitches at the beginning of two rows, then continuing on the remaining stitches until the armhole measures 8 to 9½ inches. Front pieces are cast on with 52 to 80 stitches and follow a similar construction, with additional shaping at the neck edge including a single bind-off of 12 stitches, followed by bind-offs of 3 and 2 stitches, and then five rows of single-stitch decreases. Sleeves are cast on with 48 to 50 stitches and begin with 2 inches of ribbed stitch on #5 needles before switching to #6 needles and stockinette stitch with increases worked at each end at regular intervals.