Twist Collective Doverfell Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Twist Collective Doverfell Adult Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Doverfell is a set-in sleeve cardigan designed for adults, featuring a distinctive hood and inset curved pockets. This garment is knit primarily in one piece from the bottom up, with strategic construction techniques that create a polished, structured finish. The cardigan is available in eight sizes ranging from 31 inches to 59¼ inches bust circumference, with lengths varying from 25¼ to 28¼ inches, making it suitable for a wide range of body types and intended to be worn with 1 to 3 inches of ease.

Construction Techniques

The Doverfell employs a bottom-up construction method, a hallmark of modern cardigan design that allows for easy adjustments and fitting as the garment progresses. The body is knit in one continuous piece from the bottom edge to the armholes before being divided for the front and back sections. This seamless approach to the lower body creates a clean, unified appearance.

The set-in sleeves are knit separately and sewn into the armholes during finishing, allowing for precise sleeve cap shaping and a tailored fit. The inset curved pockets represent an advanced design feature: the pocket linings are worked separately to the beginning of the pocket opening, then joined with the body and worked to the top of the opening. The pocket fronts are similarly worked separately, split from the body, and then joined to the body and liners at the top of the pocket opening. This technique ensures that pockets are fully integrated into the garment structure rather than applied afterward.

The hood is constructed by placing the front stitches on a holder while the back is completed, then joining all stitches to work the hood back and forth. The hood is finished using the 3-needle bind-off method along the top seam, creating a professional, durable edge.

Stitches Used

The Doverfell features two primary stitch patterns:

• Seed Stitch: A textured, reversible stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches on every row. This stitch is used for the ribbed edging sections and provides visual interest and elasticity.
• Dot Stitch: A flat stitch pattern worked over an even or odd number of stitches, depending on the section. When worked over an even number of stitches, the pattern alternates between knit rows and rows of alternating knit and purl stitches. When worked over an odd number of stitches, the pattern shifts to create a dotted texture. This stitch provides a subtle, sophisticated surface texture throughout the body of the cardigan.

The body of the cardigan begins with 5 stitches of Seed Stitch, followed by the Dot Stitch pattern, creating a balanced visual composition.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The suggested yarn for the Doverfell is Valley Yarns Northfield, a premium blend composed of 70% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 10% Silk. This fiber composition provides softness, breathability, and a subtle sheen. Each skein contains 124 yards (113 meters) and weighs 1¾ ounces (50 grams). The pattern requires 16 to 27 skeins depending on the finished size, with larger sizes requiring proportionally more yardage.

The cardigan is worked on two size 6 US (4 mm) circular needles, each at least 24 inches long. Circular needles are used for their flexibility in managing large stitch counts and for their ability to distribute the weight of the garment evenly during knitting, reducing hand fatigue during extended knitting sessions.

Twist Collective Doverfell Child Cardigan

A child version of the Doverfell cardigan is also included in this pattern collection, beginning on page 7 of the PDF. The child's version follows the same sophisticated construction techniques and stitch patterns as the adult cardigan, scaled appropriately for younger wearers.