Twist Collective Intrepid Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Twist Collective Intrepid Cardigan by Lars Rains

What is Being Made

The Intrepid is a fitted cardigan designed by Lars Rains for Twist Collective. This knitted garment is available in six sizes, ranging from 31 inches to 51 inches in bust measurement, with finished lengths between 22 and 27 inches. The cardigan features a classic V-neck design with a button front closure and is intended to be worn with 2 to 4 inches of ease for a tailored fit.

Construction Method

Intrepid is worked in pieces and sewn together using a seamed construction method. The cardigan is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for precise shaping and pattern placement. Shoulder seams are joined using the three-needle bind-off method, a professional finishing technique that creates a strong, invisible seam. Stitches are picked up along the sides of the cardigan fronts and V-neck edges, with live stitches from the back neck used to create the buttonband and bound-off buttonholes.

Techniques and Stitch Work

This cardigan showcases cable knitting as a primary design element. The pattern includes detailed cable charts that knitters work from either written instructions or visual charts. Stitch markers are recommended throughout the project to help maintain place when working the cable patterns, and markers should be slipped when encountered during knitting. The cardigan features both lower back and upper back cable sections with specific shaping instructions.

The lower sections of the cardigan incorporate ribbed knitting, created through alternating knit and purl stitches that provide structure and elasticity. The ribbed pattern is worked for multiple rows before transitioning to the cable chart sections. Armhole shaping is integrated into the pattern, with specific row numbers designated for different sizes to create proper fit and garment proportion.

Materials Required

The suggested yarn for this project is Mrs. Crosby Steamer Trunk, a superwash merino wool yarn in the colorway Midnight Aubergine. This yarn comes in hanks of 164 yards per 3.5 ounces (150 meters per 100 grams). The total yardage required ranges from 8 to 10 hanks depending on the size being knitted, providing approximately 1,312 to 1,640 total yards of yarn.

Needles required for this project include:

• Size 6 US (4 mm) needles for the ribbed sections and initial cast-on
• Size 8 US (5 mm) circular needles in 32-inch, 48-inch, and 120-centimeter lengths for the main body and upper sections

Needle size should be adjusted as necessary to obtain the correct gauge for your knitting tension.

Pattern Features and Sizing

The Intrepid cardigan is offered in six distinct sizes with the following finished bust measurements: 31, 35, 39, 43, 47, and 51 inches (78.5, 89, 99, 109, 119.5, and 129.5 centimeters). Length measurements vary from 22 to 27 inches (56 to 68.5 centimeters) across the size range. The pattern shown in the sample is size 39 inches (99 centimeters).

Certain sizes have specific pattern modifications: sizes 31 and 35 inches (78.5 and 89 centimeters) omit rows 11 through 14 of the cable chart, while armhole shaping begins at different row numbers depending on whether you are knitting sizes 31, 35, and 51 inches or the mid-range sizes of 39, 43, and 47 inches (99, 109, and 119.5 centimeters).