Twist Collective North Wind Cardigan Knitting Pattern

North Wind Cardigan by Anna Mikuskova

What is Being Made

The North Wind is a seamless knit cardigan designed by Anna Mikuskova for Twist Collective. This garment features a sophisticated construction method where the lower body is worked sideways from center front, creating a slightly A-line silhouette through strategic short-row shaping. The cardigan is available in seven sizes, ranging from 30 ¾ inches to 54 ¾ inches bust measurement, with a finished length between 27 and 29 ¾ inches depending on size. The garment is intended to be worn with 1 inch of ease for a comfortable, close fit.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques that create visual interest and structural integrity. The primary construction method involves working flat on straight needles for the body piece, which is then shaped using short rows at the beginning and end to achieve the A-line shaping characteristic of the design. The cable work is a central design element, with cables integrated throughout the pattern. After the body is completed and blocked, stitches are picked up along one side to work the yoke and hood in the round, creating a seamless transition between sections. The pattern notes emphasize the importance of proper blocking technique, as the wet fabric has considerable give and can easily become over-stretched during finishing, resulting in an unintended larger size.

Stitches Used

The North Wind features cable stitches as a primary design element, with the pattern including detailed instructions for Cable A and its variations across right-side and wrong-side rows. The cable sections are interspersed with knit and purl stitches in a structured pattern, including repeats of [p2, k3] sequences that create textural contrast. The pattern utilizes wrap and turn (w&t) short-row techniques to shape the body, with wraps worked together with their corresponding stitches on subsequent rows. Purl stitches between cable sections allow for length customization—the total cardigan length can be modified by working additional or fewer purl stitches in these areas, providing flexibility for individual preferences.

Materials

The recommended yarn for the North Wind is Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool yarn with 247 yards per 3 ½ ounce skein. The yardage requirement ranges from 7 skeins for the smallest size (30 ¾ inches) to 11 skeins for the largest size (54 ¾ inches), with the sample shown in size 38 ¾ inches using 8 skeins in the Garnet colorway.

The pattern calls for multiple needle sizes to accommodate different sections and gauges. Size 8 US (5mm) circular needles in 32-inch length are used for the initial cast-on and body work, along with Size 8 US needles for the larger circumference sections. Size 7 US (4.5mm) circular needles in 32-inch length or longer are required for the yoke and hood sections worked in the round, with Size 7 US needles also available in preferred small circumference knitting styles. A Size 6 US (4mm) circular needle in 32-inch length is included for finishing details. Proper gauge is critical to this pattern's success—row gauge is particularly important due to the sideways construction method, and the pattern strongly recommends blocking a gauge swatch before beginning the project to ensure accurate finished measurements.