Valley Yarns Downtown Cap Sleeve Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Downtown Cap Sleeve Sweater

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Downtown Cap Sleeve Sweater is a knitted cardigan designed by Jennifer Ronning. This garment features cap sleeves and is available in three finished sizes: 36 inches, 40 inches, and 44 inches. The sweater is constructed using a bottom-up method, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses upward toward the neckline and shoulders.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that create visual interest and texture throughout the design:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The sweater is worked from the lower edge upward, allowing for easy length adjustments and a traditional knitting progression.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming to join the pieces together at the end.
• Seamed Assembly: Individual pieces (back, front, and sleeves) are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished garment.
• Cable and Textured Stitch Patterns: The design incorporates decorative cable crosses, including Front Cross and Back Cross techniques that create twisted, interlocking stitch effects.
• Bobble Stitches: Bobble stitches (abbreviated as MB in the pattern) are worked throughout to add dimensional texture and visual detail.
• Vine Pattern: A specialized stitch pattern called the Vine Pattern is worked over specific stitch sections, creating an organic, flowing design element.

Stitches Used

The Downtown Cap Sleeve Sweater incorporates a variety of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Reverse Stockinette Stitch (RSS): The primary base stitch, worked by purling on the right side and knitting on the wrong side, creating a textured, bumpy fabric surface.
• Seed Stitch: A reversible stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern, used for edging and borders.
• Stockinette Stitch: The standard knit-purl combination that forms the foundation for gauge measurement.
• Cable Crosses: Front Cross and Back Cross stitches that twist stitches over one another to create cable effects.
• Bobble Stitches: Dimensional stitches that create raised, bumpy texture.
• Yarn Over (YO): A stitch that creates decorative holes and lace effects.
• Decreases: Slip, slip, knit (ssk) and slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1-k2tog-psso) techniques for shaping.
• Increases: Make One (M1) stitches worked purlwise, and knit into front and back of stitches for adding stitches during shaping.

Materials

The Valley Yarns Downtown Cap Sleeve Sweater is knitted using Valley Yarns Deerfield yarn in the Mauve colorway. The yardage required varies by size: 8 skeins for the 36-inch size, 9 skeins for the 40-inch size, and 10 skeins for the 44-inch size. The pattern is worked on Size 5 needles, though the instructions note that needle size may be adjusted as needed to obtain the correct gauge. The recommended gauge is 5.5 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch when worked in reverse stockinette stitch with Size 5 needles.

Pattern Structure

The sweater back begins with casting on 117, 129, or 141 stitches depending on the desired size. The pattern starts with 5 rows of reverse stockinette stitch before transitioning into the main pattern sections. The back features multiple stitch pattern panels separated by markers: seed stitch edges, stockinette sections, Vine Pattern sections worked over 26 stitches, a Bobble Pattern section over 15 stitches, and additional Vine Pattern repeats. The pattern continues for 3.5 inches before progressing to additional shaping and construction. This structured approach using placed markers helps organize the various stitch patterns and ensures proper alignment throughout the garment.