Valley Yarns Green Street Cabled Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Green Street Cabled Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Green Street Cabled Cardigan is a classic button-front cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment features a sophisticated cable pattern throughout the body and sleeves, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to develop their cable-working skills. The cardigan is available in five finished sizes ranging from 36" to 52" in width, accommodating a variety of body measurements and fit preferences. The design includes set-in sleeves, a structured neckband, and seamed construction for a polished, tailored appearance.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that build foundational skills:

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan is worked from the bottom of the body upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it progresses and easily adjust length if needed.
• Flat knitting: The piece is worked flat on needles rather than in the round, creating seams that are sewn together during finishing.
• Cable work: A repeating cable pattern runs throughout the cardigan, creating visual texture and dimension.
• Seaming: Shoulder seams are sewn together, sleeves are attached by lining up markers and sewing the top portion to armhole bind-off stitches, and sleeve seams are closed with mattress stitch or similar seaming techniques.
• Shaping: The left and right fronts include strategic decreases at the armhole and neck edges to create proper fit and structure.
• Ribbed edging: Sleeves begin with a twisted rib pattern worked for 1 inch, providing elasticity and a finished edge.

Stitches Used

The Green Street Cabled Cardigan utilizes a focused set of stitches to create its textured appearance:

• Knit and purl stitches: The foundation of the pattern, used to create the cable base and reverse stockinette background.
• Knit through back loop (k1b): This stitch is worked at specific intervals within the cable pattern, adding a twisted element and visual interest.
• Cable stitches: The cable pattern repeats over a multiple of 9 stitches plus 3 edge stitches. Row 1 (right side) is worked as K1, k1b, *p2, k4, p2, k1b; repeated to the last stitch, finished with k1. Row 2 (wrong side) is worked as K1, p1, *k2, p4 with yarn wrapped twice around the needle, continuing the pattern repeat. These cables create the signature textured look of the cardigan.
• Twisted rib pattern: Used for the 1-inch sleeve cuffs, this stitch provides stretch and a neat finished edge.
• Slip stitches and yarn management: Abbreviations include Sl (slip) and Wyib (with yarn in back), used for neat edge stitches and color work management.

Materials and Gauge

The Valley Yarns Green Street Cabled Cardigan is designed to be worked with Valley Yarns Williamstown yarn in color 08. This yarn is a blend of 65% wool, 25% acrylic, and 10% viscose, providing warmth, durability, and a subtle sheen. Each skein yields 126 yards and weighs 50 grams. The yardage required varies by size, ranging from 9 to 15 skeins depending on the finished dimensions selected.

The pattern calls for US size 7 circular needles, though the exact needle size may be adjusted as needed to obtain proper gauge. The recommended gauge is 5 stitches and 7 rows per inch when working the cable pattern on US size 7 needles. Achieving accurate gauge is essential for proper fit and drape of the finished cardigan. Knitters should always knit a gauge swatch in the cable pattern before beginning the project to ensure their tension matches the designer's specifications.

Construction Details

The cardigan begins with the body worked flat from the bottom up. The left front, back, and right front are worked separately with cable patterning throughout. Armhole shaping occurs through strategic decreases: the left front decreases at the end of rows on the wrong side, then continues decreasing every right-side row for a specified number of times, followed by decreases every fourth row. The right front mirrors this shaping in reverse. The back is worked straight until the armhole matches the front depth.

Sleeves are made