Valley Yarns Ladder And Vine Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Ladder and Vine Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Ladder and Vine Cardigan is a knitted cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky, available in five finished sizes ranging from 35 inches to 47 inches in width. This garment features a classic button-front construction with a V-neckline closure secured by decorative crocheted ties rather than traditional buttons.

Knitting Techniques

This cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed, and worked-flat approach. The garment pieces are knitted flat on straight needles and then sewn together at the shoulders, sleeves, and side seams. The design incorporates lace techniques throughout, creating an openwork aesthetic that defines the visual character of the piece.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The cardigan features a repeating four-row stitch pattern that forms the foundation of the lace design. The pattern uses a multiple of 9 stitches plus 7 edge stitches and includes the following specialized stitches:

• K1-b (knit 1 through back loop) – creates a twisted knit stitch for textural detail
• P1-b (purl 1 through back loop) – the purl equivalent of the twisted stitch
• K2tog (knit 2 together) – a right-leaning decrease used in the lace pattern
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) – a left-leaning decrease that pairs with yarn overs to create the lace openings
• Yo (yarn over) – creates the characteristic eyelets and openwork of the lace design

The stitch pattern alternates between right-side rows featuring decreases paired with yarn overs and wrong-side rows that maintain the pattern structure. This creates the "ladder and vine" visual motif through the strategic placement of yarn overs and decreases.

Garment Construction Details

Back Panel: Cast on between 106 and 142 stitches depending on size, then work in the repeating stitch pattern.

Front Panels: Work with modified stitch pattern at the edges, incorporating ribbed sections (knit 2, purl 2) at the front bands. Shaping is reversed between left and right fronts to accommodate the V-neckline.

Sleeves: Made as two identical pieces, cast on with 52 or 61 stitches depending on size. Sleeves are increased at both edges at regular intervals—either every 8th row or every 6th row depending on size—to reach final stitch counts between 82 and 105 stitches. Sleeves measure between 17 and 19 inches in length before cap shaping. Cap decreases are worked in stages: binding off 6 stitches at each edge, then decreasing 1 stitch at each edge on right-side rows, followed by binding off 2-stitch and 3-stitch groups to complete the cap.

Materials and Tools

The cardigan is knitted with Valley Yarns Southwick, a yarn blend composed of 52% Pima cotton and 48% bamboo, which provides breathability and drape suitable for a lace cardigan. The yarn is available in the color Ginger. Each skein contains 82 yards and weighs 50 grams; the project requires 11 to 15 skeins depending on the finished size.

Construction requires Size 6 knitting needles (or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge) and a crochet hook for finishing the decorative ties at the V-neckline.

Gauge and Finishing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 6 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch in the stitch pattern. After all pieces are knitted, the cardigan is finished by seaming the shoulder, sleeve, and side seams together. Two 12-inch crocheted chain ties are created with the crochet hook and fastened to the bottom of the V-neck opening to serve as the closure mechanism. All loose ends are sewn in, and the completed cardigan is blocked to the desired measurements for a polished, professional finish.