Valley Yarns Hawthorne Textured Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Hawthorne Textured Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Hawthorne Textured Cardigan is a beginner-friendly knitted cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed approach and features a textured stitch pattern throughout. The cardigan is available in four finished sizes ranging from 35 inches to 53 inches in circumference, making it suitable for various body measurements. The design includes a full-length body with set-in sleeves and a finished collar edge, creating a classic cardigan silhouette with modern textural interest.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing knitters to work back and forth across rows. The construction method is bottom-up and seamed, meaning the lower body is knitted first, followed by the upper body sections, and then all pieces are sewn together. This approach provides clear structure and makes it easier to try on the garment as you progress.

The pattern uses partial row shaping to create the armholes and neckline without complex decreases. The sleeves are set in using seaming techniques, and the collar is finished by picking up stitches along the front edges and working a short ribbed band. The shoulder seams are intentionally left partially unsewn at the center to create an open neckline, which is then finished with the collar band.

Stitches Used

The Hawthorne Textured Cardigan features several key stitches that create visual interest and texture:

• Seed Stitch: A fundamental textured stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. This stitch appears in 15-row sections at the lower edges of both the body and sleeves, creating a decorative border that frames the main pattern.
• Hawthorne Pattern: The primary stitch pattern used throughout the body and sleeves of the cardigan. This textured pattern creates visual depth and interest across the main garment sections.
• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row, garter stitch appears in the transition rows between the seed stitch borders and the Hawthorne Pattern sections (knit 2 rows, purl 1 row, knit 2 rows).
• Ribbing: Used for the collar and edge finishing, created by picking up stitches along the front edges and working alternating knit and purl rows to create an elastic, finished edge.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Valley Yarns Hawthorne Textured Cardigan is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Williamstown, a versatile blend yarn consisting of 65% wool, 25% acrylic, and 10% viscose. This fiber composition provides warmth from the wool content while the acrylic and viscose add durability and a subtle sheen to the finished fabric.

Yarn yardage requirements vary by size: the pattern calls for 11 skeins for the smallest size (35"), 13 skeins for the 41" size, 16 skeins for the 47" size, and 19 skeins for the largest 53" size. Each skein of Williamstown contains 50 grams and yields 126 yards, allowing crafters to calculate total yardage and substitute alternative yarns if desired. The sample shown is worked in color 04 medium brown, a neutral shade that complements the textured stitch patterns.

Standard knitting needles appropriate for the yarn weight are required to complete this project, though the pattern does not specify exact needle sizes in the provided excerpt. Crafters should consult the complete pattern instructions for needle recommendations based on desired gauge and yarn weight specifications.