Valley Yarns Point and Line Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Point and Line Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Point and Line Cardigan is a sophisticated knitted cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky, available in five finished sizes ranging from 32" to 48". This garment features elegant lace detailing and is constructed using a top-down method worked flat, making it an excellent project for advanced-beginner knitters looking to expand their skills with lace and shaping techniques.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that create its distinctive aesthetic and structure:

• Top-down construction: The sweater is worked from the yoke downward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and seamless integration of the body and sleeves.
• Lace patterning: The design incorporates eyelet lace created through yarn overs and decreases, worked strategically at marked intervals throughout the yoke and sleeves to create the "Point and Line" visual motif.
• Worked flat: The yoke is knitted flat on circular needles, then transitioned to working in the round for the sleeves, demonstrating versatility in needle techniques.
• Shaping with decreases: The pattern uses ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit two together) decreases paired with yarn overs to maintain stitch counts while creating the lace design.
• Circular knitting: Sleeves are worked in the round using either shorter circular needles or double-pointed needles, with decreases strategically placed every 16th, 12th, 10th, 8th, or 7th round depending on size to achieve proper sleeve fit.

Stitches Used

The Point and Line Cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in purposeful ways:

• Knit and purl stitches: Form the foundation of the lower body pattern, worked at a gauge of 4 stitches and 6 rows per 1 inch.
• Yarn overs (yo): Create the eyelet openings that define the lace pattern, worked at every marker in eyelet rows for visual impact.
• Decreases: Both k2tog and ssk decreases are used to balance yarn overs and control stitch counts throughout the yoke and sleeve sections.
• Slip stitch (sl1): Used at the beginning of rows to create clean edges.
• Slip stitch through button shank (b1): A specialty stitch used during finishing to attach the 2 to 4 shank buttons (depending on size) that close the cardigan.

Materials

The Point and Line Cardigan is designed to be worked with Valley Yarns Amherst, a 100% Merino yarn that provides softness and drape ideal for lace projects. The yardage required varies by size: the pattern specifies 109 yards per 50-gram skein. Construction requires US size 8 circular needles in both 16" and 40" lengths, as well as double-pointed needles of the same size, or needles sized as needed to obtain the specified gauge. Additional materials include 16 stitch markers (which can be made from contrasting yarn tied around the needle, with markers A and B distinguished by different colors) and 2 to 4 shank buttons depending on the finished size chosen. A small crochet hook is optional but helpful for attaching buttons through the shank.